Myzheleen Roman

MBA 2E - Human Resource Management

Dr. Rechelle De Guzman
Movie title: Up in the Air (2009) starred by George Clooney

Questions for Discussion:

1. Describe the job description of Ryan Bingham. How does this function impact the company and the
workforce?
George Clooney stars in "Up in the Air" as Ryan, a corporate downsizer. He works for a firm that specializes in
‘employee termination assistance’. Corporates (companies unwilling to do the firing themselves) hire this
firm’s resources to fire their own employees. Those employees were predominantly white-collar hard working
middle managers, who had spent considerable time in their life for their companies. Ryan Bingham was one of
those “Termination Engineers” a stranger who would call you into the conference room and fire you. I didn’t
even know if there is a kind of job in a real life. The way they handle their work is pretty amazing in how the
role of Ryan handle the emotions while firing people. But I think it is unethical for the employee to be fired
that way, without even receiving an advance noticed. Victims of forced layoffs are prone to stress because of
the sudden change in their financial lives and the uncertainty about their future work prospects. Laid off
employees usually face health, marital and family problems as well as depression, anxiety and isolation. This is
why one of the fired employees committed suicide in the movie maybe, she can no longer handle stress.

2. Make your own analogy of symbolic “Backpack” as an individual as you journey through life.
This movie made me realize two things. First is about his philosophy of not having a commitment or the bag
pack he always presents to his talks. That bag pack represent your life that’s consist of family, friends, house,
dreams, and things that keeping you going or motivates you. He says that if you put everything inside how will
you move forward? It will just cut your shoulders eventually. In my perspective if I we’re be asked of the same
question my answer is yes, I will still choose to put them in my bag and carry it all along. Because they are my
reason why I am inspired every day, they serve as a reminder that whatever the life brings I have them as a
something to look for. Serves as comfort in both times of distress and joy. But if you have an empty bag, it is
like you are moving without direction and purpose.

3. If given the chance to change the ending of the movie, will you change it? Why yes, or why no.
If I will be given a chance to change any part of the movie it will be the twist part wherein Alex (Vera Farmiga)
had a husband and children. When she opened the door to find Ryan (George Clooney) on her doorstep and I
heard kids in the background, I thought okay, she was hiding the fact that she’s a single mother. I did not
expect for her husband to pipe up. Her condescension when she later asked Ryan how he could show up
unannounced and jeopardize her “real life”. She shouldn’t have gone to his sister’s wedding with him if he was
only an escape. But somehow, I think this supports the delivery of the ending. It made Ryan realized that not
everyone travels with an empty bag pack, sometimes it’s the weight of the bag pack we carry that keeps us
motivated and inspired to continue moving. I like the ending, it seems like Ryan was standing in front of the
departure board, choosing a random destination like Natalie (Anna Kendrick) said she would do. I think that
ending is the beginning for Ryan start to fill his empty back pack.