A Bi-Level Charmer

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2015)

Writer-director Pete Docter has made two movies in one with this animated Pixar feature, both satisfying and both edifying for children and adults alike. On the one level, it's a fun adventure about an 11-year-old girl who must move from rural Minnesota to downtown San Francisco. On the other, it's what goes on in the mind of a child in the midst of life-shifting change. The voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black bring the profundity home in engaging fashion. For parents and children alike, a sure bet to provide grist for fascinating post-viewing conversation too. Well worth your time. (PG 1:42)