Film Review: Inside Out

In 2015, Pete Doctor released Inside Out. Starring Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Richard Kind, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz and Flea, the film grossed $857.6 million at the box office.

Within the mind of an 11-year old girl named Riley are her personified emotions controlling her outlook on life. However, problems emerge following her family's move from Minnesota to San Francisco and her emotions have to deal with the new environment and friends.

It wouldn’t be too much to say Pixar succeeded once more with Inside Out, creating nothing short of an imaginatively great film. Personifying the emotions in one's head wouldn't normally seem like it would make for a good film, but Pixar did well in figuring out how to make them lovable as well as consistent. The first character to appear, Joy, is always obsessed with keeping Riley happy and can find the optimistic side in any situation. At one point, she's separated from headquarters with Sadness and continues looking on the bright side to find a way back. Though dropping into the Memory Dump slows her down, Joy still optimistically works to get out. Likewise, Sadness is a fascinating character. Her role isn't made clear until late in the story and until then, she's just content to just lie on the floor and mope. As for the others, Anger is quick to overreact and has very little patience along with a hair trigger, Disgust can’t keep her opinions to herself and has impeccably high tastes, and Fear is a nervous wreck, spending all of his time thinking about possible disasters. Put them all together and they make for a very interesting cast, bouncing off one another with great chemistry. Furthermore, the way they interact makes sense as sometimes they have a difficult time working together because they’re the emotions of an 11-year old and no kid is completely in control of her emotions. This is contrasted wonderfully during the scene displaying her parents' emotions working together fluidly.

Additionally, the film has a very accurate representation of depression. It’s good at first, showing Joy in he Memory Dump starting to give up and coming to the conclusion she disappear and be forgotten. This would culminate in Riley never being happy again, which is how many have described their depression. It goes beyond that on account of Joy regaining her optimism after understanding Sadness' role and persisting in an attempt to escape. It becomes an excellent portrayal in the emotions getting Riley to run away. The lack of Joy in her mind makes the console the emotions work on get darker and darker, causing it to cease working and none of the emotions can do anything about it due to them fighting for control, believing the other emotions to be incapable of bringing her back. As a result, with none of the emotions able to take control and make a difference, Riley is unable to feel anything.

In fact, when Sadness’ role is understood and the other emotions stand back to let her be in control, Riley is able to be lifted out of the depression and feel something, in this case sadness. The main message of the film comes into play at this moment, telling the audience there is a place for sadness. Initially, none of the other emotions know what to do with her and constantly push her out of the way. Yet, while in the Memory Dump, Joy understands that Sadness plays a part in being empathetic and working in tandem with her by turning sadness into joy and happiness. The film demonstrates sadness isn’t a bad thing. Rather, sometimes it’s the best thing as even greater memories can develop.

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Academy Awards

• Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Golden Globe Awards

• Best Motion Picture - Animated

BAFTA Awards

• Best Animated Film

3D Creative Arts Lumiere Awards

• Best Stereography - Animated
• Best 3D Feature - Animated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Awards

• Best Animated Film

AFI Awards

• Movie of the Year

Alliance of Women Film Journalists

• Best Animated Feature Film

American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards

• Best Edited Animated Feature Film

Annie Awards

• Best Animated Feature
• Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in a Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Directing in an Animated Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production (Tony Rosenast)
• Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (Phyllis Smith)
• Outstanding Achievement in Writing in an Animated Feature Production
• Outstanding Achievement in Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

Austin Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Animated Film

Awards Circuit Community Awards

• Best Animated Feature Film
• Second Place - Best Original Screenplay
• Second Place - Best Original Screenplay

Behind the Voice Actors Feature Film Voice Acting Awards

• Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film
• Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film (Amy Poehler)
• Best Male Vocal Performance in a Supporting Role (Richard Kind)

Behind the Voice Actors People's Choice Acting Awards

• Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film
• Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film (Amy Poehler)
• Best Male Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role (Lewis Black)
• Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role (Kaitlyn Dias)

Black Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Film

Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

• Best Animated Film

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Feature

Capri Awards

• Capri Animated Movie of the Year

Casting Society of America Artios Awards

• Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Animation Feature

Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film
• Second Place - Best Original Screenplay
• Second Place - Best Picture

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Feature
• Best Animated Film

Cinema Audio Society Awards

• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures - Animated

Cinema Writers Circle Awards

• Best Foreign Film

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film

Denver Film Critics Society Awards

• Best Animated Feature Film

Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Film

Empire Awards

• Best Animated Film

Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Film

Georgia Film Critics Association

• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Animated Film

Gold Derby Awards

• Original Screenplay
• Animated Feature

Golden Schmoes Awards

• Best Animated Movie of the Year
• Second Place - Best Comedy of the Year

Hollywood Film Awards

• Animation of the Year

Houston Film Critics Society Awards

• Best Animated Film

Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards

• Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance - Phyllis Smith
• Second Place - Best Animated Feature

International Cinephile Society Awards

• Best Animated Film

International Film Music Critics Awards

• Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film

International Online Cinema Awards

• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Animated Feature

Iowa Film Critics Awards

• Best Animated Feature

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Film

Kids' Choice Blimp Awards

• Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (Amy Poehler)

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards

• Best Animated Film

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

• Second Place - Best Animation

Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards

• Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animation Feature Film

MTV Movie Awards

• Best Virtual Performance (Amy Poehler)

National Board of Review Awards

• Best Animated Feature
• Top Films

Nevada Film Critics Society Awards

• Best Animated Film

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Film

New York Film Critics, Online Awards

• Best Animated Feature

North Carolina Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film

North Texas Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film

Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Film

Online Film & Television Association Awards

• Best Animated Feature
• Best Voice-Over Performance (Amy Poehler)
• Second Place - Best Voice-Over Performance (Phyllis Smith)
• Second Place - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Online Film Critics Society Awards

• Best Animated Feature

PGA Awards

• Outstanding Producer of an Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

Phoenix Critics Circle Awards

• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Animated Film

San Diego Film Critics Society Awards

• Second Place - Best Animated Film

Satellite Awards

• Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media

Seattle Film Critics Awards

• Best Animated Feature

Seattle International Film Festival

• Second Place - Best Film

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film
• Second Place - Best Original Screenplay

St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Animated Film
• Best Animated Feature Film
• Second Place - Best Film
• Second Place - Best Score

Utah Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
• Best Animated Feature Film

Village Voice Film Poll Awards

• Best Animated Feature

Visual Effects Society Awards

• Outstanding Animated Performance in an Animated Feature

Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Animated Feature

Women Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Animated Female (Joy)
• Best Family Film

World Soundtrack Awards

• Film Composer of the Year (Michael Giacchino)

Young Artist Awards

• Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role - Young Actress (12-21) (Kaitlyn Dias)