What is “Up in the Air” about?

“Up in the Air” raises an important question: Can you live without your friends and be mentally healthy? The movie explores a unique personal life. What is this movie about?

Jeremy Clyman examined Ryan Bingham’s life, character played by George Clooney; Ryan is an interpersonally, charming, and successful detached individual. He is happy living alone. Ryan is always on the road, traveling mostly by air. Besides the mentor that he doesn't want to like and the boss he doesn't like, Bingham is not connected to many people. This seems a contradiction because his way of being tends to mean the opposite of loneliness and disconnection – Ryan looks like a socially successful person, not to mention kind, generous, and smart.

People’s health and happiness is maintained by the support offered by family and friends; this is like a function that people can’t live happily without. The strange thing is that Bingham likes his one-night stands and to be left alone. Psychologically this is not normal – without friends and family, his suffering accelerates; it’s in our nature to be sociable.

When social connections are not desired, it means there might be sophisticated and complex issues. That’s why there is a new question: Since Ryan seems mentally healthy, how come he doesn't look for what the mentally healthy would? “Up in the Air” doesn’t answer, but it shows the consequences of a poorly social life.

When Ryan finally acknowledges his love for Alex Goran (a female version of himself) and wants to make something about it, he finds out she is married, with kids. Still, he doesn’t realize that his way of being is more of a lover, rather than of a boyfriend or husband.

His attempts to change for the better, in order to stop being alone, come too late. Despite his charm, Ryan didn’t want to commit to another. Maybe he believed there is something wrong with him and he is doomed to rejection.

There’s an anti-mid-life crises explanation for his behavior too: Usually mid-life crises occur when someone’s life of routine and stability is re-evaluated. In Ryan’s case it is first reevaluated his bachelorhood phase, then his mid-life developmental phase.

It’s tricky to overcome mid-life crisis, so whatever you do, just don’t jump into re-action, ignore it, take drugs, or make fun of it.