Inside Out--First Thoughts

This is the first Pixar movie in years that I haven't really needed to "defend." Everyone I know has been impacted by the movie even if they didn't think it the greatest thing since Luxo Jr. My approach to this "First thoughts" piece, then, will not just be why I liked it so much as what it made me think and feel. I should be able to do this without giving away surprises. 

If memory serves me, Pixar announced Inside Out while we were bracing ourselves for Cars 2. We appreciated Toy Story 3, but rumors of another Monsters, Inc. movie got many of us worried if we only had sequels to look forward to anymore. Then at a Disney presentation they announced two new untitled movies: “The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs” and “The Untitled Pixar Movie that Takes You Inside the Mind.” 

Halfway into the movie I realized that’s exactly what it did: It wasn’t just exploring Riley’s emotions, it was getting me to analyze myself, go inside my own head. That took a lot of multitasking, and as I write this I still feel very introspective, to the point where I don’t know how much I can say about the movie itself, but here goes. 

I got to hear the soundtrack before I watched the movie. It only got me more excited. I’ve known of Michael Giacchino since The Incredibles and I always trust him to carry me through even the dullest stories. The opening cue to this movie has a sense of wonder to it because the mind is such a mysterious concept. The opening also reflected the wonder we all feel as we marvel over a newborn. What are they thinking? Do they really see us or know who they are? My favorite part of the main melodic theme is the way a chromatic note sneaks into the very end of the accompaniment. Sometimes it makes the theme sound a little off-key. The theme is very bubbly and whimsical but a little sadness can't help but sneak in. 

The character design is fascinating, too, down to the micro level. At first I thought the emotions' skin looked fuzzy like a Muppet, but closeups showed they're made of some kind of particles. It gave me a sense that there was much more to these characters and this world that we have no time to explore. It also adds realism because the characters aren't just Riley's imagination--they're made of something, whatever it may be. 

Joy kind of looks like a multi-colored Tinkerbell, and that’s not a complaint. It reflects her bouncy, flighty personality. She’s also the only emotion with more than one color. The others are pretty much all red, blue, or green, but Joy along with her bright yellow she has blue hair and eyes. That’s a lovely symbolic way to propose that sadness is the key to truly experience and appreciate joy. 

The other point I wanted to applaud Pixar for is the voice casting. I’ve said before that Pixar goes for the right voice rather than the famous face. Amy Poehler of course would make a good over-eager, somewhat oblivious lead, but how many of us remembered Phyllis Smith’s name? She doesn't just play a female Eeyore. Her Sadness wants to be involved, wants to guide, wants to feel happy in her way about her contributions to the team. That's true of all the emotions. They all have their approaches, their unique functions, but they never disagree on their objective. They know they serve and aid Riley. 

It was fascinating to me how Sadness wanted Joy to return to headquarters but didn't seem to think it mattered if she did. Everyone who knew who Joy was thought it was important she be there, even if it meant staying behind. I like to think that even the most morose people want to get better, be happy. Some just don't naturally know how. The other emotions tried to help Riley express positive thoughts but the same words can come out differently through the wrong emotional filter. 

When tragedies or huge changes come to our lives the shock can cause us to feel lost, unsure how to cope. Staying connected to our core values helps us see that our new world isn't that much different, even if some details change or fade away over time. Those changes make growth possible. The mother's mind had her Sadness in the leader role, but she wasn't the saddest. She was the wisest, the most conscious. The greatest moments of sadness tend to provide the most experience and knowledge. When we allow the full spectrum of emotions run their course we can see the world untinted, unfiltered, complete.    

Now if only I could figure out what to learn from the Lava song. *shudder*