Animation, 2015
1 hour, 34 minutes
Written by Pete Docter, Meg LaFauve, Josh Cooley
Directed by Pete Docter
Produced by Pixar Animation Studios
Rated PG for "mild thematic elements and some action"
Starring
Amy Poehler
Phyllis Smith
Bill Hader
Lewis Black
Mindy Kaling
Richard Kind
Kaitlyn Dias
Diane Lane
Kyle MacLachlan
"Forget it, Jake. It's Cloudtown."
The human mind makes little to no sense. Scientists and doctors can poke and prod as much as they want, yet amidst the sea of psychology books on the market, there is not one single solution. Much like snowflakes, the mind of a human is unique, vastly different from all others on the planet. Emotions are elusive and fickle, constantly screwing with logic and morals. Pixar's latest film, Inside Out, attempts to explain how the human mind functions.
Open on Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias), an eleven year old Minnesotan girl. She's happy and free-spirited, an only child living with her Mom and Dad (voiced by Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan). In her brain, we are introduced to the five key emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black). The five work together to make Riley a normal and functional person, using a control console which lets Riley react to the world around her. The story of Riley and her emotions could easily be their own films, but they begin at the same time - when Riley and her family pack up and move to San Francisco. During a mishap, Joy and Sadness are swept out of the headquarters of Riley's mind where they reside, leaving Fear, Disgust and Anger to run the joint on their own. Without Joy and Sadness, Riley exhibits symptoms of anxiety and depression in her new environment. Inside her head, Joy and Sadness must find a way to work together to make their way back to headquarters.
This is the part in the review where I talk about the different elements of the film and how they work or don't work. Yes, the world inside of Riley's mind is a fascinating place and the way it functions is too cool for words. Yes, the animation is gorgeous, the finest Pixar has ever produced. Yes, the voice work by the outstanding cast is literally perfect. Yes, I cried a couple of times.
What makes Inside Out is the appeal to all ages. This goes beyond a few gags for the older crowd and occasionally cheesy humor for the little ones. On its own, Riley's story isn't that special. She moves away and becomes anxious and depressed. Instead, we are treated to see the inside of her mind where her emotions work. We directly see how they play a role in her life as they rationalize every one of her actions. Not only that, but we see the importance of each and every emotion, even sadness.
With Joy and Sadness gone, Riley's primary emotional state is in flux. She cannot feel joy or sadness, so she only feels disgust, anger and fear... basically anxiety and depression. Not even the things that make her happy, like hockey, can cheer her up. Adults can understand this. The feeling of frustration and despair, the hope that maybe someday life can return to what it once was. Riley longs to be back in Minnesota so her life can return to normal. I'm 22 years old and I easily identify with how Riley feels. Her emotions take over. She goes against logic and reasoning and goes with how she feels. Hasn't everyone felt that way at some point in their lives? Adults can easily relate to how she feels.
My biggest hope is that children will have a positive reaction. The film teaches kids that it's okay to be afraid, disgusted, angry or sad. If everyone was happy 24/7, the world would be a boring place. I don't think kids can conceptualize what's going on inside of their heads. They can't say, "I feel depressed" or "I feel anxious." I don't think they know what that exactly means, especially at Riley's age. What Inside Out attempts to do is explain why we feel the way we feel, even if it doesn't always make sense. And thankfully, it's done in such a way that kids can understand.
Pixar is probably the only animation studio out there making movies that both kids and adults can appreciate. Newer Disney movies like Frozen can be enjoyed by adults, but they don't go very deep on a thematic level. It works as a film, but the whole time, you still feel like you're watching a movie designed for kids. Pixar treats their audience like adults. The appeal is so universal, watching their work as an adult is vastly different then watching it as a kid. The Incredibles has a different effect on me now than it did when I was eleven. But there's something special and immediate about Inside Out that has the ability to effect viewers of all ages. If I had seen the film when I was a kid, I would have felt better about my own anxiety issues when I was that age. Seeing it now as a 22 year old, not only does it make me feel better, but it also, in a strange way, rationalizes those feelings... if that makes any sense.
Now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, there's a few other things I just gotta mention. The movie is outright hilarious, thanks to flawless casting. I literally cannot think of any alternate casting, at least not for the five emotions. Casting someone like Lewis Black to play a character named Anger is a stroke of genius. Anger even gets excited over the prospect of using curse words, which is hysterical. Bill Hader makes all kinds of scared shrieks that only he could make. Phyllis Smith as Sadness is an interesting choice, considering she's only known for her outstanding work in The Office, she totally nails the role. Disgust is played perfectly by Mindy Kaling and of course there's Joy, played by Amy Poehler. It's obvious that Pixar watched a couple episodes of Parks and Recreation and wrote the role for her. If there's anyone you think could do a better job than these five, then let me know. Seriously, leave a comment with an alternate casting choice. I'm curious.
The world of Riley's mind might be the most brilliantly constructed world Pixar has ever devised. Joy explains the layout of the headquarters in the opening of the film. I won't go into all of the details right now, as it would take too long and be much less poetic than seeing it for yourself. Everything explained by Joy at the beginning is nothing compared to what occurs once she and Sadness are removed from headquarters. Their adventure takes them on the Train of Thought, into the prison of the subconscious, and the engine of abstract thinking. But these are not just places Joy and Sadness go; their adventures in these areas are directly influenced by Riley's story.
There is so much going on with Inside Out, I truly think I need to see it a second time before giving it a proper verdict. It's so nice to see Pixar return to form, and it's definitely Pixar's best since Toy Story 3. Oddly enough, I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this one, like what Riley experiences as an adult or a teenager or something. There is so much unexplored territory here. But for now, it works perfectly on its own and stands as one of Pixar's finest accomplishments. Even if you're one of those people who's like, "I don't wanna see a kids movie," you should still check it out.
Seriously, it's Pixar. What did you expect?
9.8/10
