Analysis Of The Movie Inside Out

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The 2015 animated film Inside Out follows the life of the protagonist Riley (Rivera & Docter). At the beginning of the film, Riley is a happy 11-year-old girl who leaves her friends and old life behind as she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. In Riley’s mind, there are five key emotions that define her personality: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. These five emotions are personified into five distinct characters. The audience experiences Riley’s life through the internal conflicts of these emotions. Once a happy, hockey loving girl, Riley slowly starts to become numb to the world. The film highlights the plight of Riley’s life as she falls into a state of depression.
Depression, specifically unipolar depression, is defined as a …show more content…

The progression from grief to a lack of emotion is exemplified in Riley. Inside Out highlights the importance of confronting grief and the importance of closure. As Joy is fixated on the fact that Riley needs to be happy, she does not let Sadness influence Riley. Due to this, Riley is unable to resolve her grief. This unresolved grief propels her into depression. Studies have found that individuals with unresolved grief are more likely to become depressed and stay depressed (Zisook & DeVaul, 1983). Therefore, Inside Out captures the consequences of ignoring or trying to suppress perceived negative emotions like sadness. The scene with Sadness and Bing Bong reiterates that acknowledging grief is beneficial, as it allows Bing Bong to cope and overcome his …show more content…

More importantly, the film stresses the importance of all emotions: even sadness. Sadness, which is often viewed as a negative and undesirable emotion in society, was vital to Riley’s ability to express her grief and receive an empathetic response from her parents. Furthermore, the movie initiates a conversation about mental health awareness and the importance of recognizing that it is okay to not be happy all the time. The beauty of Inside Out is its message can reach a widespread audience from kids to

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