Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman, best known for his films Juno and Thank You For Smoking, visited UCF earlier this month to speak to film students about the industry and his most recent movie, Up in the Air, a comedy-drama starring George Clooney.
Up in the Air, scheduled for release on Christmas Day, captures the woes of Americans about personal isolation as well as job security. Reitman directed and cowrote the screenplay adaptation of Walter Kirn's 2001 novel.
"The film adaptation of Up in the Air mainly speaks to the philosophy of the novel," Reitman said. "It's about a man who lives alone in constant flux. The plot is my own; I added in certain factors, elements and characters that unified the film version."
As a whole, Up in the Air represents a well-timed account of personal values in relation to the corporate world, considering a message suitable to a shaky economic climate.
The film follows Ryan Bingham (Clooney), a career-transition counselor whose job is to travel the country to terminate employees. He also gives motivational speeches about avoiding commitment.
Bingham's character fits a stereotype of men who hate to commit, but his views on attachment are changed following a series of emotional encounters.
Up In The Air shows avid realism in respect to both attachment and detachment. The film follows a vaguely similar suit of the traditional romantic comedy but does not weigh emphasis on love rather than meaning.
"My films don't fall easily into a genre," Reitman said. "I use comedy, drama and romance for their techniques rather than their rules."
Other cast members include Vera Farmiga (The Departed) as his love interest, Anna Kendrick (Twilight) as his trainee and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Juno) as his boss. These characters play an essential role in shaping Bingham's attitude toward his career and personal life.
"There are obvious parallels between George Clooney and the character of Ryan," Reitman said. "Clooney recognized these parallels shortly after reading the script and then told me that he was ready to look this film straight in the eyes."
As a director, Reitman cites such influences as Stanley Kubrick and Kevin Smith, both famous writers and directors. He also mentions inspiration from Christopher Buckley, the original author of Thank You for Smoking, for which Reitman earned two Golden Globe nominations for his 2006 adaptation.
Reitman feels that writing and directing are essentially the same process.
"I start with an idea and get it to the screen," he said. "On the way, it's writing, directing, editing and everything in between."
Born in Montreal, he is the oldest of three children born to actress Geneviève Robert and director Ivan Reitman.
His father directed comedies such as Ghostbusters, Stripes and Kindergarten Cop. During his childhood, Jason starred in small acting roles and served as a production assistant on his father's films. He majored in English/creative writing at the University of Southern California.
Reitman encourages writing and film students to engage an active interest by reading and writing as much as possible.
"Now is the time to find your voice," he said. "You can only do that by experience. Finding out what doesn't work is just as important as finding out what works."
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