Did You Know These 10 Facts About Up?

I remember watching Up the first time when Kali was just a teeny baby. Her face would light up whenever she saw the colorful balloons. Since then, I lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. It’s one of those movies that will make you feel pain and loss but will eventually crack you up which is cathartic.

I watched it again today, and I realized that of all the animation I’ve watched, this is my favorite.

Here are some of the things that i recently discovered about the movie Up

Ellie’s Adventure Book: In the film, Ellie has an adventure book titled “My Adventure Book.” If you pay close attention, there is a shot where a younger Carl is reading a comic about an explorer, and the explorer looks a lot like the older version of Carl.

2. The Luxo Ball: The famous Luxo Ball, which is a Pixar Easter egg seen in many of their films, can be found as a small toy in the room of a little girl when Carl’s house first takes off.

3. Counting Balloons: It is estimated that Carl uses between 10,000 to 20,000 balloons to lift his house. But in reality, it would take over 12 million regular-sized balloons to lift a house like Carl’s off the ground!

4. Character Inspiration: The character of Carl was inspired by Spencer Tracy and Walter Matthau. His square shape was chosen to show he’s literally boxed in by his surroundings.

5. The Voice of Dug: Dug the dog, who famously says, “Squirrel!” in the middle of his sentences, is voiced by Bob Peterson. Bob was also the co-director and co-writer of the movie!

6. Kevin’s Gender: Kevin, the rare exotic bird in the film, is referred to as a male by most characters. However, it is later revealed that Kevin is female, much to Russell’s surprise.

7. A113: This is a famous Pixar Easter egg which is a reference to a classroom number at California Institute of the Arts where many Pixar animators studied. In “Up,” A113 is seen as the courtroom number where Carl goes after hitting the construction worker with his walker.

8. Paradise Falls Inspiration: Paradise Falls, the exotic location Carl dreams of visiting, is inspired by the real-world Angel Falls in Venezuela, which is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall.

9. Visual Storytelling: When we’re introduced to Carl’s life with Ellie, there are very few spoken words. The montage communicates their life story primarily through visuals and music, which showcases Pixar’s storytelling prowess. And this is where I always cry my eyes out.

10. Russell’s Badge: At the end of the movie, Russell earns the “Ellie Badge” which is a grape soda pin that Carl gives him. It’s a symbol of the greatest adventure he embarked on, which is forming a genuine bond with Carl.

Finally, I just realized after watching the series See You in my 19th Life, that Russel might be the reincarnated spirit of Ellie, pushing Carl to finish his adventures but with love and warmth that they weren’t able to experience as parents.