From the film’s very opening scene, the 2009 Disney/Pixar animated film “Up” is an emotional roller coaster. The first ten minutes of the film set up the main story, which follows the elderly Carl Fredericksen, who travels to South America with a young scout named Russell in order to fulfill a promise to his late wife.
The film begins with Carl’s childhood, where we learn of his passion for exploration. He meets and befriends a fellow adventurer named Ellie, and soon they fall in love. A montage sequence plays out their whole life together: getting married, buying and fixing up a house, and quiet moments together. As they grow older, they keep deferring their dreams of traveling as accidents cause them to dip into their savings. We’ll leave it there, but the sequence is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching scenes in animation.
The montage’s many emotions are captured perfectly in the score with a piece called “Married Life.” Composer Michael Giacchino knew that he had to deliver those same emotions with the music.
“The first version of the ‘Married Life’ sequence that [director Pete Docter] showed me was in storyboard form, and I cried even then,” he shares on his website. “It was incredibly powerful to see someone’s life captured within just a few moments— the ups and downs, the joyful times and the tragic ones. Just from that storyboard, I knew that everyone would immediately relate to the story on an emotional level. I decided that I would tackle that scene first for two reasons: one— it was going to be the most difficult scene in the film, and two— even though Ellie passes away at the beginning of the story, she was going to remain with Carl the entire time, and the way she was going to be represented was through her theme.”
Once Giacchino found Ellie’s theme, it was a matter of instrumentation. Instead of being over the top, the music balances the happy and sad times with more subtle cues. The original score utilized the violin for nostalgia, with brass and piano to create an older feel. Its 3/4 time adds bounce in the beginning, but the tempo and instrumentation reduce as Carl slowly loses Ellie.
While the piece has been covered by many different artists through the years, this video of the Cécile Ensemble is one of the best. It’s arranged by the quartet’s pianist, Alessandra Gelfini, who shares the melody with the clarinet, violin, and cello as the song unfolds.
The instrumentation lends itself to an even more poignant feeling. The strings and clarinet provide feelings of nostalgia, wonder, and reflection. Just like Giacchino’s original composition, the dazzle and excitement fade into a solo piano that puts listeners deep into their emotions.
“Married Life” from “Up” is another great example of art mirroring the journey of life, from youthful exuberance to the solitude of old age, and all the wonderful moments in between.
Follow along with the sheet music for “Married Life” from “Up”:
