"Up"
Dir. Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
PG, 96 min.
Showtimes: 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7:15, 9:55
Majestic Bay

It is impossible for a Ballardite to watch "Up," Pixar's newest classic, without thinking of Edith Macefield and her house.

Like Macefield, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) owns a quaint home that has been beset by construction on all sides. The difference comes when Carl gets fed up and sails his home away with the help of thousands of helium-filled balloons.

So much of Carl's life rings true to Ballard that it feels like a neighborhood movie. A sushi restaurant and a tanning salon face his home. His best relationship is with the construction manager. And, he just doesn't want to move out of his house.

The Ballard angle notwithstanding, "Up" is simply a great film. The jokes hit all the right notes and there are moments in the film, especially an opening sequence recapping Carl's life, that will moisten more than a few eyes in the theater.

The film is beautiful, and Pixar's attention to detail – the sheen on the balloons during a rainstorm, the tag sticking out of a slovenly nurse's uniform – is mind-boggling.

"Up" even manages to stick in some madcap characters – a bird named Kevin and a squadron of talking dogs – that are not only funny but don't wear out their welcome. A rare feat for a children's movie.

With "Up," Pixar cements its place at the top the animation echelon and, with "Finding Nemo," "Ratatouille" and "Wall-E" in its recent past, is fast becoming the creator of the only must-see family films.

Pixar's movies, like "Up," have heart and humor that are ageless and timeless.