For Date Night on Saturday, Jenny’s parents watched Brenden while we watched Pixar’s new movie Up in 3D. Going into it, I only knew it was an animated Pixar film about a guy who attaches balloons to his house and flies away, unknowingly carrying a boy and later meeting a talking dog.

Instead I got a deeply moving, heartwarming, funny, and creative work of art. Up was everything you’ve come to expect from Pixar – incredible animation from facial expressions to lush backgrounds, talking critters, perfectly chosen music that supports the story without distracting from it. The filmmakers used the 3D effect brilliantly, adding incredible realism without making it the star of the film.

But for me the true star was the story and character development. The star of the film is a 78-year-old man named Carl whose wife Ellie has died recently. All their lives they dreamed about going to Paradise Falls in South America for adventure, but as the saying goes, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. The morning he’s supposed to move out of their lifelong home into a retirement home, he ties 22,000 balloons to his house and heads south. Early in the film a montage tells the story of Carl and Ellie’s marriage. It was one of the most touching few minutes of film I have ever seen. A cartoon made me cry, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Throughout the film I was alternately laughing at the gags and tearing up along with Carl as he finished the journey to Paradise Falls with his memories of Ellie still intact.

Being animated, Up seems to be a kids’ movie, but it also touches on a variety of deep questions: If you never reach your dreams, is your life still worthwhile? Is accomplishing something still satisfying if you can’t share it with anyone? Should we even bother dreaming big, or is the real beauty of life in the mundane? Do I really make a difference in anyone’s life? Jenny and I had a nice discussion afterward at dinner about some of these issues.

Whether you are young or old, a fan or hater of animation, whoever you are, I urge you to go see Up. Drop the extra $3 for the 3D version, too. It’s worth it.