I love UP dearly, but in my opinion, it doesn’t quite succeed in tying up what are to me some very loose ends. Is the “new” Adventure Book an entirely different book? If so, what happened to Ellie’s book? And where does Carl live at the end? Does he move in with Russell and become his legal guardian? Can anybody help me understand the ending better?
Here’s my opinion:
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The Adventure Book probably is the same book.
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Carl probably went to stay at the Shady Oaks retirement home.
It’s not in the film, but I’m pretty sure it’s mentioned/referenced somewhere in all the bonus material that, as far as the filmmakers are concerned, Carl [spoil]does end up living at Shady Oaks. Russell has his Mom, so wouldn’t need a guardian.[/spoil]
I have to say, though, that the Adventure Book issue has occurred to me. [spoil]It sure looks like the original Adventure Book - but logically, didn’t that go over the edge with the house?[/spoil]
Partly true. An informed source told me that Carl donated Muntz’s outstanding fossil collection to the local Metropolitan Museum, including the skeleton of one of Kevin’s ancestors, which is still considered fraudulent and controversial, but is the hit of the collection. With their influence, the court order branding Carl as a public menace was rescinded. So Carl, still owning his property, had the condemnation proceedings overturned and found a Victorian house on the other side of town built by the same contractor in the same year. He had it transported to the same site using the dirigible (what else) and now rents it out to a young couple, the husband of which took Carl’s old job as a balloon salesman, and the wife works part-time as the ‘Bubble Lady’ at kids parties.
But Carl was fond of the old view and parked his dirigible directly over the development project next to his new old house. In another court case he argued that since that big building shielded the sun from his house, they couldn’t sue him for casting a perpetual shadow over their fancy schmancy hotel. The management company then tried to buzz the blimp with biplanes and when that didn’t work they took out the fake owls posted at the edges of the towers and put in fake squirrels. Well, you can just imagine the ruckus that this caused, so Carl moved the dirigible to the other side of town, directly over Shady Oaks retirement home.
Unfortunately, after a few months, some of the old oak trees there died and several retirees came down with Vitamin D deficiency, due to too much shade. So Carl was again declared a public menace by the court and is now on the lam again.
Beyond this, my contact has no further information…
That’s nuts. How could they not even mention that in the movie or commentary?
I Think:
- Its the same book but with new chapters in it.
- Carl lives in the zepplin and fly’s across the earth… (i hope
)
I’ve been wondering about that second part too. I guess the only logical place would be the retirement center. That story about Carl moving that blimp from place to place and being re-branded a public menace seems a little far-fetched to me. (of course, flying a house to South America makes perfect sense 
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I’m usually the first one to fall for these, but I’m pretty sure DarkHand is pulling our collective leg. 
I still can’t figure out how Carl managed to salvage the Adventure Book.
I think Carl does go to Shady Oaks, and the Spirit of Adventure ends up established (somewhere) as a museum/tourist attraction.
maybe it can be like those planes that you can eat dinner inside of. and the advenure book thing, wouldnt it run out of pages with the credits?
In the end credits you see Carl at the nursing home. Pixar states that this implies that he is living at Shady Oaks.
Sonoma huh? That’s a town in the same league with nearby Mill Valley and San Anselmo, but I like the latter two, esp since they often have the outdoor movies in the park thingees. I have a friend who lives there, but its hard to find public services with all the touristy signs ("Stinky Pete’s Old Gristmill 500 yds thisaways —>), so I just hate going to that town, and everyone on the street is a tourist it seems, so good luck getting any directions. My parents just love driving around there. Anyways, a few of you know that these towns are related to this website, but you didn’t hear me say anything specific…
Hee hee, “45 hour drive from Emeryville”, cute Bryko614, is that Atlanta or Pittsburgh?
My dad came up with another loose end: Who owns Dug at the end? Russell seems most likely, but they may permit pets at Shady Oaks, so maybe it’s Carl.
Yeah, and what happened to all of dug’s puppies?