Hacker Cinema
Up in the Air
2009 · Film · 110 min
Directed by Jason Reitman
Corporate downsizing expert Ryan Bingham spends his life in planes, airports, and hotels, but just as he’s about to reach a milestone of ten million frequent flyer miles, he meets a woman who causes him to rethink his transient life.
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36 comments on Hacker News
I passed through stages of owning no vehicle, then homelessness, then losing all my possessions, then had my own place again, and for the past 23 years, amassing personal belongings again, without owning a vehicle. I've walked around with nothing to my name but what's in my backpack. In those times, I was strict about not becoming a "bag lady" type, no pushing a shopping cart, and no stashing of my stuff: if it didn't fit into the one backpack, something had to go.
A seminal film for me was Up in the Air with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. George Clooney plays a nomadic executive who doesn't ever stay home. He visually demonstrates how he packs and how he never uses carry-ons. I took that advice, and I was flying Southwest Airlines.
I routinely went back-and-forth on 90-minute flights; having no checked baggage was a good strategy for streamlining, and cost-saving. Visiting my parents, I could keep clothes and stuff at their place, and there it was waiting for me when I arrived. Don't forget to bring an empty bag for souvenirs! Don't forget the shoes you'll need!
I've built a collection of luggage, and recently used it all, when I went on "Staycation". It was weird, because I only planned for a one-night stay, and I could literally go across town and pick up anything I wanted from home, and I only brought 1.5 changes of clothes. But I filled up about four bags. I packed under time pressure, but I hadn't forgotten anything; in the end, I did not go home to pick anything up, yet I stayed for three days and two nights.
This post, where someone from one field decides to do something they love but in another field, reminds me of the below:
At my kids' elementary school there is a yearly "Dad's Night" show where the dads get up and do skits, dance, sing and/or make funny videos.
You get to see dads who sell insurance or are lawyers do dance numbers that look professionally choreographed or make music videos that look like they could have been on MTV.
It's a reminder that "The Sort" pulls people very strongly into certain fields but there is always that question, from the movie Up In The Air and asked by George Clooney, "How much did they pay you to give up your dream?" [0]
Part of me is VERY excited to see AI/LLMs help facilitate this for the people who always thought "I have always wanted to write a piece of software but didn't know how and now I can!"
0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX-TPaodoM
What comes to mind here is Up In The Air starring George Clooney.
Now Ryan Bingham doesn't command any particular status or wealth, but he makes a living firing people on behalf of other companies ("Concierge firing-as-a-service"?) and he leads a nomadic lifestyle that many of us would find completely intolerable.
His one lifelong dream is to earn 10,000,000 Frequent Flyer miles and hold the special Unobtanium card from American Airlines. [SPOILER WARNING] He achieves this during the final flight of the film, and when he dials the number on the back, he comes to realize that this is his unique number and there is a specially-assigned staffer waiting by the phone to personally take his call.
I can envision this sort of revelation as the experience of someone who comes into money and suddenly finds their needs being personally met by a concierge or family office.
PE acts as vultures (not in a negative way) who come in and clean up dead carcasses. They are typically not the cause but a symptom of a failing company.
We all have nostalgia for small chains or companies at the mall in our youth. Almost all of those are terrible and failing businesses now. It's a bit like the movie Up In the Air where Clooney goes around firing people. He's the face of the bad news, but he's not the cause.
For the article at hand, hospitals really should be non-profit. Providing great care at low costs means the goal is a terrible business.
About a decade ago I was doing a lot of travel for work - 140 plus flights a year over 6 continents level.
I remember watching a film, “Up in the Air”, about a guy who was contest flying from airport to airport to lay people off because the boss was too much of a wimp to do it himself.
I guess even his job isn’t safe from AI.
Sure some will manage to hack with prompt injection attacks, and potentially get compensation, but those attacks will be fixed.
Who, exactly, do you think is going to "think twice" next time?
It's a bummer, but this is how this has been done for decades (generations?) and everybody knows it's how it's done, and that has in no way made companies "think twice" about business leaders assigning fairly low level employees or consultants to do these meetings just like this.
There was a whole gag about exactly this in one of the last few episodes of Succession just recently. There have been popular movies about this ("Up in the Air", with George Clooney, is about this, if memory serves). It's not, like, a secret that this is how it works.
It sucks, but no, this video going "viral" is not going to change anything.
Do you remember in the movie "Up in the Air" when some technology to lay off people en masse remotely was presented laughably as some dystopian craziness in the future?
I've been reminded of the "Up in the Air" film from the last recession, where George Clooney flew around the country firing people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX-TPaodoM
The film included a lot of people who had really been fired and what their honest reactions were
It's interesting how the firing process presented in the movie Up in the Air (2009) was supposed be inhumane and insulting. Well, look where we are now.
Simple:
Quotes 1: 30 Put Yourself First Quotes (https://www.wow4u.com/putyourselffirstquotes.html)
Video 2: Up in the Air (3/9) Movie CLIP - How Much Did They Pay You to Give Up on Your Dreams? (2009) HD (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX-TPaodoM)
Music 3: Without Me · Halsey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk7WFyHUr1E)
Contact me through linkedin if you need more inspiration.
I never want to travel for a job ever again if I can avoid it, and it seems that the world has changed enough that's an option (fingers crossed).
I spent most of my early career traveling all over the place. Meetings in 3 cities in 2 countries in a day? No worries. Got to be 8 time zones away for lunch tomorrow? My carryon is already packed. I got to see great things; always found a way to eek out a little time here and there to explore. When I could book-end a trip with weekends that let me get out were the best.
But, in the end, business travel is about business. The movie "Up in the Air" hits really close to home (tho I didn't lay people off when I got there...usually). I have (had) a job to do wherever I landed that trumped any extracurricular plans I might have. The physical process of business travel has gone from mildly annoying to something out of Camus. Worse...every year older, it's harder and less pleasant. And in the end, with a small exceptions, the inside of an office and hotel room doesn't change much country to country, and on many trips, that's all you see.
From now on, when I travel, I want it to be purposeful. It will be about the destination, and not about whatever I can squeeze in around my business obligations.
Part of the 1:1 meeting basis is to address any concerns and address return of assets or information.
In the Before Times, there might be a group meeting, that would typically be for a department or site. It would be followed by a 1:1 with a manager (whomever is left standing in the chain of command), or (fairly frequently) with an outsourced consultant (see the film Up in the Air for reasonably accurate depiction of this).
Better did ... Worse.
> I think it was a good call for the CEO to do it instead of outsourcing to HR or a COO.
There was actually a movie about these outsourced "downziser" organizations/consultants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_in_the_Air_(2009_film)
There is a pretty good movie about a consultant whose is hired by companies to fire people. Including a scene where an employee is fired over a Zoom like thing, but the consultant is actually in the adjacent room (they are testing this system).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_in_the_Air_(2009_film)
Remote fire scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIexe6aa14w
> I personally try to collect nothing.
Have you seen the movie "Up in the Air"? Your comment reminded me of the speech George Clooney gave :)
Wow, you're actually the real life version of George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air".
I always thought it was an exaggerated portrayal, but it seems your ways are even more extreme than in the movie.
Such lifestyle is so completely foreign to me, that I'm fascinated. If an alien landed on my lawn tomorrow and said "I fart gold coins", I would have an easier time believing such a thing exists than your lifestyle.
How do you make friends? Can't employers sense that you're going to leave soon? Or is that specifically what they're looking for?
If the movie ‘up in the air’ depicts real situations, and I’m pretty sure it does, we have the opposite in the US, where a team is brought in to fire you. I guess it’s because it’s awkward but also because they fear your reaction. That or from what I’ve read, they just get security to escort you out.
This remind me movie: Up in the air where George Cloney and the company he works for want to lay of people using Cisco Webex.
I was watching the movie "Up in the Air" last night. There is a scene where George Clooney's character is chatting on his blackberry, and the buzzing sound made me feel super nostalgic. RIP BBM.
I often still wish phones had physical keyboards.
I recommend you to watch Up in the Air. "You know, honestly by the time you're 34, all the physical requirements just go out the window. You secretly pray that he'll be taller than you, not an asshole would be nice just someone who enjoys my company, comes from a good family. You don't think about that when you're younger. Someone who wants kids, likes kids. Healthy enough to play with his kids. Please let him earn more money than I do, you might not understand that now but believe me, you will one day otherwise that's a recipe for disaster. And hopefully, some hair on his head. I mean, that's not even a deal breaker these days. A nice smile. Yea, a nice smile just might do it."
Up in the Air is her biggest movie. Nominated for an Oscar.
I very rarely fly for business and usually it is a long process - 4 hour flight plus customs plus far away airports. I saw "Up In The Air" (very cool movie) as suggested below but it is still unconnected to me, can't imagine working that way. But yeah, I suppose short and regular business trips in the same day with actual business, have different requirements.
Tangentially, this is a sub plot of the movie 2009s 'Up in the Air' but with being laid off. Not the same as being told you are going to die, but in 2009 just as the recession was really hitting hard it's similar in many ways.
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/
I think of the movie "Up In The Air" with George Clooney.
Very interesting historical example! (I did not know this about the film industry.)
But when I think of the 80's, I think of awesome concepts for films. When I think of the early 2000's I remember...nothing outstanding?
Compare for yourself:
http://www.imdb.com/search/title/?release_date=1980,1989&title_type=feature
(Many of which I had in mind as I wrote the first paragraph.)
And:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057556971/
I've seen many of those films: I couldn't remember a single one. Also throwaway films like Bond films are in the list.
There were between 5 and 9 Bond films in the 80s depending on how you count (for example License to Kill, For your eyes only, The living daylights, Octopussy, A view to Kill, Never say never again, The Naked Face, Bonds are Forever) not one of which made it to the first cited list above, edged out by better and more memorable stories and films.
Who is going to remember "Up in the air" in ten years?
The fact is, although there are twice as many (my first link shows 50, my second list 100), there is hardly a concept among them.
So the interesting fact you've stated about the eighties can be seen very, very clearly. The concepts from the 2000s...simply suck. Your additional information about the market history of concepts is most interesting.
--
EDIT: in response to ajmurmann's reply below:
So I consider those worse concepts than the concepts embodied in the first list, movies from the 80s. Really look at the two lists (really) and see the strength of the concept behind them. They're worlds apart (to me.)
I realize this will be a subjective judgment. Look at the overall impression, not just one or two films.
I think this movie clip from _Up In the Air_ sums it up best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNPpFZLelE
I flew several years ago on American Airlines around the time they were promoting the feature-length airline advertisement Up in the Air. [1]
I dozed off with my headphones plugged in, listening to something relaxing on a low volume. Several times I was awakened without warning when they showed the film trailer at full volume. Boy did that piss me off.
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/business/media/21adco.html
Up in the air anyone? :)) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/
I was confused to whether this was real or in fact just someones audition tape for the George Clooney movie "Up In The Air".
I was a consultant for 3 years during most of which I traveled 5 days a week. It wasn't exactly the case but I can say I lived in hotel rooms with a carry-on suite case for those years.
I realized that all I need for my life can be packed into a carry-on sized suite case and I had perfectly enough space in a hotel room. I will never feel the need for 5 bedroom house so that I can have a man cave, a home office or "an entertainment room" and a whole basement load of stuff.
There is this great movie about simplified life (yes there was also relationship and George Clooney) - Up in the air.
I'm going to burn some karma for saying this, but is it the policy that's mad here, or is it manga? You can't get through the top 10 grossing R-rated movies without finding at least two (Up In The Air, Crazy Heart) that would make it past this standard.
"Phillips also got Aadvantage Gold status for life with American Airlines, which brings a special reservations number, priority boarding, upgrades, and bonus miles."
- reminds me of the film "Up in the Air" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/ I only hope that the Pudding Guy story has Happy End
In the wake of "Up in the air", nice film I recommend, that opens a few doors without being over the top. Just enough to start your own thoughts. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/
I don't think so...
I think the future of work is going to be ~10 work days, 6 days a week, and minimal benefits.
The problem is that there are SOO many qualified people out there and not enough jobs for them. It's an employers market; they can make ridiculous demands, and people will show up to meet them because they have to.
Look at movies like "Up in the Air"...there really are people that live their lives in airports and hotels. Yes, to the extent that the person in the movie did. This sort of thing is becoming the norm.
In case you haven't seen the movie: it is about a guy who spends something like 300 days per year on the road.
5. Saw it in 3D on a non-IMAX screen. I know enough to know that I'm supposed to be impressed by the CGI in the skin/eyes of the Na'vi and other creatures. And given that I'm supposed to know that, they (generally) succeeded. The 3D wasn't really any different than any other Real 3D movie, and I really didn't see any difference in the quality of the CGI landscapes versus LoTR or even Jurassic Park (which were just arial shots). The story, of course, is Dances with Wolves in Space.
I wish I went to Up in the Air instead.
As to the ZOMG: Glengarry Glen Ross could have been filmed in the 1930s, but it's one of the best films in my lifetime. To say that Avatar changes movies forever is insane.
There is science behind this -- and the article mentions it later -- but Walter Kirn is a fiction writer and essayist rather than science/feature reporter. So this is a narrative and meditation on the topic, rather than survey or policy paper.
I thought the characterization of extreme multitasking and availability as a sort of 'attention bubble' likely to pop was interesting.
Then again, I enjoyed Kirn's novel 'Up in the Air', as well as the movie adaptation of his novel 'Thumbsucker'. And another of his articles at Atlantic, 'Lost in the Meritocracy', is a vivid and cynical look at his Princeton years that could interest News.YCers... if they have the attention span. :)