The joy and anxiety of being a teenager

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Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: We turn to a much anticipated sequel from Pixar that has some fans excited and others worried.

Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino on Inside Out 2.

MUSIC: [Life’s Incredible Again - The Incredibles Soundtrack]

COLLIN GARBARINO: Remember when Pixar was the gold standard for animation? For twenty years the studio pumped out hit after hit that managed to appeal to both kids and adults. The movies were smart and heartfelt with stories that tended to cut against the grain. Movies like The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Up—classics—and let’s not forget Toy Story, the movie that started it all.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited about heading down to the theater to catch a new Pixar movie. The studio’s quality has noticeably deteriorated, and in the last five years, filmmakers have started slipping LGBT elements into their movies.

All that to say, despite having enjoyed the original Inside Out in 2015, my enthusiasm for seeing Inside Out 2 was pretty low.

JOY: Behold! My super high-tech Riley protection system. [sproing] Don’t look, it’s fine.

But I’m happy to report that the movie was actually pretty good. And it’s a worthy sequel to the original.

MUSIC: [Bundle of Joy - Inside Out soundtrack]

Inside Out 2 picks up with Riley Anderson’s 13th birthday, and all of her emotions are living in harmony within her head. Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith are back as Joy and Sadness, along with the other core emotions, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. These emotions competently guide the young girl through her daily ups and downs.

But then puberty hits, and everything changes.

JOY: Orange? Who made the console orange?

ANXIETY: Hello, everybody!

SOUND: [All scream]

Riley’s emotional control center gets an extreme makeover, and some new folks move in.

ANXIETY: I’m sorry. I can get ahead of myself. I’m Anxiety. I’m one of Riley’s new emotions, and we are just super jazzed to be here. Where can I put my stuff.

DISGUST: What do you mean “we”?

Maya Hawke voices Anxiety, who leads the new crew of sophisticated emotions, comprising Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui.

ENNUI: It’s what you would call the boredom.

JOY: Well, come on up here, Ennwarr. Am I saying it right?

It doesn’t take long for the old emotions and the new emotions to disagree over what’s best for Riley. And Anxiety ends up hijacking Riley’s sense of self.

The original Inside Out was a sad movie. That’s not a knock against it. It was just melancholic. This sequel isn’t as sad as the first installment. But it also doesn’t have the same spark of originality. Some of the emotions seem like they have to learn the same lessons over again.

JOY: This is for all those memories that belong in the back of the mind.

The story retreads old themes, reminding us once again to avoid suppressing aspects of ourselves. But familiar messages somehow feel appropriate for a movie that transports viewers to that liminal state between childhood and adulthood. Like the original, this sequel will resonate more with parents than children. But don’t worry, the movie contains enough zany antics to keep the kids entertained. They just won’t experience the rich moments of self awareness the movie so ably imparts to those of us who’ve already grown up. And those of us who’ve watched our children endure these growing pains will feel those moments more keenly.

ANXIETY: We all have a job to do. You make Riley happy. Sadness makes her sad. Fear protects her from the scary stuff she can see. And my job is to protect her from the scary stuff she can’t see. I plan for the future.

I won’t say that Inside Out 2 offers deep insight into the human psyche. I had a few quibbles with the mechanics of Riley’s mind. But to be fair, I’ve often struggled to understand the inner workings of my two teenage daughters’ minds.

ANXIETY: Riley’s life is more complex now. It requires more sophisticated emotions than all of you. You just aren’t what she needs anymore, Joy.

Inside Out 2 is rated PG, and it avoids some of the missteps we’ve lately seen from Disney and Pixar. Thankfully it doesn’t contain any references to LGBT issues. And even though the movie depicts a girl on the cusp of puberty grappling with her emotions it wisely avoids all the aspects of puberty that might prompt uncomfortable questions from small children.

But the movie has plenty of cringe-inducing scenes as Riley experiences embarrassing moments brought on by her desire to fit in with her peers. Both the desire and the embarrassment will feel familiar to anyone who’s been a teenager.

FEAR: What is that?!

WORKER: It’s a sarchasm! It can open for miles! Run for your lives!

With Inside Out 2, Pixar returns to solid storytelling and offers some refreshing honesty about the human condition. It’s so easy to go through life thinking we’re good, but how good are we really? The movie culminates in a moment of grace which includes confession and forgiveness.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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