A Therapist's Take on Inside Out 2
A Therapist's Take on Inside Out 2
A Film for Kids and the Inner Child Within
When the initial Inside Out movie was released in 2015 (I know, right?!) it was billed as a kid’s movie, something family friendly to do during summer. And there I was, a grown man sitting in a theater alone crying.
I regret nothing.
As it turns out, I wasn’t really alone. The first installment of Inside Out became a major hit, for kids and adults alike. It grossed over $350 million during it’s theatrical run.
Apparently, the population doubled down on the love for Inside Out 2, quickly making it one of the highest-grossing animated pictures of all time, crossing the $1 billion mark in less than a month.
Clearly, we’re all feeling the Inside Out fever. But why? What is it about these little creatures that speaks so much to all of us?
It’s Not Just for Kids (Or Maybe Not for Kids at All)
The first Inside Out centers on Riley, a young pre-teen navigating an upcoming family move. As Riley begins to mature, we see the internal workings of their brain - their emotions as manifested as delightful little creatures Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
The story was conceived by director Peter Docter as he observed changes in his own daughter. The film tracks Riley’s emotions as they help (and hinder?) Riley’s adjustment to a new home and school. Touted as a film to help kids better understand their emotions, many adults also saw their own emotions come to life in the film’s protagonists. Near the end of the film, we also see Riley’s parents’ own internal emotions onscreen, highlighting the idea that maybe adults’ emotions aren’t all that different from kids’ ones at their core.
Making Contact with the Self & Inner Child
Over the past few years, since Inside Out premiered, we’ve experienced a lot collectively. We dealt with a harrowing presidential campaign and election in 2016 (and all that came along with it), a worldwide pandemic, and conflict around the world.
Everyone’s been feeling these profundities on some level.
The immense sadness and hopelessness I felt at the heights of the pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement was overwhelming. From my conversations with friends, to colleagues and clients, I know that others felt the same. As a result, those who could invested in therapy in higher rates.
More broadly we were all left reflecting on the meaning of life and how we actually felt about it. Government shut downs, death and mass unemployment caused us all to look inward in ways that many of us hadn’t before. And that meant looking at our shadow selves, coming to terms with our own emotions, and acknowledging the inner children within.
While I haven’t seen this explored in mainstream media, I think the first Inside Out gave parents imagery and language to better understand their children’s emotional needs. And unbeknownst to those same parents, those same characters also served as their own emotional mirrors. Combined with all the turmoil in the world, this gave adults a look at their own emotional weight and processes, maybe even for the first time.
I think this is what made Inside Out 2 so anticipated. We all wanted a chance to see parts of ourselves again on screen, in the hopes of feeling acknowledged, validated and seen. While hard to admit, I also think it gave many adults the permission to tend to the parts of themselves that we often hide, revealing the intense and dramatic emotions that we carry along with the million of other responsibilities we face daily.
The Formation of the Self
One of the most powerful themes in Inside Out 2 is the focus on the formation of the Self. The films answers the question of, “What makes someone who they truly are?” In Riley’s case, it’s not just the stored memories that do so, but it’s also the interpretations and meanings Riley attaches to those experiences. As a mental health professional, I think this hits the idea spot on.
It’s not just what we experience in our life that influences how see ourselves (or each other for that matter) but the meaning we attach to those experiences. Who we are is often governed by those interpretations, which is why it’s critical to have self-awareness. Insight provides us answers as to what those perceptions and interpretations are, and empowers us with the conscious choice of whether to keep or adjust them.
In Inside Out 2, we watch as this formation of Self plays out (particularly within a young person) almost automatically. The sense of Self, at the start, is relatively stable. Riley is a good, responsible child with good friends and generally sees themself as such. Sure Riley is a bit at the whim of their base emotions (Joy, Anger, Sadness and Disgust and Fear), but as Inside Out 2 starts every emotion knows their role, and Joy largely serves as chief operator with no dispute from the others.
And then the Puberty Alarm goes off.
As Riley is flooded with new hormones, so come new emotions (Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy). And one of them hopes to take the reigns, from primary emotion Joy, to ensure that Riley’s transition to high school goes as smoothly as possible.
Without giving away too many details of the film, Anxiety ends up serving as the film’s primary antagonist. As Riley navigates the onset of puberty, and pressure to create a much cooler sense of Self, Anxiety takes control in forming Riley’s new personality. This reaches a fever pitch in the third act when Anxiety’s demand for control gives viewers a powerful visual of what it means to catastrophize. It’s palpable and the visual is incredibly effective.
There’s a line in the film, that I can’t quite recall with clarity, in which it’s pitched that as you get older maybe Anxiety does replace Joy. It’s a powerful idea and a sad realization that youthful innocence and joy doesn’t last forever.
But that doesn’t mean that Joy is gone. Emotions, and the meanings we attach to our memories, become more complex. This highlights the old therapist adage of “both and…” meaning that we can experience more than one feeling at at time: joy and sadness at the same time (bittersweet?), and maybe anger and embarrassment (defensiveness? shame?).
As the film comes to a close, we see the new formation of the Self, in all its complexity. It’s beautiful and tragic all at the same time.
And, above all else, it’s just real.
How we see ourselves can, at times, be stable. And yet, this view is always subject to change as we mature and have new experiences. As we reach the highs and lows of life (and experience joy or pain), the meaning we attach to these experiences changes our sense of Self. It’s a lesson Inside Out 2 introduces to children and gifts to adults who are seeking healing and refuge in a beautifully animated film.
Key Takeaways
As you can probably tell, the Inside Out films are among my personal favorites. Not only because I’m a therapist, but these movies also move me as a creative person who appreciates the power of art to help us heal. Inside Out 2 provides a foundation by which any person who watches can self-reflect and explore a deeper sense of Self.
On a final note, as Inside Out 2 dials in on the formation of the Self, it reminds viewers that self-compassion is a necessity for mental health. While all emotions occur naturally, even the undesired ones like Anxiety, it’s important to remember that as we reflect and make meaning of our experiences we need self-compassion too. Without gracious self-assessment, we’re doomed to have the more challenging emotions run the mood board, and perhaps chip away at our sense of Self over time.
It’s a powerful note to end on, and as I sat through the credits I was heartened to see Dr. Kristin Neff among Inside Out 2’s consultants. A pre-eminent writer and researcher on self-compassion, Neff’s work has helped me in my own journey with self-compassion and helped deepen my toolbox for countless clients in my practice. If you are on your own journey of reducing anxiety and treating yourself more kindly, I highly suggest Dr. Neff’s work. You can visit her website at https://self-compassion.org/.
As I wrap up these reflections I want to leave you with these questions: what are the key moments in your life that help make up your sense of Self? And what meaning have you attached to them?