Up in the air

It’s utterly simple folks. People watch movies to find parallel meaning with their lives. Some small sense of validity. People want to be reminded that the characters in their movies have the same aspirations and downfalls as they do.

That is why films like this year’s UP IN THE AIR are so enjoyable to watch. Because they deal with some of life’s undeniable truths, but not in absolution. They are portrayed by characters who like real people, are self-assured yet conflicted. Righteous but vulnerable.

People are interesting because they contradict themselves. We are not who we say we are. Not so much morally but in an identity sense. Some of us spend a lifetime balancing it out as a series of compromises and perhaps in the end we can feel good about our choices.

But the reality is that people evolve through time. Even the ones who try and defy it. And sooner or later the hard line philosophies we adhere to so fervently can seem utterly meaningless. Leaving us with nothing but what we know deep down to be true and contemplating what is really important in life.