More Going On Inside
Joy. Sadness. Fear. Disgust. Anger. These are emotions we all feel at some point or another, and these are the emotions that take center stage in Pixar’s Film Inside Out. But the film is more than a story about two characters who learn to work together for a common goal. It also teaches us that there is always more going on inside than there is out and that we need all types of emotions in order to be healthy human beings.
As with any Pixar film, you will laugh and you will cry, but you will also learn.
With the characterization of emotions as people, the film is, of course, geared toward children, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t take something away from it. If you haven’t seen the film, I highly recommend it. Released in 2015, it is worth the watch. Riley is a happy 11-year-old girl whose world is dramatically changed when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. While Joy tries to lead the charge in guiding Riley through this change, it is Sadness who is brought to center stage. When it is discovered a memory becomes blue (sad) when Sadness touches it, Joy and Sadness begin a journey through the depths of Riley’s mind, leaving Fear, Anger, and Disgust to manage “headquarters.”
Joy tries to change Sadness, insisting Sadness see the positive in everything. There is a scene when the two are about to navigate through Long Term Memory and Sadness calls, “You can get lost in there.” Joy responds, upbeat, “Think positive!” “Okay…I’m positive you can get lost in there,” Sadness replies, frustrating Joy. But Joy sees her mission as simple — to help Riley have a positive life.
“I just want Riley to be happy,” Joy says, crying in the pit of forgotten memories.
But a lightbulb moment happens when Joy watches a memory of Riley after a hockey game, and she realizes that the reason that memory turned happy is because Riley was first sad. This is the lightbulb moment for the adults in the room, too.
You see, we spend so much time trying to be happy that we forget sadness has its place.
There are going to be times when other emotions come to the forefront. (“Can I say that curse word now?” Anger asks when Joy and Sadness get swept away from Headquarters.) There are going to be times when it feels like our inner “control panel” is broken, that we can’t feel anything. We have to recognize the other feelings — we have to accept our sadness — and deal with them.
When Joy and Sadness return to Headquarters, Joy realizes she needs to allow Sadness to be more involved in Riley. Joy gives Sadness control of the control panel to help Riley cope. Riley then opens up to her parents, telling them she misses Minnesota and all she knew. Sadness extends her hand to Joy and guides Joy to the control panel. They create a shared memory — one that is sad and happy, signifying that our emotions are interconnected. This, in turn, helps Riley solidify her relationship with her parents.
Inside Out is a great example of how huge of a role emotions play in our mental health.
Our emotions are our indicators for responses, and it is important we know how to handle them. (Inside Out even had promos titled “Get To Know Your Emotions.”) If we feel upset, we should not force ourselves to be happy. This risks our own mental health. And this is something we should learn early. If children can learn that managing emotions is important, and if they can be taught how to do that, they will grow into healthier adults.
For adults, sometimes we need the reminder.
