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I cried at a Corona commercial a couple weeks back, so I'm not a good barometer for this kind of thing, but I wept during Inside Out, the new feature from the nearly flawless Pixar Animation Studios. I wasn't alone, either. Pretty much everybody in the theater was sobbing at some point. It's sad. Crushingly, relentlessly sad. And absolutely brilliant.
That's a bit dramatic. It's not about depression per se. Inside Out follows the parallel worlds of young Riley, who has to move across the country for her dad's job, and the tiny people in her head who represent her emotions.
It's a fantasy most kids have had at some point—that there are tiny workers looking out their eyes and driving their bodies, and it's a great metaphor even though there are deep metaphysical problems with this construction of self. (Two main ones: There have to be even tinier people inside their tiny heads controlling them, and it's creepy having adults inside a child's head making decisions.) But the infinite regress problem aside, the construct does allow for some genuine insight into growing up. It can frequently feel like your different emotions are fighting for control of your body and memories, and that you don't really have a say in who wins.
My only tiny complaint is one painfully clichéd gender joke that stands out amid the great lines and insightful moments. At one point, we see the team of little people in Mom's head, and they're all emotionally intuitive and infinitely patient. Then we see Dad's little people. They're watching as he daydreams about a hockey game! And then they have to figure out why Mom is annoyed at him! Get it?!
It's a cheap joke, and they use it in the trailer, so you'd be forgiven for thinking the whole movie feels like an '80s sitcom. Fortunately, it doesn't. The rest of the jokes aren't cheap. In fact, maybe it's because of the contrasting sadness, but Inside Out is one of Pixar's funniest movies. It's helped along by especially excellent voice work from its leads. Amy Poehler as Joy, Lewis Black as Anger (obviously) and Phyllis Smith (from The Office) as Sadness. Sadness steals the show, which is fitting.
My other concern—and, again, this is small—is, I'm just not sure how much little kids will enjoy it. The main story, about an 11-year-old girl being bummed all the time, seems aimed more at parents and, to a lesser extent, older kids. There's a talking elephant made of cotton candy to help occupy the littles, but I can't really imagine a kid running around with a Sadness toy playing "lie around all day and think about every bad thing that's ever happened." They won't hate it, but they might be a bit bored.
But you will love it, because it's great. And since you're paying for it, screw them.
Critic's Grade: A
SEE IT: Inside Out is rated PG. It opens Friday at 99 West, Cedar Hills, Eastport, Clackamas, Mill Plain, Cornelius, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Stadium 11, Bridgeport, City Center, Division, Evergreen Parkway, Hilltop, Lloyd Center, Movies on TV, Pioneer Place, Sherwood, Tigard, Wilsonville, Roseway, Sandy.
WWeek 2015