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Up in the Air
Corporate downsizing expert Ryan Bingham spends his life in planes, airports, and hotels, but just as he’s about to reach a milestone of ten million frequent flyer miles, he meets a woman who causes him to rethink his transient life.
2009 · Directed by Jason Reitman · 110 min · Drama · Romance · Screenplay in the scene database · 17 frames
Tagline
The story of a man ready to make a connection.
Plot
Ryan Bingham works for a human resources consultancy firm specializing in employment-termination assistance. His work constantly takes him around the country, conducting company layoffs on behalf of employers. Ryan also gives motivational speeches, using the analogy "What's in Your Backpack?" to extol living free of burdensome relationships and material possessions. A frequent flyer, Ryan aspires to earn ten million frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. While traveling, he meets a woman named Alex Goran, a businesswoman who also flies frequently. They begin a casual relationship, meeting up in various cities as their respective schedules allow.
Ryan is recalled to his company's offices in Omaha. Natalie Keener, a young and ambitious new hire, promotes cutting costs by conducting layoffs via video-conferencing. Ryan raises concerns that the new system is impersonal and undignified, arguing that Natalie lacks understanding about the firing process and how to handle emotionally vulnerable people. His boss, Craig Gregory, has Natalie accompany a reluctant Ryan on his next round of terminations to observe the process.
Ryan tutors Natalie on traveling more efficiently by using smaller luggage and moving quickly through airport security. As they travel together, Natalie challenges Ryan's philosophies on life, particularly regarding relationships and love. During the trip, Natalie's boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her by text message, but Ryan and Alex comfort her. On a video termination test run, Ryan's earlier concerns prove valid when Natalie is unable to properly console a laid-off person who breaks down on camera.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
- Cinematography: Eric Steelberg
- Edited by: Dana E. Glauberman
- Music: Rolfe Kent
- Production design: Steve Saklad
- Produced by: Jason Reitman, Ivan Reitman, Daniel Dubiecki, Jeffrey Clifford
Cast
- George Clooney as Ryan Bingham
- Vera Farmiga as Alex Goran
- Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener
- Sam Elliott as Maynard Finch
- Amy Morton as Kara Bingham
- Jason Bateman as Craig Gregory
- Melanie Lynskey as Julie Bingham
- J.K. Simmons as Bob
- Danny McBride as Jim Miller
- Zach Galifianakis as Steve
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Cold Spring Pictures, The Montecito Picture Company
- Budget: $25,000,000
- Box office: $166,842,739
- Themes: suitcase, business, omaha, las vegas, on the road, fired from the job, downsizing, cross country, videoconferencing, employment termination
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