If you missed Disney Pixar’s Inside Out when it came to the theaters, perhaps you thought that getting kids to watch an animated movie about “feelings” would be about as exciting to them as one of those hour-long health movies that they have to watch in school. And yet, after laughing and crying through the film together — even my picky young teen — we can’t wait to do it all over again in the comfort of our home with the release of Inside Out on Blu-Ray/DVD.
Just in time for a long, active weekend with family, when a little quiet time in front of the TV might be what’s called for.
What Inside Out does so brilliantly, and entertainingly, is personify all those emotions rattling around in our heads, and helps to explain why we may go from happy to sad to furiously angry in five seconds. More importantly, it helps explain why it’s okay to sometimes feel sad or scared. But it’s not like some 70’s after-school special; it is Pixar after all, and it’s wonderfully funny!
Hard to go wrong with voices including Amy Poehler as Joy, Lewis Black (perfectly cast as Anger), and Mindy Kaling doing a spot-on interpretation of hair-flipping, eye-rolling, pre-teen Disgust.
This is a smart, clever, and multi-layered story. It’s no wonder that both adults and kids have adored this film. If you haven’t yet seen it, it’s a great one to own now that the DVD is available or you can download it instantly from Amazon. Just be sure to keep tissues nearby, especially if you are a softie like me.
The best takeaway as a parent may be the reminder that that the next time your child comes to you with tears in their eyes, that we don’t always have to tell kids “just cheer up and be happy!” All emotions are necessary to feel, and there’s a reason that quiet little Sadness isn’t actually a downer but an essential part of our human experience.
I will say that the film will probably be a little hard to follow for very young kids who may not entirely understand a fairly sophisticated storyline. But even for them, it is such a beautiful film to watch–with eye-popping color, madcap moments of adventure, and sweet characters. And if they get restless halfway through, unlike in a movie theater, you can just pause the DVD and save the movie for when they are old enough to watch. Which, as the movie so heartbreakingly reminds us, won’t be so long to wait after all.
You can find Disney Pixar’s Inside Out now on Blu-Ray and DVD at our Affiliate Amazon for purchase or instant download. The release includes bonus features and the new short “Riley’s First Day.”
