A love story that makes everyone swoon and even shed a tear may be more than just a cute couple. Up the movie is a true story because it questions gender roles. The main character's wife, Ellie, is shown as being brave and emotionally strong while he, Carl, is seen as emotional and dependent throughout their love story montage. This opposes what society views as the ideal man or woman and makes this tremendous love story into a true one as well.
During the opening scene of the movie, Carl wanders into an abandoned house to find Ellie for the first time. At first sight, it is not apparent whether Ellie is a girl or a boy, this is important because it limits first impressions of the character based on gender. Stereotypes about women in today's media might lead a movie-goer into believing that Ellie is dainty and emotionally fragile; however, this is not true. Pixar has created a girl that is neither, fearless Ellie dreams big about exploring and traveling. Even her male counterpart, Carl, is overwhelmed by her outgoing and fearless personality upon first meeting her.
Up’s love story is true because it depicts how real American women are independent and courageous. Characters similar to Ellie are becoming more common in mainstream entertainment. Strong female leads are seen movies such as The Incredible s, with Helen Parr a female superhero, and Inside Out, with a hockey player named Riley. Hopefully movies such as these three will help young American girls defy expectations. By challenging female stereotypes, this decade's favorite love story becomes even more epic.
Its great that Disney is attempting to break down the gender roles in their newer movies especially considering their past with movies. Disney's old movies were offenders of women stereotypes and gender roles, especially all of the major princess movies.
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