Film Inspiration Continued - How up in the air inspire me in my second film idea

Even though I was keen in creating a film about our economic crisis, I feel that creating a film about ‘What if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?" (Quoted by Jason Reitman’s, talking about up in the air) would be a more appealing and attractive film. At the same time I still want to make depression the main focus in the film. Watching up in the air inspired me to create a film which fits both ideas together, a film about a character that has nothing because he’s depressed.

It a film about an adolescent student who suffers from severe depression. He’s inability to overcome the illness forces him to write a suicide note. However inspiration comes, and whilst looking for a book in the library he finds one called ‘how to overcome depression’. He now has to make a choice which he dreads, either to commit suicide or triumph over his depression.

Whilst watching Up in the air, I noted all the characteristic, qualities of the character of Ryan this supported me within the creation of the protagonist character in ‘Why Me’, Mark, there are various correlation between Ryan in ‘Up in the air’ and Mark in ‘Why me’.

Ryan
He chooses to lives an isolated life with the same constant routine, which is travelling around America

Mark
Even though he may have the ability to overcome depression and get support, he chooses the easy option because he believes he can’t overcome it, which is to be a lonely person, who continues a life which he despises which is going to school every day.

Mark
Like Ryan he chooses to accept he’s life, in this case of misery and depression, as he chooses to pick up a notepad which he intends to write he’s suicide note instead of picking up a therapist leaflet.

Ryan
He believes that he’s different, he’s life doesn’t evolve around marriage, love and family.

Mark
Believes that he’s difference, he envies the life of his peers who live a life of happiness.

Ryan

In a casual relationship which is not based on love, it’s a relationship which they have in order to escape their real life.

Mark
Unable to interact with people because he’s a loner, people view him as weird.

Ryan
Inspiration comes when he realizes how much he loves this girl, and he tries to change he’s isolated life by trying to get this girl, but the grim reality is that she’s already in a life based around marriage and family.

Mark
Like Ryan, inspiration comes when he finds a book called how to overcome depression.


Challenged

Up in the air
At the end, he’s looking at a flight board with a list of cities, symbolizing the fact that at the end of the day he’s life of being alone is who he is and he cant escape it.

Why me
At the end he dreams about overcoming depression, however when he wakes up he hears the scribbling which is a reference to suicide.

At the end Ryan chooses to live a life of isolation in the end, however in ‘Why Me’ we never know what happens, does he decide to overcome depression or to commit suicide, the audiences are left to decide.