There be spoilers. Like usual.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never cried in the cinema. I’m actually a bit of a hard faced bitch (usually) and the only films that make me sob are The Road and Up – okay, I might have also had a little cry at Big Hero 6 when I thought Baymax was SPOILER gone forever.

But that’s why I’ve watched those films once, maybe twice, and will never watch them again. Or I’ll simply skip the first ten minutes of Up. I mean, sure my eyes might well up at other films but usually I can shake it off.

I cried in the cinema on Tuesday. I had to restrain myself from sobbing loudly and instead let tears just fall down my face as I sat next to my sister watching Inside Out. I have to say, it’s not a film that I think kids will get as excited about, as they did with Frozen.

The characters are great but I think that’s the only thing that will keep kids coming back, otherwise it’s really a film for those of us who have ever questioned our emotions, have ever wondered why we suddenly feel sad or angry and why we try to see the positive in things.

Disney Pixar are geniuses when it comes to looking at something from another angle and this latest film is no exception. The story follows the actions of the emotions Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear and show how they control Riley, an 11 year old girl who has just been moved away from her home town by her parents and is struggling to fit in within a new school and neighbourhood.

The film personifies emotions, putting Joy in charge of the show while Fear, Anger and Disgust are conveyed as the emotions that push us to make bad decisions. Sadness is at first stuck in the corner and is not allowed to get involved with any decision making or memories, but the moral of the story is that we all must go through a tough period in our lives to become a well adjusted person and that bottling our pain leads to poor decisions and can actually destroy our vibrant personalities – as we witness in the movie.

Something I did notice was that the emotions residing in the parents’ minds all had a place at the console and that this turmoil with emotions is something we all go through and that they too have experienced.

Joy has an issue with Sadness affecting the ‘core memories’ of Riley, worrying that by making them sad Riley as a person will forever remain that way – the emotions and decisions made throughout the film affect Riley’s personality traits (her love for her family, her goofball qualities and her joy of playing hockey are some examples). However, it simply aims to show that we must allow ourselves to feel and let our feelings be known, so we can move on with our lives.

I think the film simply hit home with me, as someone who regularly allows Joy to manage the control panel and trick others into thinking I’m fine with a situation, when Sadness or Anger actually want to take the reigns.

I will watch Inside Out again and I think it will be one I buy (who am I kidding, I buy most Disney releases) but I will have the tissues ready this time. I definitely think Disgust and Joy run my console, which says a lot about me I guess. What emotions are primarily in charge of yours?

Jade

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Gifs sourced via giphy.com and animations are copyright of Disney Pixar