Drawing on real neuroscience and the latest psychological research, Inside Out goes where no animated film has gone before: deep inside the workings of a young girl’s mind.
The Pixar release, the studio’s first in two years, bills itself as “a major emotion picture.” It centres on 11-year-old Riley, a happy, hockey-loving kid. Most of the action, though, takes place inside her head, where her staff of personified emotions Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust is in charge of operations. When Riley is shaken by her family’s move across the country, her emotions must navigate through her subconscious, dreams and memories to restore balance and protect her burgeoning personality.
Experts say the movie is scientifically accurate and could expand popular understanding of human emotions. “The film suggests that, in a way, all emotions have their purpose, and that is very much in line with the recent science,” said psychology professor Dacher Keltner of University of California, Berkeley.
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