Movies that teach you to embrace your emotions.
Written by Gina Dewar.
“Inside Out” is a 2015 animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Pete Docter, the movie delves into the emotional life of an 11-year-old girl named Riley (KAITLYN DIAS). The story is primarily set inside her mind, where five personified emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—work together to help her navigate life.
It begins with Riley and her family moving from Minnesota to San Francisco. This major life change causes turmoil in her emotional state.
Inside Riley’s mind, the five emotions live in “Headquarters,” guiding her reactions and storing her memories:
- Joy (AMY POEHLER): The leader who strives to maintain Riley’s happiness.
- Sadness (PHYLLIS SMITH): Often sidelined but crucial to the story’s development.
- Anger (LEWIS BLACK): Manages Riley’s sense of justice and frustration.
- Fear (BILL HADER): Keeps Riley safe by anticipating potential dangers.
- Disgust (MINDY KALING): Protects Riley from things she finds repulsive or socially detrimental.
Riley’s personality is represented by core memories, which are central to her identity.
Joy and Sadness are accidentally ejected from Headquarters, leaving Anger, Fear, and Disgust in charge. This leads to an emotional imbalance in Riley.
Joy and Sadness embark on a journey through Riley’s mind to return to Headquarters, encountering various parts of her psyche like Imagination Land, Dream Productions, and the Abstract Thought area.
Through their journey, they discover the importance of all emotions, including Sadness, in maintaining Riley’s mental well-being.
The film explores the necessity of experiencing a range of emotions, highlighting that sadness and other “negative” emotions are essential for personal growth and empathy.
It portrays the challenges of adapting to new circumstances and the emotional upheaval that comes with it.
“Inside Out” provides a nuanced look at mental health, demonstrating the impact of suppressed emotions and the importance of emotional expression.
The film was widely acclaimed for its innovative storytelling, emotional depth, and psychological accuracy. Both audiences and critics praised it for its ability to resonate with viewers of all ages, offering a meaningful reflection on how emotions shape our experiences and identity. “Inside Out” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and received numerous other accolades.
Overall, “Inside Out” is celebrated for its creative and heartfelt portrayal of the inner workings of the human mind and the vital role emotions play in our lives.
“Inside Out 2,” was released on June 14, 2024, and continues the story of Riley (KENSINGTON TALLMAN), now a teenager navigating new challenges and emotions. The sequel, directed by Kelsey Mann, introduces new emotions such as Anxiety (MAYA HAWKE), Envy (AYO EDEBIRI), Embarrassment (PAUL WALTER HAUSER), and Nostalgia (JUNE SQUIBB), alongside the original emotions of Joy (AMY POEHLER), Sadness (PHYLLIS SMITH), Anger (LEWIS BLACK), Fear (TONY HALE), and Disgust (LIZA LAPIRA).
As Riley faces the complexities of growing up, these emotions must work together to help her manage the difficulties of her teenage years, including a crucial hockey game and the evolving dynamics of her friendships as well as changes and more scenarios of adaptation which at this age can be very stressful.
After this long introduction of the two movies, I want to tell you what I felt as a parent watching INSIDE OUT 2 last weekend.
I don’t know if other parents agree with me or not, but I felt like Disney and Pixar had written this movie exclusively for me for so many reasons.
At first, I completely understood what Riley was going through (personally moving from one place to another, switching schools, making new friends, and of course the fear of the unknown).
This movie will make you laugh, and it will make you feel nostalgic (one of the new emotions).
As a parent, I got to understand in a very cute way, what Anxiety can do to a teenager’s brain. Growing up is so hard to do, not only physically but psychologically as well.
For kids who go and watch this amazing Disney Pixar new movie, they will feel very comfortable in expressing what they are feeling. They will understand that it is ok to feel angry, anxious, sad, embarrassed, etc.
The movie handles friendship problems, insecurities, competitiveness, fear of fitting in, and making choices, in a way that most kids will identify with.
I truly believe it is a movie that may be used as a tool for psychologists, school staff, teachers, and parents to better understand kids and teens, and to also make peace for whatever anxiety or silenced emotion we grew up with.
I am not a fan of sequels to amazing movies, but INSIDE OUT 2 was better than I expected.
If there is an INSIDE OUT 3 planned, I will be there for sure (but please don’t take another ten years to make).
