Our Visit to the World of “Inside Out”

With “Inside Out”, Pixar continues to help adults remember the joyful extremes of being a kid. The studio has always been able to effectively tap into the imaginations of kids. Starting with the talking toys of “Toy Story”, Pixar has brought countless landscapes to life over the years that seem lifted from the inner minds of creative 6 year olds. When I first heard about the premise of the film, I was anxious to make “Inside Out” the first full length premier that Yashy and I would experience with the Little Monkey at the theatre. We had previous tested her resolve at a screening of “The Little Mermaid” at the Bell Lightbox, a test she passed with flying fish colors, but she had seen “The Little Mermaid” a number of times before that screening. “Inside Out” would mark the first time she would watch a film she had never seen while surrounded by other film-goers. As a purist who dislikes errant sounds during a movie, I was at risk of becoming the the moviegoer who disturbs everyone in the theatre; but on this day, I was the proud father. While the film’s concept was a little over the Little Monkey’s head, she sat quietly and bathed in the colorful scenes while enjoying the thrilling adventure. Now she’s ready for more. Disney, she wants to know why it’s taking so long for “Inside Out” to come home.

I am anxious for the video release too (though when we do finally have access to watch the film on a daily basis for a week straight, as I am sure will occur, I may regret my anticipation). The film is a joy to to watch, and I look forward to letting the Little Monkey see the film a few more times in order to digest the concept. According to the film, the five emotions inside every kid’s brain – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger – are involved in a constant struggle for the controls of every movement.

“Inside Out” takes place inside the mind of a hockey-loving, goofy 12-year-old girl named Riley. The story is extremely well thought out, with the five emotions inside Riley’s brain acting according to their natures while trying to remain on friendly terms. When we see the film again, I’ll be trying to help the Little Monkey to understand why the five emotions in the film get Riley in trouble when they are fighting. Upon the first viewing, she loved the high energy of the film and enjoyed the different personalities of the five emotions. Since seeing the film, Yashy and I have enjoyed ribbing her about the colorful red guy in her head who must be acting up when she gets angry. Since our responsibility as parents is help our kids to control their emotions and to learn how to harness feelings in positive ways, “Inside Out” is a very useful tool for teaching kids about actions and consequences as they relate to their state of mind. Getting inside of a kid’s brain is never easy. I am often trying to suppress laughter during some of the stranger outbursts I see, and I think children have a hard time understanding why they are upset, they just know that they are and that it makes them furious. In this film, kids get to see these scenes visually recreated inside Riley’s brain and may begin to understand the role emotions play in their everyday lives.

As the father of a 3 year old girl, I am familiar with the emotional extremes of being a kid. A child sitting happily at a play table, molding new scenes with playdough might attempt to build a colorful butterfly, only to have the wing tear and not properly mold back together. The struggle to make the fix grows more and more frantic. In an instant, the whole playdough set goes flying in a fit of rage. Tears soon follow. When happiness returns, the playdough set is no longer a desirable toy. Inside Out explains these types of scene in a brilliant allegory and the film is poignant, insightful, and immensely satisfying. I left the film reeling reassured that parenting is amazing journey.