{"id":6454,"date":"2015-11-08T14:39:43","date_gmt":"2015-11-08T19:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=6454"},"modified":"2015-11-09T08:29:58","modified_gmt":"2015-11-09T13:29:58","slug":"pixars-inside-out-and-a-second-thought-on-joy-sadness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=6454","title":{"rendered":"Pixar’s Inside Out – and a Second Thought on Joy & Sadness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.<\/em> – Psalm 30:5
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“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.<\/span>“<\/em> – Matthew 5:4<\/a><\/p>\n

My husband and I watched Disney\/Pixar’s Inside Out<\/em> <\/a>this weekend. It was so stressful. We wondered how children managed coping with\u00a0the anxiousness of the story. Riley, the heroine of the film, is\u00a0an 11y\/o who moved with her parents far away from her hometown. The story tells how she deals with that move with the help of her emotions (5 in particular – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust).<\/p>\n

Happy, happy, happy little Joy is\u00a0the moon-faced, darling emotion of Riley’s. The tension in the story is Joy’s attempt at damage control\u00a0as little Sadness begins coloring some of Riley’s happy memories “blue”. The plot twists and turns as Joy tries to right Riley’s world. \u00a0She is pulled into a journey with Sadness alongside and spends most of the film trying to get back to Riley’s “presence of mind”. Meanwhile, Anger, Fear, and Disgust do what they can to help Riley maneuver through her day…without Joy and Sadness’s help. It’s a scary prospect.<\/p>\n

I’m thinking children must get caught up in the adventure, the mesmerizing visuals and the\u00a0familiar faces of these emotions. For me, it was just stressful.<\/p>\n

I have a huge respect and admiration for Ed Catmull <\/a>after hearing him speak at Global Leadership Summit 2015. Catmull\u00a0heads the\u00a0work of Disney\/Pixar Animation Studios. Dave recently read his book Creativity, Inc.<\/em><\/a> and so enjoyed it that I’m reading it also.<\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a>Photo Credit: Brainpickings.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Watching Inside Out, <\/em>my mind wandered to the creative teams at Disney\/Pixar. What were they thinking?!<\/strong> Then later, I had second thoughts on the film…after watching bits again as our youngest son, visiting over the weekend,\u00a0watched it on pay-per-view.<\/p>\n

He, too, also thought it was stressful, but as I watched his face, watching the film…I saw what we might have missed as older ones watching. Wonder, surprise, vexation, empathy. In the strong face of this young man, I saw the response to the film maybe hoped for by the creators. The audience identifying with the film…and in the end…understanding and a sweet resolution of the seeming conflict between Joy and Sadness.<\/p>\n

On that second watching (both the film and watching my son watching), I liked Inside Out<\/em> much better. It helped me to Google<\/a>\u00a0that great “Aha!” moment of Joy’s – when she discovered:<\/p>\n

“Sadness…Mom and Dad, the team…they came to help because of sadness.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

No spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the film, but for me, a couple of articles really resonated (see below). I struggle personally with sadness which shades the joy I also experience.\u00a0 Then that same joy re-colors the sadness, bringing perspective and healing. Josh Larsen, in an article<\/a> on the Think Christian <\/a>website, wrote beautifully about this film’s message (at a deeper level):<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a rich subject \u2013 one mined with Pixar\u2019s usual combination of wit, intelligence and emotional resonance \u2013 and also one that echoes a Christian understanding of the human experience. Christianity, after all, is an expression of joy in response to – not in denial of – deep sadness…we can\u2019t fully understand our place in God\u2019s story unless we\u2019ve experienced sadness of some sort. It isn\u2019t until we recognize the deep sorrow of this world – the Fall, and our perpetuation of its effects – that we can fully appreciate the almost laughable generosity of Christ\u2019s redemptive act. And only then will we know true joy, the fairy-tale ending that is God\u2019s restoration of His creation.<\/em> – Josh Larsen<\/p>\n

Toward\u00a0the end of the film, there’s a lovely moment between Riley and her parents. She finally comes to terms with her deep sadness in moving away from home. It’s a place all of us have been if we linger with a person grieving…a person who knows we love them.<\/p>\n

I was reminded how sadness sometimes \u00a0overtakes us and it’s best confronted head-on in all its real…on-another’s-shoulder…Riley, tears spilling down her face, doesn’t hold back as she pours out her grief to her parents. As they\u00a0cradle her into their arms they, too, confess their own sadness. \u00a0Then it happens…that last wet-faced shudder into Daddy’s chest; that deep sigh…all cried out.<\/p>\n

That’s what we love about Disney\/Pixar…and the God-given emotions of joy and sadness…especially when love is in the mix.<\/p>\n

Inside Out and a Theology of Sadness – Josh Larsen, Think Christian<\/a><\/p>\n

Many critics love Pixar’s ‘Inside Out.’ Not this guy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Inside Out<\/em> Quotes<\/a><\/p>\n

All 15 Pixar Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best<\/a><\/p>\n