Movie - Up in the Air
Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:37 am
We went to see Up in the Air yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Except of course, one of the themes was corporate downsizing. Wife later asked me why I looked like I was in pain. I wasn't in pain, but was in reflectful (is that a word) mood. I went thru the trembling lips while getting downsized 16 years ago. Being let go is a big change.
It was the last time that I worked "permanently" for a big company. That company had been neat because we were very successful and very good at what we did. There was pride of being part of something good. Everything since then has been "gigs." It meant having to leave a small town that I thoroughly enjoyed because there was nothing else going on that I would rank even close to the word opportunity. It capped one of those periods when my ex- became a compulsive gambler which led to my filing for divorce and my dog died. When I look back, part is a sadness at the loss of an existence that was enjoyable and fullfilling.
The movie also touched on downsizing as an opportunity. In a sense it has been that for me. While there is absolutely no security and I always have to be lookiing over my shoulder while always developing new contacts, the loss of a base also made me open to other opportunities that have been just great experiences. I also am aware that things easily could have turned out totally different. I really felt for some of the characters being fired because you just know that things were not going to turn out well for them.
Probably the reasons for wifey commenting that I looked in pain was just the sadness for a route in life that might have been and a feeling for those characters who now were forced into a very painful change that they might or might not make it thru.
So it is a movie that touches on a lot of themes and has some great humor if you like humor based on life and people and not slapstick. I would be curious what other responses are to the movie.
Except of course, one of the themes was corporate downsizing. Wife later asked me why I looked like I was in pain. I wasn't in pain, but was in reflectful (is that a word) mood. I went thru the trembling lips while getting downsized 16 years ago. Being let go is a big change.
It was the last time that I worked "permanently" for a big company. That company had been neat because we were very successful and very good at what we did. There was pride of being part of something good. Everything since then has been "gigs." It meant having to leave a small town that I thoroughly enjoyed because there was nothing else going on that I would rank even close to the word opportunity. It capped one of those periods when my ex- became a compulsive gambler which led to my filing for divorce and my dog died. When I look back, part is a sadness at the loss of an existence that was enjoyable and fullfilling.
The movie also touched on downsizing as an opportunity. In a sense it has been that for me. While there is absolutely no security and I always have to be lookiing over my shoulder while always developing new contacts, the loss of a base also made me open to other opportunities that have been just great experiences. I also am aware that things easily could have turned out totally different. I really felt for some of the characters being fired because you just know that things were not going to turn out well for them.
Probably the reasons for wifey commenting that I looked in pain was just the sadness for a route in life that might have been and a feeling for those characters who now were forced into a very painful change that they might or might not make it thru.
So it is a movie that touches on a lot of themes and has some great humor if you like humor based on life and people and not slapstick. I would be curious what other responses are to the movie.