Up Up and Pixar

My husband and I are kids at heart. I can any song (out of tune) from any Disney animated movie, and Trae went to school to learn animation arts. Our kitchen is adorned with a movie poster of Pixar’s Ratatouille. Yet, despite our not-so-secret love of Disney and Pixar, I would have never guessed the role that an animated movie would have in our relationship, as well as our decision to get married. In May 2009, Trae and I went to see Pixar's Up, and in December 2009, we became engaged. Our relationship, even before Up, was already “tangled” up with Pixar movies: Cars, Wall-E, Ratatoullie. We loved going to see them together and relished being children together for an hour and half in a darkened theater. Yet, Up didn't move us backwards into childhood, but instead moved us forward to where we are today: married.

For those who haven't seen the movie, I don’t want to give it away. All I can tell you is to go see it now; I do not care if you claim that animations are for kids. Go See Up…Now! The movie is based around Carl’s love for his wife, Ellie. The bulk of their relationship is presented in the most touching tribute to silent films I have ever seen. Pixar captures the depths--heart aches and joys-- of a relationship in a five minute montage, enhanced by a waltz titled "Married Life." I am including two versions below of it:

The scene from the movie with music


The music without the movie scene

After leaving the theater, we realize that while we were never going use balloons to fly our house, we could still get over all the trials that marriage had offer. We didn't have to talk about it; we didn't have to express it. All that happened was that Trae squeezed my hand at the end of the five minute waltz as I wiped tears from both our checks with my other hand.

Since finding a deeper meaning in the movie for us personally, we have incorporated Up in our lives, not only by adopting "Adventure is out there!" in marriage, but also in fun, unique ways. Some of those ways are:

• Baking a fun Up cake as a surprise for Trae. (The house if fondant, with the roof having little individual shingles!)

• Giving Trae a Ellie merit Grape Soda cap badge that he kept in his pocket during the wedding.

A good motto for marriage, no?

• Doing a choreographed dance for our first dance to the "Married Life" waltz.  Everyone was shocked, surprised, and stunned by it!

Overall, these little reminders, such as saying to each other, "What would Carl and Ellie do?" help us to look at marriage as a whole. We are starting off, young, fun, and full of adventure. It is up to us to keep that adventure that going. The importance of working together and having a good marriage has become increasingly apparent to me after losing my grandmother. My grandmother and grandfather had a respect and love for each other. My grandfather adored my grandmother and did all he could to make her happy, which she was. I look at Trae's grandparents and literally my heart aches for what I use to have...a house owned by grandparents filled not only with love, but good food as well,which was  token of their love. Trae's grandparents are the kind of elderly who still hold hands, kiss, and dance, even though PaPa (grandpa) is in a wheelchair. Their adventure is still going, even at the ages of 84 and 90. Trae and I's adventure is just starting, and I pray that we too will be cutting a rug and sneaking kisses at the age of 90.