Up in the Air (2009)
83%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 6 Oscars
75 wins & 171 nominations total
Led by charismatic performances by its three leads, director Jason Reitman delivers a smart blend of humor and emotion with just enough edge for mainstream audiences
Up in the Air is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and think about the importance of human connection. Sure, it’s about a guy who fires people for a living, but it’s also about so much more than that. George Clooney is at his charming best, and the supporting cast is fantastic. The script is sharp and witty, and the direction is top-notch. It’s a movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll. So, if you’re looking for a film that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, Up in the Air is definitely worth checking out.
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Stanley Kubrick Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Cheshire Inn, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 49m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2009 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 9, 2010
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey, directed by Jason Reitman, written by Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Ed Koch, Matt Singer, Candice Frederick, Tambay Obenson, Scott Foundas, Dan DiNicola, Scott Nye, Jason Best, Mike Massie, Rachel Wagner, produced by Daniel Dubiecki, Jeffrey Clifford, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, MPAA rating R, corporate downsizer, face-to-face meetings, frequent-flier, romantic comedy, heartfelt, emotional, witty, smart, mainstream audiences, mentor, hookups, new co-worker, fired, downsizing, travel, commitment, moral vacancy, one-trick pony, lack of commitment, importance of face-to-face meetings, new light, developing feelings, love interest, mature, believable, fleshed out, natural, forced, pretentious, original, honest, defies predictability, formula, top horror movies, RT Podcasts, most anticipated movies, most anticipated TV & streaming, all MCU movies ranked by Tomatometer, renewed & cancelled TV shows 2022, best 2022 horror movies ranked by Tomatometer, TV premiere dates 2022, worst horror movies of all time, best Netflix series & shows
Worldwide gross: $166,842,739
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $230,595,139
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 617
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 25,146,689
US/Canada gross: $83,823,381
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $115,853,194
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 653
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,181,450
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,632,895
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,224
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $34,552,768
Production budget ranking: 1,067
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $18,606,666
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $177,435,705
ROI to date (est.): 334%
ROI ranking: 415
Vera Farmiga – Alex Goran
Anna Kendrick – Natalie Keener
Jason Bateman – Craig Gregory
Danny McBride – Jim Miller
Melanie Lynskey – Julie Bingham
Director(s)
Jason Reitman
Writer(s)
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
Producer(s)
Daniel Dubiecki, Jeffrey Clifford, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 6 Oscars
75 wins & 171 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (287) | Top Critics (83) | Fresh (259) | Rotten (28)
We always know just where this film is going… . But as co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, the plot’s twists are so delicious and the dialogue so inventively perfect it doesn’t matter a jot.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
A slick, cute, diverting, superbly-acted film but also an empty one due to the picture’s raison d’être: a one-trick pony concerned solely with lack of commitment.
January 16, 2018
Ed Koch
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Up in the Air is sentimental, but that doesn’t mean it’s simplistic. In fact, the movie plays at some interesting contradictions. It is a genuinely funny movie about genuinely depressing times.
September 18, 2017
Matt Singer
The Rumpus
TOP CRITIC
At the end of the day, Up In The Air makes us think about the importance of having someone to come home to and how we define ourselves on the job.
September 12, 2017 | Rating: A
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
The Jason Reitman-directed Up In The Air (an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Walter Kim) actually engaged me from start to finish, and dare I say, moved me.
August 15, 2017
Tambay Obenson
Shadow and Act
TOP CRITIC
By far Reitman’s most accomplished film to date, both in terms of craft and its stealth avoidance of typical Hollywood flight patterns…
June 28, 2013
Scott Foundas
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Clooney’s portrayal if this terminal man is exemplary on every count. He is a man of and for our times. So too is this year’s finest movie.
March 22, 2021
Dan DiNicola
The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)
There are large chunks of the screenplay that feel like a black comedy waiting to break out, but Cody is too self-aware to carry that all the way and Reitman is far too determined to really say something you guys to let that aspect loose.
February 10, 2021
Scott Nye
Battleship Pretension
Up in the Air is as slick and polished as its protagonist… Yet whereas the closer you look at Clooney’s Ryan the more you uncover his moral vacancy, when you dig more deeply into the film itself you discover its heart.
November 30, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Manages an upbeat tone and entertaining outlook, even as it falls victim to standard romantic comedy clichés.
November 29, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
I love this movie. It is so well written
September 29, 2020
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
Easily one of 2009’s best films.
September 26, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com…
Plot
Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles, and just after he’s met the frequent-traveller woman of his dreams.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “charismatic performances” of the three leads, George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick.
Jason-Reitman.jpg
