President Gordon B. Hinkley recognized the power of the media as a force for good. A study of his life demonstrates how deeply invested he was in the use of radio, television, film, and the Internet for spreading principles of truth and peace. It was in this spirit that he offered the following counsel:

When there is a good movie in town, consider going to the theater as a family. Your very patronage will give encouragement to those who wish to produce this type of entertainment.. – “In Opposition to Evil,” Ensign, Sep 2004, 2–6

With those words in mind, I can think of no film of recent years that is more worth your patronage that Pixar-Disney's UP, which interweaves its adventure and belly laughs with surprisingly tender expressions of marital devotion and loyal friendship. The film possesses an innocence, and ultimately a sweetness, that was pleasing to my soul.

Without giving away too much, the story revolves around elderly widower Carl Fredrickson, who is facing eviction from the home in which he made a lifetime of memories with his recently departed (and much beloved) wife. Rather than allow that to happen, the aging balloon artist ties thousands of inflated helium orbs to his home and flies away with it, steering his house towards an adventurous destination he and his wife had always dreamed of visiting, but never did. Much to Carl's surprise, his adorably precocious neighbor Russell (who is a type of Boy Scout) has accidentally tagged along for the ride. The wise yet cantankerous elder and the naïve-but-loving child become unlikely friends while facing danger in the style of Classic Hollywood serial adventures, complete with stunning locales, dangerous animals, dastardly villains, and a literal dogfight centered around a zeppelin thousands of feet in the air (you'll see).

While Up is pure fantasy, its emotional center is firmly grounded, and this is the film's greatest strength. Pixar is on an unprecedented winning streak. Films such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E have combined lush animation with fully-realized characters and sharply-written comedy. With Up, however, they have created their most moving and poignant film. While on the surface the film may be about thrills, laughs, and adventure, such is actually merely the canvas on which the filmmakers explore love, loss, healing, and finding joy in our relationships with those around us. Twice I was moved to tears by the unexpected poetic beauty of it all.

That said, the film is also marvelously entertaining, mixing awesome spectacle with some fantastic humor. The two protagonists pick up a pair of fascinating animals: a giant bird whose temperament suggests a relation to the Road Runner, and a Golden Retriever named Doug, whose collar translates and vocalizes his thoughts. While most talking cartoon animals become anthropomorphized to the point of being more human than animal, this ingenious plot device effectively allows the film to have a “talking” dog who is still very much a dog, such as when Doug's collar translates his thoughts about the pair who have found him in the wilderness: “I have just met you, and I love you.” Doug had me smiling every second he was on screen, and laughing almost as much.

With the film's wholesome content, loving portrayal of scouting, and it emphasis on befriending the lonely and on viewing our lives as gifts to be enjoyed, Up comes highly recommended and definitely worth seeing in theatres.