Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is seeing parents leave the cinema in floods of tears

"There was a moment when my heart broke, and had therapy-like breakthrough all at once."

Puberty hits at the start of Inside Out 2. Source: Disney

I have been waiting for  Inside Out 2  from the minute the credits rolled on Inside Out. Riley's theme music sparks my 'Joy' and 'Sadness' emotions when I hear it. IYKYK. 

When a mum friend asked if I wanted to go see it this past weekend (with our kids of course), I jumped at the chance. We loved the first one, but we also knew that this would be a crystal ball into the future and offer us parent-by-Pixar lessons that we could take with us, given our kids are on the cusp of puberty. 

Inside Out was released in 2015, earned $858 million, and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. As it should have, it was pure genius.

Just a quick recap: In the original movie, we delve into the main character's headquarters (literally) and meet her emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. When we last saw Riley, the closing scene showed the 'PUBERTY' button flashing on her inner brain console. The audience knew that if there were an Inside Out 2, they would pick up where they left off. 

True to Pixar, that's precisely what they did. 

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The new emotions in Inside Out 2. Source: Disney

Welcome new emotions in Inside Out 2

Thanks to puberty's arrival, Riley experiences a new suite of emotions, and they show up just as she is navigating changing friendships (her two besties will be attending a different high school), the stress of ice hockey camp, and the extreme pressure of trying to fit in with a so-called “cool crowd.”

Welcome Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and last but not least—Anxiety (Maya Hawke)—into the headquarters of Riley’s brain.

As a person with anxiety who's parenting a child with anxiety (is there any other kind), I knew this was going to speak to me in ways I couldn't grasp. And boy, was I right.

Anxiety causes Riley to overthink, over-worry, and overreact—the nervous energy of Anxiety also propels Riley to get things done. On the flip side, Riley’s caught between her longtime best friends and the “cool” kids she wants to impress at hockey camp. Anxiety pushes Riley to say and do things she thinks others want to hear. 

"Hello, peer pressure", my mum-friend and I blurted out at the same time. No doubt every parent in the cinema had the same thought. 

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Anxiety makes so much sense now! 

Anxiety also takes Riley out of the “present moment” (which in turn eliminates feeling "Joy") to worry and stress about the future. Her imagination is no longer for playtime but for dwelling on 'what ifs' and 'worst-case scenarios.'

Seeing how the film's creators portrayed Anxiety as a character made me understand myself and my anxiety more than therapy ever did. Thank you, Disney! 

Pixar did its due diligence when choosing the emotions to showcase. It enlisted the help of many psychologists, including Lisa Damour, who consulted on both movies. She explains, “Anxiety involves imagining what could go wrong. Embarrassment requires the ability to worry about what someone else might be thinking. Envy involves wondering why someone else has what one wants for the self. And ennui depends on being able to regard certain activities as too ‘basic to be deserving of consideration’.” 

Kensington Tallman, 15, who voices the character of Riley, said that recording the film was cathartic.

"I struggled with calming my anxiety and was ashamed of myself. I thought something was wrong with me, and I felt very isolated. But when I recorded the film, I learned that anxiety is normal and I wasn't alone. I also realised anxiety is there to HELP us but can sometimes get steered off track," she said in an interview. 

I couldn't agree more, and I'm 39!

SPOILER ALERT...

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This monologue from Joy (not filmed by me) opened the floodgates of tears. 

"I don't know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe we can't. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy."

I saw this in myself and understood that this is what lies ahead for my children's future. There's no stopping it; it's a right of passage. There's a little bit less "Joy" in all of us as we get older. I now understand why so many movie theatres were handing out packs of tissues before the screening. Those writers know exactly how to tug at your heartstrings.  

I won't ruin the ending, but I now understand when to listen to my Anxiety and when to let it take a backseat and let another emotion take the helm of Headquaters. I think my son also gets it after talking through it with him a bit more. 

Beyond my therapy session, I loved the notion of Riley's belief system—a "new feature" in her mind, as well as her personality islands. When I watched Anxiety turn her positive, upbeat self into negative self-talk and doubt, it was a light bulb moment for my Headquarters, for sure!

Why you need to see Inside Out 2

One message from Inside Out 2 is that parents embarking on the puberty years should help their kids understand that it never pays to suppress emotions. Instead, we should help them identify these new emotions and how best to use them when they are in the driver's seat of our brains. 

The other message is this: stay true to who you are; being yourself builds a strong belief system. 

I honestly feel better prepared to hold my kids' hands (if they still let me) as they walk the path of puberty. I can't wait to see it again, but this time, I'll be taking a pen and notepad. 

Originally published as Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is seeing parents leave the cinema in floods of tears