Online Therapy Las Vegas: “Inside Out” Movie Themes
Stop reading this blog and go watch the Disney-Pixar animated film “Inside Out.” Go, do it now. Can’t go watch it now? Put it at the top of your watch list. Do you have children? Make sure you watch it with your children. Top of the list for family night.
“Inside Out” follows an 11-year-old girl named Riley and delves into the complexities of emotions. Parts of the film are set inside Riley’s mind where her emotions, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, have their personalities and roles. When the family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, Joy tries to keep Riley’s life happy and positive. Riley struggles with her emotions. The film explores the importance of emotions and how they play a role in shaping who we become and how we navigate the world.
This isn’t going to be a movie review. This blog will be a clinical breakdown of several aspects of the movie. Let’s jump into it.
Parental Expectations
In the movie, there is a scene after they move to SF, and the entire family is stressed. Mom comes into Riley’s room and they have a conversation. In the conversation, Mom states she is happy that Riley can maintain her cool and happiness during this stressful life circumstance. Riley takes this conversation to mean that Riley needs to be happy and strong for the family. This puts pressure on Riley to maintain her happy demeanor no matter the circumstances. At this point in the movie, Riley is sad. She’s away from her friends. She’s away from her routine and what she knows. She’s angry that they aren’t in Minnesota anymore. And Riley is not able to express these emotions. Throughout the movie, Joy is always trying to force its way into the situation and make the situation positive or happy. When sadness appears, Joy tries to shoo away sadness. At one point, Joy tries to put sadness into a circle or The Box. It isn’t until the end of the movie, when Riley talks with her parents about all of her emotions, that Riley can let down her facade of being happy and feel all of her emotions. At this point, she can self-regulate her emotions. She can be Riley again.
Toxic Positivity
There is a powerful undertone of toxic positivity throughout the entire movie. I have a blog about toxic positivity. Toxic positivity is the belief that one should always maintain a positive attitude, no matter the situation. Toxic positivity puts pressure to be positive. It doesn’t make room for other emotions, such as sadness. In the movie, Joy is always trying to push Sadness to the side. At the start of the movie, Joy wonders why Sadness is there. Throughout the movie, Joy tries to take over every situation. When Joy, Sadness, and Bing Bong (Riley’s imaginary friend) are trying to find their way back to the control center, Bing Bong suggests taking a shortcut through “Abstract Thinking Land.” Sadness thinks they shouldn’t take the shortcut. They should go the long way, even if it takes more time. Joy thinks otherwise and pressures Sadness into taking the shortcut. They end up taking the shortcut but have a rough time going through Abstract Thinking Land. At times, toxic positivity can encourage actions that will lead you down the wrong path.
Every Day is a Great Day
The last area I want to talk about is the idea that every day needs to be a great day. Of course, this is the idea that Joy has. The idea that every day needs to be a great (happy) day is far from the truth. There will be days when the most experienced emotion is sadness, anger, disgust, or any other emotion. That is okay. Every day does not need to be a great, happy day. As human beings, we experience a wide range of emotions. It’s okay to not be okay. This is normal. An example of a not-great, happy day is the day someone you love dies. You should 100% expect to feel sad throughout the day. If you didn’t feel sadness on the day someone you love dies, there may be something off. That day should not be a great, happy day. You should be grieving. Every day does not need to be a happy day.
In the final analysis, Inside Out is a great movie to learn about emotions. It’s a great tool that adults and children can learn from. Go watch it.
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When you want to make a change, get online therapy in Las Vegas with Chris Rabanera. Get started with a free 15-minute consultation today. Offering online therapy in California, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, and Utah. I specialize in addressing physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, depression and providing tailored mental health treatment for men. Let’s get to work to make lasting positive changes.
