I was pretty wary of the new Pixar flick Inside Out, mostly because the trailer made it look like it had the potential to be ridiculous. It’s a tricky premise, personifying the emotions. There was a lot that could have gone wrong. But I am happy to admit that despite their marketing team’s best efforts to dissuade me, Inside Out was an excellent animated feature.
This movie has SO MUCH going for it. It is adorable, hilarious, and emotionally touching. SO MANY FEELINGS GUYS. I love it when animation makes me weep openly in public. The movie deals with some serious subject matter like growing up and embracing difficult feelings. The story follows the inner life of eleven-year-old Riley, specifically the actions and responsibilities of the emotions that live in her head: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. Together they navigate Riley’s feelings and behavior within what they call Headquarters (get it? get it?). With such narrow personality definitions, you would expect the characters to be static, but they aren’t. There is a lively arc and a fair amount of character development in regards to both the emotions and Riley. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Its pacing is great. It’s very bright, vivid, and beautifully animated. Neil and I went to a 10 am showing on a Sunday, i.e., it was kid city. Yet, they were all very well behaved, captured by the story being told. I think that speaks best to the merits of the film. It has so much to offer both children and adults alike. My favorite thing about the movie is the lesson it ultimately teaches. It deals with some pretty heavy stuff but manages to keep it engaging, without feeling forced. They did a top notch job. Way to go Pixar. You’ve still got it!
In other news, I was on vacation this past week, which was wonderful. I haven’t been on a true vacation since the winter of 2013, so it was welcome respite. We went to Rhode Island to attend our friends Justin and Heidi’s wedding. It was such a lovely ceremony and reception: 1920s themed! Congrats again guys! Both Neil and I had a great time, plus we got to hang out with a bunch of people we don’t get to see as often. Love weddings!
After Rhode Island, we went to Portland, Maine. We walked A LOT and saw many a thing. Portland’s Old Port is very nice as is the Eastern Promenade and East End Beach. There was a gluten free bakery called Bam Bam’s Bakery, which I fawned over. We took a ferry to Peaks Island, rented bikes, and saw Battery Steele, an abandoned World War II battery along with the whole circumference of the island and a LIVE DEER! It was an experience.
We used AirBnB for both adventures and I had two very positive experiences. It was excellent all around. Though I miss vacationing, it’s nice to be back.
Until next time!
xx
alittlejstillz 