Inside Out

Animated films have come a long way since the early days of Disney. Toy Story reinvented the game back in 1995 with advancements in computer generated imagery, and Pixar has been making increasingly clever and complex films ever since.

Inside Out starts with the birth of Riley, a cute little girl in Minnesota born to two loving parents. With her birth is also the birth of her emotional control center, and Joy is all she knows, so Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) is all alone. She begins her job of activating the child, and capturing and storing memories in a complex world that is imaginative and full of quirky characters. As the child grows, Joy is joined in the control room by Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear. Joy is the leader, as evidenced by the happy nature of Riley, and the film does a nice job of toning down the other emotions so that Joy can be on center stage. She builds different areas of her mind that are constantly fed by daily memories such as goofiness, hockey (her passion), family, and friends. Core memories are the nuggets of gold though. They are the big ones. First hockey goal, family time, laughing with friends. These are the ones that stick, and they are the important ones to fuel her emotional stability.

Riley moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, and for an eleven year old, that comes with lots of emotional upheaval. The five emotions experience their own problems because of this change (and because they are running an eleven year old), and Joy and Sadness find themselves lost in the labyrinth of long-term memories, relying on an imaginary friend named Bing Bong to help them find their way back to the control center to put things right.

Anyone who knows eleven year olds knows that anger, fear, and disgust can easily overcome feelings of joy and sadness, even in the most unlikely of circumstances. But it’s recognizing the right emotion for the right circumstance that leads to resolution. Will the emotions put things right before it’s too late? Will they save Riley?

The studio returns to Pete Docter, the Oscar-winning writer/director of Monsters, Inc. and Up, as well as the writer of the Toy Story franchise. He’s created an absolute gem in the personification of the human emotions in what many are saying is the best Pixar film yet. The many are correct and there are a number of reasons why.

First off, Pixar films have decidedly adult themes that tug at the heartstrings while presenting images and characters that kids find endearing and cute. Take Up for example. The old man is a curmudgeon with huge eyebrows and a funny brown suit, but he’s a deeply complex character once you get past the surface. Inside Out will resonate with adults more than with kids due to the multi-faceted layers and ingenious visual depiction of human emotions. Kids might not recognize the nuance of disgust or anger, but they will appreciate the green sarcastic Mindy Kaling, or the volatile red fireball voiced by Lewis Black. Pixar has a history of pulling this off better than the more kid-centric Disney animated films, and this is no exception.

Films with an ensemble of main characters tend to do well with audiences. Pixar knows this and creates five starkly different personalities that are complemented by the ridiculous Bing Bong and the variety of characters that Joy and Sadness meet along their journey. The humans are always background noise, and although Riley is simply the vehicle that the entire movie takes place in, there is something about her that is relatable. Everyone was eleven once, and this pseudo-scientific explanation for absurd and erratic behavior is beyond comforting, it is therapeutic.

I work with eleven year olds, and I’m going to make this film part of our social and emotional development curriculum once it hits DVD. It’s that good. It’s the kind of movie that will open up conversations between parents and children that will lead to deep understanding and meaning. This is the kind of movie that is an opportunity for reflection and growth. It’s cute, it’s fun, but more importantly, it’s relevant. Inside Out is a cerebral animated film that adults might enjoy even more than the kids. It really is the best Pixar film to date. 9/10.