Oh!! I think you are absolutely right, on recollection.
I wanted to say, since this is something I forgot to touch on in my post: I’ve seen people complaining about the emotional core of this movie with “Nothing that bad even happened!” or “Her life is so great, she just needs to buck up!”. Let me defend it with this: if you remember at all what it’s like being eleven (or just anywhere from the preadolescent-early adolescent age), you know how irrational and intense your emotions could be. When I had to move from my childhood home several years back, I was close to Riley’s age, and it unleashed an onslaught of emotions I didn’t even think I had. Was it an overreaction? Yes. Did nothing that “bad” even really happen? Yes. But the point of the movie is not that it is about a girl who has something traumatic happen to her and we explore the inner realm of her mind while it happens; it’s that it’s about a day in the life of the inner workings of a human mind. If the conflict were too terrible it would lose its relatability, and its connection with much younger kids.
That being said, I think certain parts of this movie could have been paced a little better, with more attention given to certain plot points and certain characters needing better development (I love Disgust, but I agree with another poster that she didn’t majorly move the plot like any of the other emotions). But I still adore the film and can’t wait for a rewatch.
Absolutely. If it was about a child growing up under extreme or severe circumstances where emotions would be heightened (for instance: abuse, war, poverty) it would never have connected in the same way, because most people here don’t have any frame of reference what it’s like to grow up in a poor country experiencing civil war. Instead the movie chose to look at how all of us, even living “normal” lives here, can be affected emotionally. Think about how even (what may seem like to others) the smallest thing can cause an emotional reaction in us sometimes, even though we don’t always want to admit it. And Leirin’s right: make no mistake, to an 11yr-old, leaving the home where you grew up, where you feel comfortable and safe, and having to start from scratch and establish yourself in a brand new setting that’s strange, and where you know no one, can be a very trying time.
There’s lots of ways a movie based on a premise like this could have gone (for instance, personally I would have loved to see “Music Island” not cut) but you can only tackle so much before you overload the story. I thought it hit the balance just right, and I’m going to go watch it again as soon as I have the time.
I actually didn’t know anything about a Music Island! But yes; I think the movie was expertly creative without being overwhelming or an information dump, and that’s something I really appreciate. I’ll probably like it even more on rewatch.
A music island would have been so cool! I hope they show all the different islands she could have had in the art book. I wonder what instrument she would have played.
I haven’t read about a music island, I read there was something else, I think it was “Music Cognition”, and it was scrapped for being too similar to Abstract Thought, I think.
One of my favorite gags in the whole movie was [spoil]the discarding of “useless” memories like piano lessons and memorization of U.S. presidents. [/spoil]
^ I loved that gag! One of my favorites next to Tripledent Gum
I had to wait a week before seeing the film. I spent the last 2 or 3 years dreaming of getting to see this movie, and it was 100% worth the wait. i had an emotional moment in the theater when I was like “This is real. I’m finally seeing this movie” And i’m not gonna lie, my eyes kind of stung when I saw that Pixar logo on screen again. ( and that was only the beginning of the emotional moments i was going to have during this movie! I am eagerly awaiting the day when I can see it again.
One thing I thought was really cool about the film was there was no real villain.I assumed Bing Bong was the villain at first, what was the point of him grabbing all those memories in the bag? Was that just supposed to make you think he was gonna be a villain? Or was he getting the memories he liked (and hence helping Riley forget him)?
^[spoil]I’m not entirely sure about that either, or maybe I forgot. Can someone explain?[/spoil]
Grace, those were my feelings exactly, and similar to how I felt seeing Toy Story 3. It’s just so surreal hearing about these movies from the time they get announced and daydreaming about what they’ll be like up til their release, but so satisfying too. I still remember picturing Headquarters as being more like a big black void than the colorful place it wound up being.
This movie was spectacular. Extremely witty, in both concept and execution. Leave it to Pete Doctor to blow us away again. I’ve heard from numerous people that they didn’t feel an attachment to most of the characters, which I can partially understand given that most of the emotions don’t have as wide a range of depth as most characters, given that they are emotions. Even so, I personally was very moved by the film, and connected with Riley if no one else. The whole [spoil]Joy/Sadness contrast, and their eventual realization that the most memorable moments in life aren’t always the most perfect/happiest ones,[/spoil] resonated very deeply for me. I also find it interesting that [spoil]Riley isn’t necessarily the main character. Joy is the character who really had to adjust and change, and found herself(?) along the way.[/spoil]
I recently just visited San Francisco, which was amazing in its own right. What kept exciting me throughout the film, however, was how many locations in the movie are almost spot on with the real place. Isn’t really surprising, given that Pixar is just across the bay, so their research was right in their own backyard. [spoil]I am almost for certain that I’ve been to the bus stop Riley was at, or at least some variation of it.[/spoil] The one I was at was just near the Oakland bridge, and I’m pretty sure I saw a sign for the Oakland bridge in the film while she was there.
Overall an amazing movie, probably going to replace Up and Cars as my favorite Pixar movie. I can’t wait to see it again.
I think Bing Bong took the memories because he just wanted to see what Riley was up to nowadays, since she didn’t play with him anymore and he probably missed her. I kinda wish the movie explained it a bit more, but I remember him mentioning that she was getting big now and might not be able to fit in his wagon when they’re supposed to go to the moon (I’m guessing last time she played with him that was what they were going to do).
Just kind of a PS here, but…
For those interested, some pictures of the Inside Out scoring sessions have just been placed up online. It’s on scoringsessions.com, where you can also search and see pictures from other movie sessions.
There’s a nice group shot of all of us together with the Pixar crew that was onhand (for some reason they blurred out the screen just for that shot even though they didn’t for the other ones… and besides, the movie’s out already!) You can have a look at one of the cues (Bundle of Joy), see some of the interesting instruments used, and see some of us players, the scoring crew, and the Pixar crew that came down. If you click on each picture, it’ll say who the picture is of, or what’s happening. This is at the Warner Bros scoring stage.
Well, looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong (Slinky-stretch-mode ) time no see…
While I haven’t been able to see “Inside Out”, yet, due to Pixar films still not getting a near-simultaneous worldwide release, I am so happy to see so many positive reviews all over the net.
“Sleeping Beauty of Emeryville” has finally awakened from her post-TS3 slumber, and about time, too.
I really loved this film! To me, it’s the best film I’ve EVER seen in my life. Take that, Mumfie’s Quest! Joy and Bing Bong were the best characters, and it was very funny. My favorite parts were Imaginationland, [spoil]Abstract Though, and the dream that went completely wrong! (Hi, Riley, it’s me! Who’s your friend who likes to play?)[/spoil] I saw it four times (with my fourth viewing occurring last night. At said screening, a kid laughed at [spoil]Bing Bong’s death[/spoil], which I found very rude!)
[/spoil]
) time no see…