Pixar Watch: Inside Out (2015)

The last time I saw a wide-release movie that was intended as one really long metaphor for what was happening elsewhere in the movie was probably when I watched Tron way back in the day.

I didn't catch Inside Out (2015) when it was released earlier this year.  Something about it struck me as a riff on a 1950's educational film where some baritone-voiced omniscient narrator would explain how "Mr. Angry" was responsible for all those bad feelings you have inside, while "Ms. Happiness" was wrestling with him for control.  And, you know, that's more or less exactly what the movie was.  That's not a dig, just kind of my take-away.



Truth be told, maybe it's my upbringing, maybe it's my desire for civilization and people choosing for decency to win the day, but I got more than a little weirded out that the message of the movie was seemingly that humans live with uncontrollable emotion-demons living inside our heads, those Feelings Goblins themselves with their own emotional baggage, vying for control of the meat robot which they pilot around like the 2008 Eddie Murphy box office disaster Meet Dave.

Sure, that's not what the filmmakers were saying - they were telling an extended metaphor through adorable stereotypes living inside the skull of an adolescent (ask kids if they got that, btw).  I feel like someone paid extra-special attention to what their therapist was saying while working their kid through some bad feelings, and, somehow, that wound up as a movie.

Yes, in the manner of the 1950's educational film or the Mr. Men series of kids' books,  I really do think kids will learn a bit about their emotions, and how life-events can tarnish prior memory and damage our emotional bases.  I'm just not sure I needed a 90 minute movie to absolve me of any feelings I've got, because, after all, it's not me acting out, it's my Feelings Goblins on a wacky misadventure somewhere in my limbic system, and I have no control over my own switchboard.

But...  People love this movie, so I'm clearly missing something (kids, probably).

I do remember a complaint about the movie was that all that the focal trauma for the lead character was that she moved across country.  Complaints about this creative decision were, clearly, written by someone who was either a sociopath or never moved around as a kid.  Look, I'm fine, and I think moving around a bit as a kid was a good growing experience, but let's not pretend like moving to a new town and starting in a new school isn't a stressful experience, you jerks.

I also take exception to the fact that our lead kid was boring.  Apparently this kid, when faced with a situation she doesn't like, is a problem solver.  Stealing.  Running away.  This kid goes straight up villain when something occurs that she doesn't like.  And she's certainly no less boring than Andy from Toy Story.

The movie also indulges in cliches that probably aren't helpful, from the checked-out dad who is just toooo dopey to see what's going on (and his emotion goblins are all basically the same emotion - which is terrifying), and the mom who seems to secretly hate the dad and wish she'd run off with a helicopter pilot.  Way to make the kids feel stable, Pixar.  Hey kids!  Dad can't possibly relate to you and it's going to get worse and mom resents both you and dad!  Oh, and your teacher does hate her job/ you.  Hooray!  Great therapy session!

I didn't hate the movie, but I also felt like I was sitting through an extended lecture intended for someone who was in the intended audience. Once they got past the lengthy "This is the set up.  Get it?  Do you get it?  See what we're doing here?" portion, it did pick up.  But it's not like the movie has characters, per se, aside from the Imaginary Friend bit.  It's so tied to its metaphor, it can't really afford for much in the way of much but the metaphor.

You guys knock yourself out.  I'm the one who chose to watch a movie that was totally not aimed at me.