The dark fan theory that suggests that Carl dies at the beginning of ‘Up’
Fan theories are often quite amusing, sometimes ridiculous and occasionally plausible. Recently we looked at a fascinating idea that suggested that the machines from the Matrix universe were actually benevolent. Another fascinating insight comes surrounding the Pixar flick Up.
Up is widely regarded as one of the saddest animated films of all time. The film focuses on Carl Frederickson, an elderly widower who ends up going on a journey with a young Explorer named Russell to South America. Carl had promised his late wife, Ellie, that they would travel to Paradise Falls and build a house there.
The film’s opening sequence is one of complete and utter tragedy, especially for an animated movie primarily aimed at children. A young Carl meets Ellie because they both shared fandom for the explorer Charles Muntz. The two later marry and grow up, although Ellie sadly suffers a miscarriage. The two decide to focus on moving to Paradise Falls, but their savings constantly dwindle. When Carl finally chooses to book the trip, Ellie falls ill and dies in hospital.
The rest of the film sees a now gloomy Carl and his enthusiastic companion Russell travel to Paradise Falls with many setbacks in a home that flies through the power of helium balloons (Carl had been a balloon salesman in his younger years).
The fan theory mentioned earlier suggests that Ellie was not the only person to have died at the film’s beginning. Carl is also said to have passed away before the movie’s start, and the journey to Paradise Falls is metaphorically representative of his trip to the afterlife.
The consequence of this is that Russell, rather than being an Explorer, is, in fact, a guardian angel sent to help guide Carl to heaven. The child Russell had been trying to earn his Wilderness Explorer badge, while the angel Russell could be said to be trying to earn his’ wings’.
Charles Muntz, who Carl idolised in his youth, is said to be the fallen angel who attempts to drag Carl down into the underworld through a heinous use of deception (Muntz had been accused of faking a find of an exotic bird in South America), which turns out to be true.
Perhaps the most fitting metaphor for this theory is the house itself, which is arguably representative of the nature of morality, constantly trying to ascend, but often pulled down by the temptations of modern life. It’s a fascinating theory that, whether true or not, gives us great insight into one of Pixar’s most beloved entries.