up in the air.

To call the movie "Up in the Air" directed by Jason Reitman, produced and released in 2009, and the book “Up in the Air" by Walter Kirn, published in 2001, the same would be like comparing different languages. First and foremost, the book and movie are speaking to two different audiences. Both mediums offer the same "general background" as far as plot is concerned, however there are major differences in the delivery systems of the plot. The book paints Ryan as a self satisfied almost narcissist who flies around the country firing people for larger corporations. The movie, in which he has the same job, paints him as a hopeless romantic living in Airworld, a self-made utopia in which Ryan lives. There are many more differences between the movie and the book, which leads one to believe that the differences between the movie and book are so substantial due to the major differences in the times in America. One being created in a pre-Iraq war and one created post Iraqi war. These major differences between the two mediums are essential to the delivery of the message the story contains.

First and foremost, the largest advantage that the country has brought through is technology. The upraise of technology in the United States has been vast.  During The first 20 minutes of the movie, they bring in a specialist attempting to minimize the expenditures of Ryan’s company. To do this, she proposes firing individuals through video chat. Yes, this service was available in 2001 when Kirn wrote the book, however at that time, this service wasn’t available as a reasonable alternative to face to face confrontation. With today’s mass technological advantages, many companies are turning to this method to perform many everyday tasks. In the book, Ryan speaks of using  a HandStar, antiquated by todays terms, however top of the technological chain during the time. In the movie, Ryan simply uses his computer or his phone. In the movie, Alex, Ryan’s steady fling, mentions “googleing” Ryan And states that “that’s the thing that modern day girls do when they have a crush.” In the book, there is no mention of Google being a means of researching an individual.

Next among the major differences are the economical hardships in which this country finds itself today. In mid 2001, the American businessman jetted from one side of the country to the other without thinking twice. By today’s standards, that would be considered wasteful. In the movie, Rietman shows Ryan firing a team of a company in Detroit, which has been essentially devastated by the economic collapse. One sympathizes with the individual being canned, however one also sympathizes with Ryan whom the task has been delegated. The economic turmoil in this area is clearly evident as he and his “intern” are shown firing an entire company.

Societal views between 2001 and 2009 have changed as well. With such catastrophes as the 911 and the many high school and college shootings of the past years have jaded many American’s views of the public. In the movie, Ryan, showing his “intern” the ropes of the CTC profession, points out several obvious Muslims in the security line at an airport. As he does, he mentions “random searching’s”. By this, he means that the TSA will obviously, for a reason only obvious to them, search these individuals. There have been many stereotypical aspirations made to certain ethnic groups since the 9111 attacks and are thought by many as unjust. According to Ryan, these are simply part of AirWorld. Within this association, Ryan also associates the Asian culture being efficient and fast paced, the family culture as tedious and time consuming and the elderly population being the same. One must look at the associations between the book and movie being different because there is no prejudice within Kirn’s world.

            Within Krin’s world, family is treated as a side note to Ryan’s literary, almost an annoyance. In the movie, Ryan is far more versed to his family. Ryan, portrayed by George Clooney, is a loving and caring individual who has all the time in the world for his family. The familial presence in the movie is one of loving and caring. In the book, this is lost to Ryan, who is simply self-absorbed and selfish, having no time for his little sister who becomes estranged from her husband.