A couple months before Up In The Air was released, someone who knows someone at Paramount told me about its similarities to Lemonade.
Well, I was finally able to see UITA last night. Other than mentioning that I enjoyed it very much and think you would, too, I’m not going to give it a review here per se.
I did want to talk about its similarities to Lemonade. And mostly, how it differs.
While the movie is largely about a hired-gun axe man, they cut in clips of real-life people who lost their jobs. Overall, it’s a nice touch of reality in an otherwise glitzy Hollywood production. And that’s pretty much where the sameness ends.
The bigger thought for me was this issue of escapism vs. truth. We go to the movies largely to be entertained. People — myself included — think nothing of dropping $50 on a couple of tickets and some popcorn to get away from life for a while. And judging by box office sales for Up In The Air (about $54.5M to date), we don’t mind watching actors live out our day to day bullshit on the big screen.
That said, Ryan Bingham (Clooney’s character) transcends our day to day. He’s not our reality. Bingham carries a Black Card, flies 300+ days a year and romps under hotel covers with mid-life hottie Vera Farmiga. There’s not much middle income white-collar connection to that.
But the people on the other side of the desk — the ones he’s paid to fire — that’s you and me. Those are the people I connect with. Theirs are the truths I want to tell. And that’s the big difference between Up In The Air and Lemonade. The former is a beautifully executed fantasy that entertains a notion of reality. The latter tries to make reality entertaining.
So I ask you, is a largely fictional film about layoffs more appealing to you than a real one? Would you rather see dashing leading men act out what it’s like to fire someone, or hear about real-life triumphs from the other side?
I know the story I want to tell. But what’s the story you want to hear?
7 Comments
Is it bad of me to want both? I love true stories, because the truth is fascinating, relevant and relatable. But, I also kinda like to watch George Clooney…
I have seen both films and while I did see the similar thematic elements, that is about it. Lemonade is about giving hope, showing a brighter (more lemonade) side to a life changing event. UITA tells the story from another perspective…it is almost depressing when you see that Bingham’s character has a rather empty life, no matter what his AA mileage status is.
I enjoyed UITA for its entertainment value and its story from a different perspective on one man’s life and job.
I loved Lemonade for its message of hope and optimism – and its truth. You come away from Lemonade with hope and the feeling that being laid off is not the end of the world – but can in face be the beginning of a great new one.
It seems Lemonade is a great follow-up to Up In The Air. UITA only teases out this powerful element of reality, these folks who have lost their jobs. In fact, it’s those few moments in the film that seem to take UITA to the endearing level its at. Lemonade picks up that reality, and takes it where it needs to go, telling the story we need to hear.
Sheridenla & Jon,
Thank you for so beautifully articulating the intent of Lemonade. I think there’s always a fear from filmmakers, ad writers, poets, artists, and any kind of storyteller that the takeaway might get lost. And it didn’t. That gives me hope.
erik
I don’t want to see any movie about layoffs. How depressing. I’ve been laid off 3 times this decade. I don’t want to relive it.
I’d rather go see Avatard.
I saw both movies and although I see where the comparisons are being drawn, it’s almost like saying apples and oranges are the same because they are fruit. But in reality, they are not the same at all – in taste, in colour, in flavour, in preference, in growth. The essence of that is the same between Lemonade and Up in the Air.
Up in the Air used layoffs as an element of Bingham’s character. He laid off people, he was a solo traveler, he lost himself & at the end this turned out to be a movie on romance more so than it was about the realism of being laid off.
Lemonade on the other hand, I felt articulated everything about what it is and should feel like to be laid off… freedom. I don’t know what it is, whether it is because I am also in the marketing/advertising realm and feel completely unsatisfied with my current position, but I identified with EVERY single account in the movie. All the emotions, the priorities, the messages are all thoughts I’ve been thinking about and voicing on my personal blog for such a long time. This movie solidified the fact that we not only have the power to lead our lives and do the things that make us happy, but that we are not alone in this journey. Taking that chance, and hearing about these stories was just the reminder I needed to continue on my pursuit of personal fulfillment & happiness.
Thank you to the team behind Lemonade & the ad agency executives who shared their stories.
angielim
toronto, canada
jibozwa macine li
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