Inside Out

Story

When her dad gets a new job, 11-year-old Riley is forced to move from Minnesota to San Francisco. Inside her head, she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. After a disagreement, Joy and Sadness accidentally get sucked into long-term memory storage, leaving Anger, Fear and Disgust in control.

Why we chose it

A film which explores and explains emotions and feelings and which gave children a language for emotion and a way to identify which feelings are in control.

Where it came from

During his childhood, director Pete Docter moved to Denmark with his parents for his father’s work. Like Riley, Docter struggled to adjust to his new life, becoming shy and withdrawn. Years later, he saw similar changes in his teenage daughter. After consulting several scientists and psychologists, Docter, alongside Rivera and del Carmen, used these experiences to develop the story for this emotional film.

Where it went next

At the time of its release, Inside Out was the eighteenth-highest grossing animated film of all time. It received the 2016 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature along with a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and ten out of fourteen Annie Awards. The game Inside Out: Thought Bubbles was based on the film, and Skype added the faces of the five emotions as emoticons for its instant messaging service.

Associated stories

The film was released alongside the animated short Lava, and a short film called Riley’s First Date came out shortly after. Other films directed by Docter include Monsters Inc. (2001) and Up (2009).