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The character of Bingham has been changed a bit. He's no longer writing a business allegory that he's trying to publish, but he IS aspiring to be a motivational speaker, complete with a book based on his seminar. The backpack motif fits in well with the cinematic visual of the characters constant travels. Director Jason Reitman has gone to great length to capture the visual reality of life on the road complete with brand names, plane interiors and numerous location shoots in quite a few different airports all over the country.

The visual appeal of the film is quite effective and some of the dialogue is remarkably witty, but Reitman's greatest accomplishment with the adaptation of Up In The Air was knowing he had to change the story in order to make it a satisfying trip to the movies. Reitman cut the entire MythTech end of the story. The big central conflict- the ultimate goal of working for a company that is far enough of ahead of the cutting edge to be almost completely anonymous is a quaint one, but not particularly compelling. Reitman has moved the central conflict of the story to one casts Bingham in a far more sympathetic light.

In the film, the company Bingham works for is in the process of shifting its operations so that people working for its clients companies get fired via webcam, thus eliminating the expense of the constant travel that makes the job so appealing to Bingham. Suddenly he's in a place not entirely unlike the one he puts other people in. The company's change in policy comes courtesy of an attractive young woman (a thoroughly charming Anna Kendrick) who is assigned to follow Bingham around, learning the basic elements of the job that she is trying to revolutionize. The dynamic between Clooney and Kendrick can be a bit cute in places, but the chemistry between the two of them brings a humanity to Bingham's job that helps keep it from feeling cold and emotionless.

Reitman adds in a couple of other major subplots that are only marginally drawn from aspects of the book. In one, he is falling in love with a woman who has a similar lifestyle (played by Vera Farmiga) and doesn't know quite how to deal with the idea of actually becoming involved in someone else emotionally. In another, his sister is getting married and he may need to go to northern Wisconsin in February to attend her wedding - a prospect that brings him ever closer to the prospect of having to deal with all of that interpersonal emotional baggage that he's been avoiding all this time in the air.

Sappy sentimental moments aside, this is an exceedingly enjoyable film - further evidence that Jason Reitman is beginning to become some weird approximation of the Frank Capra of his generation. One of the most ingenious bits here is Reitman's decision to tie the story in with the contemporary financial crisis. The film features people reacting to their job loss at the hands of Clooney and Kendrick. Aside from a couple of actors in key clips, the fired employees were actual people who have recently been laid off. They responded to an ad and were asked to speak to the camera what they wish they would've said to the person who fired them. This brings an interesting visceral reality to the film that adds profoundly to the human dimension of an exceedingly good film.

The Verdict

The book is an exhaustive, scattered study of the psyche of the modern executive traveler, but lacks enough coherence to make for a very compelling or insightful story. The film based on it is a far more engaging and cohesive look at the nature of business and personal relations in today's tenuous financial and emotional economy. Filmmaker Jason Reitman has taken an admittedly enjoyable book that is deeply flawed and turned it into a cohesive and insightful film.

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