I just saw Inside Out.

[IamLEAM1983]

It's probably Pixar's best effort in years. That's all there is to say, really. There's a lot of maturity at play behind the requisite Pixar/Disney whimsy, a lot of hard talk about Growing Up (TM) - and something about the process that's presented makes me think it's an ongoing one. Adults seem to have more complex control centers than kids - literally - but the emotions don't really follow. You end up with a lot of mental tools for the adult world, but it might sometimes seem like you're not emotionally prepared for every single facet of adult life. It feels like the movie shyly touches that, as it justifiably isn't its focus point.

But Bing Bong, man - the feels train hit me hard, damn those sly Pixar devils! It reminded me that I didn't so much have imaginary friends as a kid, as I tended to slap characters I'd see on TV on top of whatever I was experiencing. It took a long while for my main characters to push through, and now it feels like I'm in this weird situation where I'm the only thirtysomething I know who has imaginary Headspace Conversations with main D&D campaign NPCs or most of my characters here. The way Delmar kind of hangs around in the back of Meris' mind and projects himself sometimes? I do that on occasion with pretty much everyone in my stable. It's pretty much my way of testing the waters with them - ideally when I'm alone, since my own personal Inside Voice has always felt a bit odd to me. I've always been more comfortable thinking aloud, so I tend to tinker with my guys whenever there's nobody around to witness my self-directed schizophrenia.

All I'll know is I'll get fairly melancholic if and when I ever outgrow Three, Weasel, Nereus or Tom or anyone else. I don't see them as support mechanisms, but my writing style and interests could evolve, take me someplace else entirely. Who knows?

But that's it, mostly - it's a Pixar flick through and through, but there's a ton of space for adult reflection or extrapolations on that base concept. Like Riley hitting puberty and a personified form of Lust inching her way along the consciousness' buttons-laden console, maybe shortly after an utterly adorable and heart-faced depiction of Love. I did love the casting call for Anger, though, and the inventive uses found for the bleep! sound.

That point in your life, when you realize your parents won't scowl anymore if you pull an F-bomb? When you realize cursing just became an occasionally valid form of self-expression? Without using a single actual curse, the movie depicts that moment as being pretty fricking sweet. :D