'Inside Out,' Pixar's New Movie From Pete Docter, Goes Inside the Mind

Posted on May 30, 2015



"Inside Out" tells the story of Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger and Sadness. They run a girl named Riley from a control center inside her mind, stepping in to keep her safe or make her feel happy or stand up for what’s right - all except lethargic, lumpy Sadness. Nobody knows why she is there. Could she actually be bad for Riley?

Then, just as Riley's family moves to a new city, Sadness and Joy (voiced by Phyllis Smith of "The Office” and Amy Poehler) get lost in the far reaches of Riley's mind, a through-the-looking-glass place populated with dancing cupcakes, a French fry forest and an out-of-work imaginary friend made of cotton candy. As the lost pair navigate regions like Long Term Memory and Abstract Thought in a quest to return to the controls, Fear, Disgust and Anger (Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black) remain in charge.

An animated movie that tries to make sense of the adolescent mind? Even for Pixar, it was an ambitious proposition. Too cartoony, and adults would probably revolt. Too intellectual, and children would find it boring. (Cue Disgust.)

The bittersweet film, which received a euphoric response from critics at the Cannes Film Festival, could also become an Oscar force, and not just in the animation category.


Category(s):Child and/or Adolescent Issues

Source material from New York Times