Cardinals' playoff run cut short, Rock Hill's infamous traffic cop will retire his radar gun; and Up in the Air is good to fly

Comments (0) By Aaron Schafer and Randall Roberts and Ellis E. Conklin Wednesday, Oct 14 2009

...continued from page 2

As well, touching, incredibly moving snapshots of laid-off workers bookend the film. Many of them are St. Louisans, and their stories of being fired from their jobs offer a glimpse into the lives of Midwesterners dealing with the financial crisis.

(A few of them might want to move to LA and make the transition into acting.)

James Escher/Icon SMI

Did we just witness Swingin’ Dick Ankiel’s last at-bat as a Cardinal?

Details

View this week's cover -- and a special video accompaniment!

More About

And then there's the closing song, "Up in the Air," which runs during the credits and was written by former Riverfront Times proofreader Kevin Renick (!). It's a soft acoustic song composed by the St. Louis-based writer and musician. As the credits rolled and I saw his name, I wondered: Is that the same persnickety guy who saved my ass at least once a week? Indeed, it is. Renick wrote it, Reitman told me after the screening, after getting laid off from a job.

Is the film any good, though? I thought it was great. Of course, maybe that's my heart talking.
—Randall Roberts