Directed by Jason Reitman
With George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick
Opens Dec. 4 (limited), Dec. 25 (wide)
After beguiling audiences at festivals from Telluride to Toronto, this adaptation of Walter Kirn's 2001 novel has secured front-runner status for the Best Picture Oscar. That might seem a stretch for a film about a management consultant (Clooney) whose job is to fire people — and who loves his job. But Reitman's blend of comedy and drama, romance and social observation make Up in the Air the ideal movie — and maybe even a cure — for the Great Recession blues.