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5 Plot Point Breakdown: Up in the Air (2009)

By Michael Schilf · October 19, 2011

Screenplay Genre: Drama / Romance

Movie Time: 109 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) travels 275 days a year on business. His life is perfectly in order until his boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman), calls and asks him to return home to Omaha at the end of the week for an undisclosed “game-changer.” (00:10:40)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

Ryan’s world gets turned upside down when his company “grounds” him, pulling him off the road and placing him instead in front of a computer to fire people via video, the revolutionary concept of a young new hire, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick). Craig Gregory gives him an ultimatum: show Natalie the ropes, or get pulled off the road immediately. (00:25:47)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

Natalie gets upset when a woman she’s firing tells her that she’s going to commit suicide. Ryan consoles her, and their relationship turns around when he convinces Natalie that she can do this job. Meanwhile, his no-strings fling with Alex (Vera Farmiga), a fellow elite traveler that he met in the airport hotel bar, grows when the three of them crash a hotel party together. (00:54:15)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After Ryan brings Alex as his date to his sister’s wedding, he bids her farewell at the airport. He tells her that she’s going to have to come to visit. She remarks on how settled he is now, and he responds that he’s the same guy, just with one address. She walks away, “call me when you’re lonely.” (01:27:56)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Mid-speech at a convention, Ryan realizes what he’s missing. He takes off for Chicago and arrives at Alex’s house, only to discover that she’s married with kids. (01:33:00)


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