YMMV / Up in the Air

• Adaptation Displacement: Who here knows about the book? Even Walter Kirn acknowledges this.
• Award Snub:
  • Losing Best Adapted Screenplay to Precious.
  • For the first few months of Awards Season, both the film and George Clooney's performance were considered frontrunners in the Best Picture and Best Actor categories, then The Hurt Locker started gaining momentum as a BP contender, Crazy Heart's release was pushed forward, and Avatar came out, leaving poor Up in the Air behind in the dust.
  • As much as Mo'Nique was the strong favorite for Best Supporting Actress, there are those who thought Anna Kendrick should've won instead, and others who believe Vera Farmiga deserved the win.
• Ending Fatigue: Natalie successfully conducts her first day of layoffs, and Ryan attends his sister's wedding, where he learns that "everyone needs a co-pilot", with the implication that he has finally gotten the inspiration he needs to begin a more meaningful relationship with Alex. Great place to leave off, right? But what's this? Alex has a husband? And children? And then Ryan clocks in his ten-millionth flyer mile? And one of Natalie's layoffs commits suicide? And Natalie quits her job out of grief? And the remote layoff program is suspended? And then Natalie applies for another job...
• Harsher in Hindsight: The rise of "video call firing" is played up as a bridge too far for Natalie, who is uncomfortable having to learn how to fire an employee who is one room over from her. Such methods of employee termination would become more common in 2020 and 2021, as "Zoom call firings" motivated by pandemic restrictions become more commonplace in various sectors, with entire divisions of employees being let go via video calls managed by HR reps.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Ryan giving Natalie a glowing letter of recommendation that helps her get hired at the place in San Francisco.
  • Ryan's gift of 500,000 miles each to his sister and her new husband so that they can travel the world together after it's revealed that they can't afford a honeymoon.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Although neither the movie nor George Clooney won any Oscars, Ryan Bingham did.
• One-Scene Wonder: J. K. Simmons does a great job as a disgruntled employee, and Sam Elliott is an excellent veteran airline pilot.
• The Scrappy: Not until the end of the film, but it's really hard to like Alex after the revelation that she has a family and was just using Ryan for an affair when he had fallen in love with her. It's no wonder why the small amount of fanfiction pairs Ryan with Natalie.