Philippine Christian University

Graduate School of Educational Management

Sampaloc 1, Dasmariñas City, Cavite

1st Trimester S.Y. 2022-2023

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

MOVIE REVIEW – UP IN THE AIR

Under the course Master in Educational Management

Submitted to:

Mr. Michael T. Enriquez Jr., MBA

Submitted by:

Rochin J. Piodos, LPT

 In this movie, “Up in the Air”, a man named Ryan Bingham, makes a living by firing
people. When a young, recent graduate named Natalie Keener, who was recently hired
drastically alters his employment, his entire world is turned upside down. In contrast to most
individuals he knows, Bingham has chosen a unique path in life. He wanted to leave his roots
and his family for his actual love in life: being in the air and pursuing excellence as a
motivational speaker. He didn't want to stay in his hometown and reminisce about high school
and the diner down the road. He hasn't yet felt the consequences of his decisions, but he is on the
course he has chosen, which, though unconventional to most, makes him happy and pleased with
who he is.

In middle life, Bingham is at a crossroads since he has chosen to forgo the obligations
that most people his age would typically attain, such as owning a home with a picket fence,
getting married, and perhaps having kids. He has sacrificed all of that to spend more than 250
days a year traveling and flying, which is unfortunately a growing industry at the time the
movie is set. Because if he is not moving, he is not genuinely alive, he promotes a life in
motion.

His line of work, like his constant travel, is unconventional. He is a human resources
consultant who travels both domestically and internationally to perform the unpleasant task of
physically dismissing or "letting go" of employees while giving them the transition packages
that the company that is dismissing them is leaving them with to aid them in the "transition"
period. Ryan worries that the development of video technology will cause his line of work,
which involves extensive travel, to become obsolete because it is now the only sector that is
creating jobs rather than eliminating them.

Ryan Bingham is at risk of losing his life of travel because of firing people via
telecommunications video rather than being laid off like so many other working Americans
during the Great Recession. To make matters worse, his boss Craig Gregory has assigned him
the task of having Natalie Keener, a recent hire from Yale University, observe his in-person
terminations for a few months while the company, CTC, transitions to virtual consulting
rather than letting those employees go in-person moving forward.

Not only that, but Ryan has also met a lovely, gorgeous woman who shares his
lifestyle and seems to view life similarly to him, with fewer obligations and more options.
This development threatens to completely change Ryan's course in life. Ryan may have finally
found love with the ever on the go businesswoman, Alex Goran. While their relationship
initially began as a casual fling, Ryan starts to fall for her as he muses over his uncertain
future as a nomad and the possibility that, if he reaches his life goal of accumulating ten
million airline miles, he may not have much else to strive for.

Ryan and Natalie may not show it at first, but the firings and the emotional burden of
being in charge of upsetting people's lives causes them stress, anxiety, and a desire to escape
their own suffering in their chosen profession. Ryan learns from his estranged sister Kara that
his other, younger sister Julie is getting married while he is content to travel on the road. Ryan
never looked back after leaving his family when he was first able to do so, and his family is
still aware of it. He is the "black sheep" of the family, known to act selfishly and allow his
connections with others disintegrate over time.

Having Alex as a significant other has rekindled his ambition to visit his sisters and
attend the Wisconsin wedding. He doesn't want to be the "guy alone at the bar" watching all
the couples dance together because he and Alex are still a little mysterious to each other but
enjoy each other's company. He invites Alex to join him as the +1 guest. Throughout "Up in
the Air," there are these vulnerable moments that serve to remind the spectator that each
character has weaknesses and defects of their own. Since they are flawed individuals, the
movie refrains from passing judgment on them and instead lets the viewer determine whether
they are likable, dislikeable, or somewhere in between. What I appreciate the most is that the
film's creators give us the freedom to determine whether we support Ryan's decisions or
whether we would have decided to take a different path in life.

Sometimes, it's never too late to decide to take a different course from the one we had
originally planned. Ryan can try to start a real relationship with Alex, make amends with his
sisters and be more present in their lives, and still achieve his 10-million-mile goal, but life
can get in the way and it's possible he won't be as successful in salvaging both his
relationships, his career goals, and his need for travel. Nevertheless, one of the underlying
themes of "Up in the Air" is whether we can pull back from previous choices made and to get
a fresh start on a new path. Even if he believes he can make everyone in his life happy, he
may need to make compromises because it is almost never possible to have all of your options
open to you.

There may come a time when the sacrifices we make in one area may result in a lack
of connection, attachment, or fulfillment in another area. Our priorities today will define us
for a very long time. Ryan discusses the "stuff" in life that weighs us down throughout the
movie, including our relationships, our possessions, and even our ambitions, in his
motivational speeches. He argues that "life can be better footloose" and not as confined to
suffer from it in front of the audience. The movie makes it clear that you may slow down and
put that heavy backpack on when you find true happiness in a relationship because it helps
you feel content. Ryan's backpack will be heavier but he'll be happier as a result, and maybe
that is what he was missing all this time.

The movie portrays real people who have experienced real loss in their jobs and
livelihoods brilliantly, demonstrating how even though it is nearly impossible for them to
move on, they are still responsible to their families and would be unable to continue without
their support during these trying times. In order to get through the difficult periods in life, it is
always helpful to have a strong support system or to have excellent individuals, such as
family, inspire you.

Ryan may be ready for a life without attachments right now, but as he ages, he may
discover that his decision to have few or no attachments may have resulted in the loneliness
and pain that can come from having to face life's challenges alone, particularly when you
don't really get to know the person because you are so busy traveling and can't make time for
them at all. Life is better with company, as Ryan tells Jim, the future spouse of his sister Julie,
on their wedding day to help him get over his "cold feet" about getting married.