At The Movies: 'Inside Out'

This past week I had the chance to check out the new movie 'Inside Out' which has garnered a lot of attention as a kids' movie, but is really anything but. There's definitely a lot to gain from this film for everyone.

The story centers around an 11-year-old girl named Riley and her emotions; Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger and Sadness.  The emotions are voiced by some beloved actors of our time with Amy Poehler voicing Joy, Bill Hader as Fear, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Mindy Kaling as Disgust and Lewis Black as Anger.  The casting is genius and makes for a lot of funny moments as the story chugs along.

Without giving too much away of the film, there are plenty of heartwarming moments to be enjoyed here too. And while the movie is animated, it's not just about entertaining the kids. As a mental health professional, I was surprised and delighted how 'Inside Out' took on the task of explaining emotions and how we often try to work through them. As much of the film is spent inside Riley's brain, you get a good sense of how her emotions work together, and sometimes fight, to have their own needs met.  There's rationalization and denial at points and by the end you're left with a much fuller picture of how emotions are regulated and how they impact our lives and memories.

'Inside Out' is a really powerful film for both kids and adults and I've heard a few parents with young children say they still felt it was appropriate for their children.  It's a lovely film that had me thinking a lot about my own emotions and how they play a role in memories and I hope it will do the same for you if you choose to go see it.  I'm not surprised by how well the movie has performed at the box office and I have pretty much recommended that everyone I know go see it as I was really struck by the warmth and honesty of this "kids' movie".  There's also a short film called 'Lava' which precedes 'Inside Out' that serves as a sufficiently emotional primer to what's in store ahead.

At its least, 'Inside Out' is family entertainment but at its best it is both therapeutic and cathartic making it a Trojan horse of a movie for all to enjoy.  If you would like to read a little bit more on the film (warning: there are some pretty BIG spoilers ahead!) then you can check out an article titled The Science of 'Inside Out' which was recently posted in the New York Times.