Nonverbal Storytelling
In the excerpt video for the movie “Up,” almost all the channels of nonverbal communication are utilized as shown below:
- Body gestures. The audience at the church claps their hands to their happiness after Carl and Ellie are wedded.
- Facial communication. Carl shows the expression of being embarrassed after he realizes that he almost ruined their mailbox with paint from his hands (“Favorite Pixar’s Up Scene Ever”).
- Eye communication. Carl’s side of the family, which looks wealth while in the church, gaze at him angrily as if to say they did not approve of his union with Ellie.
- Touch communication. While reading in their house, Carl and Ellie hold their hands to show positive emotion of affection and togetherness.
- After Ellie and Carl lose their child, Ellie can be said to have fallen into a state of depression, which is shown by the episode when she keeps to herself in silence out in their house’s yard (“Favorite Pixar’s Up Scene Ever”).
- Spatial messages. Carl and Ellie can be seen maintaining a distance of 0-18 inches most of the time while in the house, mainly when dancing illustrating an intimate relationship.
- Artifactual communication. Carl carries with him what appears to travel guides, and at the same time, Ellie dresses up as a tourist to communicate they were touting the world.
The five functions of nonverbal communication include reinforcement, substitution, contradiction, accentuation, and regulation. In the video excerpt, these functions are portrayed as follows:
- While at the picnic, Carl uses a body gesture by pointing to an image of a child up in the sky to emphasize the need to become a father (“Favorite Pixar’s Up Scene Ever”).
- Carl and Ellie use touch communication to reassure their affection by touching each other instead of speaking while reading their books.
- Carl’s family applaud his union with Ellie when they would prefer to be shouting about their displeasure of the wedding.
- After Carl and Ellie lose their child, Ellie communicates via paralanguage. She becomes withdrawn and spends a lot of time in silence (“Favorite Pixar’s Up Scene Ever”).
- Rather than talking about traveling, Carl uses the artifactual communication channel and goes out of the house and comes back with a travel guide to show Ellie that they should take a vacation and tour the world.
Works Cited
“Favorite Pixar’s Up Scene Ever – Ellie and Carl’s Relationship through Time, Sad Scene.” YouTube, uploaded by xXJEashXx, 22 Mar. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2bk_9T482g&t=6s.