Lovely realistic movie that pulls at your heart strings.

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2016)

I personally had just watched this movie recently after hearing many good things about it. I was interested in it because it deals with emotions and I am very interested in the psychology of the mind. Let me start by stating that I am not a die hard Disney or pixar fan, Im not one to sit down and watch a cartoon movie but was compelled to this one so I sat and I watched, what ensued was emotion. I laughed, a cried, I felt. This movie from the perspective of an 11 year old girl who is torn away from her friends, school and hockey team. I am imagine this is how she would feel because I too at one point was an 11 year old girl who was forced into foster care and torn away from friends, family and everything I knew. I can feel for Riley, I remember going to a new school for the first time and feeling scared, nervous and absolutely terrified. Crying in front of a whole class! Holy crap that would be mortifying and I have done it too and it is mortifying, I've eaten by myself in a corner. I also ran away from home although I wasn't as young as Riley. I loved that Pixar depicted such a loving, happy home because I didn't have that growing up, seeing this helped me to see what normal looks like and to many kids out there who don't come from non dysfunctional families I think this might show them what a happy, healthy home can look like. This movie tugged at my heart strings both because Riley had the home and parents I did not and also because I was so happy that she did, I know its a kids movie but I think it goes much deeper, I cant imagine Im the only one who felt so deeply and moved watching this.
I also commend the makers for making this movie I think it will help many adults and children who struggle with emotions. Seeing that sadness is needed and not a waste of time. We can't bury our emotions and all of them mean something even the not so great ones. It was awesome to see empathy modeled when Sadness listen to Bing Bong.
It was heart warming that Joy wanted so desperately to return to her rightful place. Coming from someone who has struggled with depression, wow! That struggle of joy being lost and needing to get back to its right place is so real. Showing that rightfully our true state is happiness and joy is so comforting. This is more a PSA than a regular ole Pixar movie. This should be shown to all kids when they are young and then talked about with them after.
I loved so much that the movie ended on a happy note with Riley coming home to her parents and not being shamed or yelled at but being held and comforted. It was perfect parent modeling. After it shows it fast forwarded a bit where Riley is now on a new hockey team and she is embarrassed that her parents are making such a big deal, they love her so much and it shows, they are so supportive. Riley then bumps into a boy and it shows inside his head that everything is going crazy because a girl just talked to him. Haha! I can relate man..wow. I wish there was more and so I could see how Riley grows up. Such an awesome movie.