Inside Out

Pixar’s Inside Out, released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 19, 2015, follows eleven-year-old Riley Andersen as her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco because her father has accepted a new job. Rather than telling the story only through Riley’s outward behavior, director Pete Docter and co-director Ronnie del Carmen place much of the action inside her mind, in a headquarters operated by five emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. Amy Poehler voices Joy, Phyllis Smith voices Sadness, Bill Hader plays Fear, Lewis Black plays Anger, and Mindy Kaling plays Disgust.

Riley’s memories appear as colored spheres, with yellow associated with Joy and blue with Sadness. Her strongest memories form five “core memories,” which power Personality Islands representing Family, Friendship, Honesty, Hockey, and Goofball. When Joy and Sadness are accidentally swept out of Headquarters with the core memories, Fear, Anger, and Disgust remain at the controls. Their attempts to manage Riley’s difficult first days in a new city contribute to her withdrawal, conflict with her parents, and plan to run away to Minnesota.

Outside Headquarters, Joy and Sadness travel through Long-Term Memory, Imagination Land, Dream Productions, and the Abstract Thought area while trying to return. They are aided by Bing Bong, Riley’s fading imaginary friend, a character who is part elephant, cat, and dolphin. A pivotal sequence has Bing Bong and Joy trapped in the Memory Dump, where forgotten memories disappear. Bing Bong sacrifices his chance to escape in the rocket wagon so that Joy can reach the top, telling her to take Riley to the moon for him.

The film’s resolution depends on Joy recognizing that Sadness is necessary, not defective. After returning, Sadness takes control long enough for Riley to admit to her parents that she misses Minnesota and needs help. The final memories become mixed colors, and Headquarters receives a larger console, suggesting a more complicated emotional life. Inside Out won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 88th Academy Awards and also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, credited to Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, and del Carmen. Its score was composed by Michael Giacchino. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2015, before its theatrical release. It earned more than $850 million worldwide, becoming one of Pixar’s major box-office successes. A sequel, Inside Out 2, directed by Kelsey Mann, arrived in 2024, introducing Anxiety prominently.