Insides and Outs
Mental health awareness has grown enormously in the last five years, especially since the lockdown era. Being trapped alone with ourselves forced us to confront our minds and emotions. Research, self-diagnosis, and, surprisingly obvious, community hobby forums have increased among people. Capitalists, including filmmakers and studios, have profited from this trend. Let's confront some emotions, but don't worry; it's not ours. Pixar's Inside Out films are a form of polite therapy, so it won't hurt us (unless it does).
Emotions are in Style, Jeremy Scott Fall 2012, Vogue
The first blockbuster film, Inside Out (2015), saw eleven-year-old Riley Andersen moving to San Francisco from Minnesota for her father's new job. We also met her five-member emotion council in her mind's HQ, which consisted of Anger, Fear, Disgust, Sadness, and the leader, Joy. For those who haven't watched the film yet or need their memory jogged, the arc follows Riley's attempts at adjusting to a new environment, losing all her core memories, Joy and Sadness saving the day, and finally, everyone agreeing to work together. At the same time, 12-year-old Riley has found new hobbies, made friends, and adapted to her new home. So when the latest addition, Inside Out 2, was announced, people were curious how the makers would follow up on such a well-made psychology film. Weary of hyperbole in teenage representations with exaggerated dialogues, concerns were justified.
The filmmakers continued to take advice from reputed psychologists. They invited us back into Riley's imaginative mind by introducing new characters, five to be exact. Riley, now thirteen, is navigating her teens with new emotions and internally has seen an upgrade—more fluidity, more organization, and more complication with the sprouting of the "sense of self" tree. As an only child confronting unexplored territories, she isolates herself out of confusion and fear. Our new arrivals are brought in after a heartbreak that brews up feelings of betrayal and hurt. Envy, Nostalgia, Embarrassment, Ennui, and our antagonist-looking sweet girl, Anxiety.
There is no better tool to convey a complex message or depth of meaning than creative analogies and stories. This film series not only entertains but educates. This series has taught a broad spectrum of people of all ages how memories work and why accepting your emotions is essential. The movies feature complicated and correct science with the previously mentioned group of psychology consultants. Taking their guidance has helped them aptly illustrate emotional insights for teens and provide motivation to embrace them. Many parents told Dr. Dacher Keltner, a consultant on the film, that the animated characters helped their kids better identify and communicate their feelings. It also introduces the notion of separate places of functions in the brain—The Sense of Self Tree, Vault of Deep Secrets, etc. Another critical feature of the film is Arlie Hochschild's Emotional Labor and Feeling Rules concepts. Emotional labor is managing our feelings and behaviors to only show specific emotions outward, often to be included and accepted. Feeling rules are social guidelines that tell us how and when to feel particular emotions. Riley follows both of these in the film, and we see it leaves her exposed to Anxiety. It also sheds light on the fact that our teens are a critical period when mental health issues start to become visible and intense. Riley's story over the two films presents how pressures build up over time and affect profoundly.
Dr. Keltner says that so long as you don't hurt others, all emotions are good and have a purpose. Communicating this message is the whole point of the film. "Negative" or "uncomfy" feelings protect and guide us," says Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist who has written several books about teenagers and advised the filmmakers. Shutting them off or avoiding them stops you from progressing. Emotions like Fear, Embarrassment, and Anxiety nudge us in questionable situations. Inside Out 2 exhibits how our sentiments are social in nature and how external factors like interactions, backgrounds, and unique experiences shape them. Obviously, these emotions are powerful and sometimes persuade us to act and feel in ways that we aren't proud of. Researchers, psychologists, and their mountains of work will say that self-compassion is the way to go. Whatever the struggle, be it procrastination (guilty), overspending (guilty), or horribly failing to learn a new skill (guilty), science says cut yourself some slack. The results are that you will be happier and more successful in your endeavors. So, the doctors are prescribing kind words for you and me.
I want to talk about two characters that stole the show for me—Anxiety (cuz, duh) and Ennui. First, a shout-out to the makers for cleverly allowing Anxiety to be at the core, efficiently conveying that she is the queen of "negative" feelings. When she was introduced, like many viewers, I questioned why, of all the emotions, would you introduce one that can be chalked under fear? The movie explains this as a moving scene where Anxiety herself explains the difference. Fear is related to immediate physical dangers like a hot pan. At the same time, Anxiety is all about future possibilities—the wrong kind. This constant worry has always plagued the human race, which is rooted in the unpredictability of the world and our lives. That's why I said Anxiety LOOKS like a villain before; she is only shifting our focus to potential threats. As animals, we inherently have the instinct to survive, which is powered by fear, and Anxiety is an evolved addition. Although a natural step in the process of growing up, it is still challenging and needs to be acknowledged as such. In the second film, we see Riley having a panic attack and how Anxiety goes psychotic in her head while overpowering all the other emotions. That scene satisfyingly villanizes the emotion, leaving room for us to know it's manageable with practice and time.
Ennui was an interesting addition to the group, but teenage petulance and the I-don't-give-a-damn attitude are an integral part of the teen starter kit. Sprawled out on a couch with a phone always in her hand, she personifies the laid-back approach. Easily misunderstood, she, too, provides Riley security. Ennui is smooth, and I am not talking about her French accent. The defense against the overwhelming emotional turbulence of being a teenager is to be nonchalant to an extreme. She balances Riley's fear of being unable to be accepted with sarcasm and keeps the other emotions in check.
If the film series gets another addition, I hope to see Strength, Grace, Empathy, and Desire make a debut. These emotions are, if not formed, evolving in the teens and twenties. Their addition would create a dynamic internal environment, especially if crushes and romantic relationships are introduced. Talking about romance, I know that in the strict science sense, love doesn't make the cut to be an emotion, but one can dream to see their debut. Another addition would be a logical character taking the helm over Joy or at least co-captaining. The teens are characterized by emotions; trust me, I know that. This suggestion is for the late teens and early twenties version of the film. The films could lose their intent if they continue to add emotions and allow them to make decisions without consulting facts and logic.
The Inside Out films give us insight into our minds and emotions by being an accessible and creative medium.Introducing these films at a time when mental health is a growing concern allows us to explore complex concepts by personification. Anxiety, Ennui, and other emotions will also enable us to identify, name, and accept all our emotions, positive and negative, encouraging the first step to manage our feelings. The film has an intricate and delicate narrative that encourages introspection of our self-control and emotional influence in adults and educates children. Even after its magnificent run in theaters, the film still has more avenues to explore in the emotional landscape. With excitement for future projects along such deep and insightful themes, we can't help but acknowledge the power of great storytelling in shaping our understanding of ourselves and our relationship with the world.
