Storytelling: Letting Go – Up vs Super 8

Today’s post is about storytelling, specifically screenwriting. I will talk about how something works very powerfully in one mainstream film, and is not so powerful in another. I will talk about the power of storytelling to effect, and reflect, on our lives. There will be spoilers for two films – Peter Doctor & Bob Peterson’s Up (2009) and J.J. Abram’s Super 8 (2011).

I saw both the above films while working for the cinema. We got to the sit through the films more than once, which is useful when you want to study a film’s story architecture.

Up

The first thing that hits you about Up (2009) is the strength of its unconventional opening. The entire history of couple’s relationship is depicted. From their meeting as children, dreaming of adventures, through their marriage, up until one of them dies. This is enough to break any but the most emotionally hardened film watcher.

It’s really important, because it lays in us an understanding of one of the main characters – Carl – who for the rest of the story is a grumpy 78 year old. What we know is that he and his wife never achieved their dream of adventure to far off lands. Real life kept getting in the way. Every time they got close to saving enough money, something would happen. Then each time the piggy bank would have to be raided and the adventure postponed.

Finally, Carl’s wife dies without them ever seeing Latin America. The old guy lives on, on his own in their house, surrounded by all the things they acquired through the last 50 years or so of their marriage.

His lonely life is then interrupted by construction workers, keen to remove the last obstacle to their new development – him.

When it looks like he’s going to be put into a retirement home, Carl ties hundreds of helium balloons to his house and takes to the air. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there’s a stowaway – a boy called Russell, who is full of the enthusiasm and energy of youth.

The Inner Child

But Russell isn’t just a boy McGuffin for the story. He also represents Carl’s (and our) inner child. It’s also very relevant that Carl takes to the air using a method connected to childhood – the helium balloons that fascinated us when we were young enough to watch one fly into the air and wonder where it might end up.

So, later in the story, there comes a moment when Russell’s life is in danger. Carl must try to rescue him. But many of the balloons that were enabling his house to fly have been popped. He’s not going anywhere.

There’s only one way to get that house back into the air. He must throw out all the belongings inside to reduce the weight of the house. The belongings, of course, represent his dead wife, who Carl is still very much attached to.

So we arrive at a key dramatic moment: to save Russell (who represents his inner child) he must left go of his wife’s belongings. The subtext being, he must let go of his dead wife to save his inner child.

Carl makes the decision and quickly gets to work throwing everything out. Finally, the house lifts back into the air and Russell is saved. It’s a huge moment in the film; a great moment. And one that has had a big impact on me since.

Super 8

There’s a similar moment in Super 8, but there’s a reason why it fails to reach the same emotional level.

Joel is a 14 year old boy who is mourning the recent death of his mother. He owns a locket which used to belong to her. In a moment similar to that great scene in Up, the locket is sucked up by the alien spacecraft and Joel must let it go.

It’s the same symbolism: Joel is letting go of his mother and moving on.

The problem is, this moment is only working on one level. Because the locket doesn’t have any effect on the story other than to represent Joel’s emotional state. Therefore, it doesn’t carry the same punch. What happens in the story if Joel doesn’t let go? Unlike in Up, where the stakes are no less than Russel’s life, it’s difficult to find any real world stakes at all (other than Joel’s inner journey).

Why a major turning point working on different levels is so powerful

In Up, the story tells us: to save the inner child we must let go of the past; to take flight again we must remove the objects which are holding us down. If Carl doesn’t let go, Russell is doomed. This message is deep, powerful, thought-provoking – possibly life-changing, who knows, but it has that potential.

By letting go of the past that was holding him down, Carl can re-discover his youthful spirit of adventure. Which is a message we can all relate to, can’t we?

I’m not saying one is better than the other. But they do work in a different way and it’s useful for storytellers to know why.

I personally find the moment in the Up to be more impressive and moving, while in Super 8 it falls a little flat. But that’s just me. What do you think?

Next up: 2 Things You Must Do in Screenwriting.

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