Thanks to a bit of accumulated comp time, I was able to leave work early today to go see Disney/Pixar's "Up" with Misty and Emily.
Before the movie, I met the family at Chick-fil-A for lunch. There was a costumed cow character there, which Emily and Kendall were very amused by. After eating the girls went to run around and climb in the little play area. Kendall got up to the very top, but she was afraid to come down. Emily and every other little kid playing up there tried to coax her down -- either by way of the slide or steps -- but Kendall wouldn't budge. I knew I could climb up there if I had to, but I wanted to keep that as a last resort since the structure is not designed for adults. Finally I just told Emily, "I don't care if you make her upset. Just drag her down if you have to." To her credit, Emily tried, but still couldn't get Kendall out.
After about 30 minutes of Kendall's standoff, a pair of little boys came to the rescue. One of them picked her up in his arms like a firefighter and carried her down the steps, while the other boy walked in front of them, guiding Kendall's head and feet so she wouldn't bonk into anything. It was a touching moment. Upon thanking the young heroes, one of them replied to me, "Where's our tip?" That cracked me up.
We dropped Kendall off at Misty's mom's house and made it to the movie theater just in time. I hadn't realized that there was an extra charge for 3-D movies, but we paid it anyway. It was my first experience with a full-length 3-D movie (I'd seen films like "Mickey's Philharmagic" and "Muppet Vision 3-D" at Disney World, but they're only a few minutes long), so I didn't mind the extra cost too much. However, it will likely be the last time we do it -- not only did this make 3 matinee movie tickets nearly $30, but Emily didn't like wearing the glasses and kept taking them off during the movie, which blurs the picture. While the 3-D effects were really nifty, they weren't necessary -- I think it would have been just as beautiful if we'd seen the 2-D version.
And wow, was it beautiful. "Up" has every element of what makes for a great movie -- adventure, heart, laughs, spectacle, and gorgeous scenery. The story was touching and the characters were immediately lovable. Misty says that it's the only animated movie that's ever made her cry (which is absurd -- What about when Mufasa dies in "The Lion King?" What about when Emily grows up and leaves her Jesse doll in the donation box in "Toy Story 2?" What about when Elastigirl leaps to save her children as their plane explodes in "The Incredibles?" It just proves that Misty's soul is defective). But indeed, "Up" is a tearjerker, too. It'll get you twice within the first few minutes. That's another mark of a great film -- it has you caring about the characters when you've barely even met them yet. I really liked the moral of "Up," too: Life is precious, and you should live out your dreams while you can. But even a life of unrealized dreams can still be filled with wonderful memories. I highly recommend the movie.
Here's Misty's favorite scene. She says it reminds her of when our kids get in trouble.
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