Joy. Sadness. Anger. Disgust. Fear. Pixar’s Inside Out, in theaters starting on Friday, June 19, takes moviegoers on a rollercoaster of emotions from inside the mind of an eleven-year-old girl. And oh what a ride it is.
Pixar Animation Studios boasts an incredible track record of top-notch family friendly movies. From Toy Story to Finding Nemo to Cars, Pixar has time and again enjoyed that rare double feat: critical acclaim and commercial success. In some advertisements for Inside Out, Pixar has featured a quote from a critic declaring it the best Pixar film since Up. That declaration may be selling this film short, as this could be the best Pixar film period.
Inside Out is the story of the voices inside your head or more specifically the conflicting emotions of Riley who at eleven years old has her world turned upside down by her parents’ decision to move the family from Minnesota to San Francisco. Initially excited by the move, Riley quickly sours on her new situation after a dreadful first day at her new school.
Inside the mind of this young girl we get introduced to Joy, the ringleader of the five emotions personified. Joy as one would guess has a bubbly persona and intends to keep Riley that way but Sadness just can’t seem to get out of her way. These two emotions’ ongoing conflict takes them deep in the mind of Riley as the girl struggles mightily to cope with her new surroundings.
While the main story focuses on a journey of the emotions residing within Riley, what we really see in this film is a journey through the minds of the filmmakers at Pixar revealing one of the most imaginative movie settings in quite some time. We don’t want to reveal too much of the various settings explored in the movie but they cover just about every crevice in the mind in such an imaginative way that you never want to leave Riley’s mind.
And who can blame us? In Riley we have a strong, positive portrayal of a young girl who is not too far from the onset of adolescence and the accompanying emotional turmoil (can you say sequel?). Riley enjoys being a goofball almost as much as playing hockey. She’s funny but petulant. She portrays a melancholy mood that can turn into anxiety. Let’s not forget embarrassment over her “uncool” parents. In other words, she’s a completely relatable young girl that will resonate with not just other young girls but boys as well.
Pixar has provided us unforgettable, poignant moments in a number of their films. They tugged at our heartstrings with Jessie’s abandonment in Toy Story 2. We mourned the portrayal of an enduring love of a lifetime in Up. Pixar has even evoked strong emotions using robots as evidenced in Wall-E. None of this will prepare you for what awaits in Inside Out. During an extended scene towards the end, all one could hear inside the theater was a resounding echo of sniffles. Consider this your fair warning: come to this movie with a box of tissues.
Please let this not deter you as Inside Out is far from being a downer. This film is a must-see for your entire family. Don’t give it a second thought. With or without tissues, go see Inside Out to experience a wide range of emotions but none greater than delight at watching Pixar imagination at its very best.
An IT professional by day and a theme park addict all day, Ricardo Escobar is proud to call Orlando his home, one of the world’s top vacation destinations. Ricardo applies his passion for attractions by sharing the latest and greatest in family entertainment for modernmami™ readers. Follow Ricardo on his adventures and connect with him via Twitter and Instagram.Disclosure: We were provided a complimentary advance screening of the film to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
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