Perhaps I’ve mentioned this before, but, in general, sentimentalism (particularly when it comes to movies) really does irritate the living hell out of me. Perhaps this reaction is due to the crap regularly shoveled into theaters under the guises of “dramedy” or “romantic comedy,” which generally showcase a bunch of weak-willed characters who, despite consistently making bad decisions and surrounding themselves with toxic individuals, still, inexplicably, end up living happily ever after. Most of this stuff caters to audiences that want to temporarily feel better about their own multiple divorces and bad career moves as well as encouraging unyielding hope based upon absolutely nothing. Not gonna happen, mates.

Every so often, however, there arrives a rare film that actually manage to pull off a bit of effective tenderness as part of a much greater whole. In the case of Pixar’s Up, this movie actually managed to jerk some tears out of me in a public setting. On a very related note, if you can read through this entire article (which has been haunting me for approximately 24 hours) without growing misty-eyed and grabbing ahold of all that is near and dear, then I’m very sorry, but you may not have a soul.

Imagery: Pixar