2009: A Life, a Culture UP IN THE AIR

Best Picture This

Director Jason Reitman tallied his second Best Picture nomination in a row in 2009, following his first nomination for "Juno" (2007), with the George Clooney Great Recession dramedy "Up in the Air," which earned a total of six Oscar nominations -- one for each of its top-billed stars (including Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick), as well as two more for Best Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay.

But how does the film hold up 13 years removed from the economic crisis that underscores so much of its anxieties concerning material posessions and best laid plans?

In this episode, Mike and Brian dive deep into how cultural relevance affects how the Academy judges films, they talk about the ways that Reitman plays with romcom and coming-of-age tropes to say something new, discuss if it's possible for a film to be a tragedy if people leave the theater feeling happy and, finally, play keep it or kick it.

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