Emotions In The Movie 'Inside Out' By Riley Anderson

In Inside Out, Peter Docter gives Riley Anderson (the main character) several emotions. The emotions/characters that Riley deals with throughout the movie are Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. Joy played a major role in Riley’s life while she was growing up. In the beginning of the movie, Joy was in most of her core memories. According to Pixar, “the core memories are objects of major importance in Inside Out. Like all memory orbs, core memories represent past events of Riley's life. However, they have a much greater importance than usual memories. They represent key moments that have defined Riley's current personality.” Professor Dacher Keltner from the University of California was the key researcher advising the Pixar team on which
Though memories may feel completely true and accurate, "on the question of whether we can ever trust our memories: we can — just not 100 percent, because memory is in fact malleable," says John Wixted, psychology professor at the University of California, San Diego.” In the end of the movie, Riley realized that her sadness brought her happiness because when she didn’t win her game, her family came together to make her happy. Our memories are always changing because of the way we feel at that moment. For example, the victim in an abusive relationship, may feel sad when the relationship ends because of their dependency on the other partner. After they realize that their life will no longer be in danger, they might find peace in the situation. All emotions can be catalysts towards growth. When we meet a goal or experience success, the energy propels us to keep striving. When we make a mistake, or have setbacks, even though it can be a tough pill to swallow, the emotions generated can prompt us to take action towards improvement. This can be compared to how Riley’s skill at hockey evolved over the years of playing. At first she did not win many games and did not play every game but, as she realized that her family was there to support her, she found happiness through
Especially within teens, teens never really stick with one emotion, it is a new thing every day. According to Lee, “while Joy and Sadness are lost in other parts of the mind, Fear, Anger and Disgust are in a state of panic — an appropriate depiction of what can happen during a traumatic experience or a major life event, to children and adults alike.” Teens are really emotional because they undergo a lot of changes, whether it be going to a new school or meeting new people. This is also a stage where most people start dating, which also may include a ton of heart breaks. "Adolescents' brains have increased activity in the amygdala that makes teens more prone to risk-taking and seeking pleasurable experiences, and at the same time, their frontal lobe, which houses judgment and the concept of consequences is not fully developed," notes Saltz. This also explains why Riley decided to take a trip back to Minnesota after she couldn’t take the frustration of moving to a new city. She did not really consider the consequences of leaving or how she would hurt her mom or dad. According to Costa, “In the film, Riley, the main character, grappled with difficult emotions associated with her family moving across the country. Her happy memories of childhood were hard to let go of, bringing about great sorrow and frustration. When we're immersed in sadness or anger during life's changes, it