Inside Out Movie Review

The family went to see the Pixar feature Inside Out and I really enjoyed it.  I did not know much about the premise, but I knew that there were multiple characters involved based on the ongoing Subway Restaurants promotion.

I discovered the premise is the balance of Riley’s emotional state as determined by the characters Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust.  Per the Wikipedia site, the writers even consulted numerous psychologists.  It is very clever and appealed to my kids as well as my wife and I.  As you see Riley grow up, Joy who is the dominant personality is trying to keep Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger at bay.  When Riley’s family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, things start to go haywire.  In addition to the main characters, Riley’s mind also features an imaginary friend, an imaginary boyfriend, workers in the archive memory who are fond of uploading a catchy jingle, and the train of thought.  Dream sequences are pretty fun as well.

In Riley’s mind her personality islands are created by core memories.  The original personality islands include her love of hockey, her goofiness, her sense of right and wrong, the bonds she has with her friends, and the bond she has with her parents.  I even got a little emotional at times thinking about how cute and caring kids can be and how they will be challenged as they grow up.

To take things a step further, I started to look at my own personality.  Unfortunately, I often feel like my mind I controlled more by Fear than by any of the other characters.  My personality islands do offer some overlaps with Riley, such as bonds with family, sense of duty, being silly, and love of physical challenges.

Even if you don’t have kids, wait for it to come out on Netflix and curl up with it on a quiet evening or morning.  It is worth watching.