This month Pixar released their 25th full-feature film, “Turning Red.”
After over 20 years of filmmaking, critics have started to say that Pixar is losing its originality. The magic of their early era (“Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Up”) isn’t as apparent in more recent films. “Turning Red” does not reinvent the Pixar structure.
I would not go as far to say that it is a revolution, but it is a wildly entertaining and heartfelt film that encapsulates that awkward beauty of transitioning into adulthood. Minor spoilers ahead!
The narrative follows Mei Lee, an eighth-grader living in Toronto in 2002. The movie emits that early 2000’s aesthetic, with boy bands and flashy bracelets. Mei Lee is a bit awkward, but the movie does not portray her as a loser. She has three cool, intense and hilarious friends that support her throughout the movie.
All Pixar movies contain a moral agenda, this one pertains to the relationships we have with those important to us. Mei Lee is torn between the loving, validating, yet suffocating relationship with her mother and the accepting, fun and laid-back relationships she has with her friends. In her attempts, she ends up hurting both parties involved.
In the end, she becomes a bigger part of her friend’s life and learns that her mother’s love does not have to be earned. Mei Lee does not get the best of both worlds in the end, and I attribute that as a strength of the film. She hangs out with her friends more, but her relationship with her mom has noticeably weakened. It is framed as an aspect of growing up; things will never be the same again, but that’s okay.
Pixar consistently creates films that connect with younger audiences while also casting a spotlight on important lessons that we all need to carry with us. “Turning Red” is hilarious, entertaining, and most importantly authentic, You can watch “Turning Red” on Disney+.
