Summary
When Pixar announced that its next film would be yet another sequel, I was skeptical. Even though 2015’sInside Outis one ofPixar’s best movies, I wasn’t sure it needed a follow-up, especially given the studios' hit-or-miss track record with franchises. Fortunately, the sequel to the Oscar-winning, $858.8 million box office hit isreallygood. Not only doesInside Out 2boast impressively high Rotten Tomatoes scores, but the film, which expands on the first outing’s roster of personified emotions, more than justifies its existence. Honestly,I was thrilled to revisit Riley’s life.
InInside Out’s ending, a preteen Riley decides to run away from her new San Francisco home after being overwhelmed by sadness. Meanwhile, on the inside, Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) influence Riley’s actions and feelings. Ultimately, both Joy and Riley learn that it’s okay to be sad — that having a breadth of emotions and memories is what makes a life. A beautiful narrative that makes abstract mental health concepts deeply poignant and accessible,Inside Outis a high point of Pixar. Ahead ofInside Out 2,viewers thought Pixar would make new strides in representation with Riley’s next chapter.
Pixar Movies Have Yet To Feature An Openly LGBTQ+ Protagonist
When Disney dropped the first trailer forInside Out 2, viewers took to social media to point out the teaser’s queer undertones (viaPink News). In the sequel, Riley’s original roster of emotions — de facto leader Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Anger (Lewis Black) — expands to includenewInside Out 2characters. Aptly, thosenew emotions include Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser)— all feelings that align incredibly well with Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) recently-sounded “Puberty alarm.”
…Riley’s reactions to Val seem akin to a teenage crush.
While those new feelings are nearly universal touchstones in the teenage experience,the way Riley reacts to another character in the trailer was what made movie-goers wonder if Riley would realize her queerness inInside Out 2. All-star hockey player Valentina “Val” Ortiz (Lilimar) immediately catches Riley’s eye. “These girls are so cool,” Envy exclaims, blushing and pushing Riley to introduce herself to Val rather awkwardly. Whether intended to be platonic panic or gay panic, Riley’s reactions to Val seem akin to a teenage crush. Unfortunately, those hoping for an openly queer Pixar protagonist will be disappointed.
Inside Out 2 Review: Anxiety & Envy Breathe New Life Into Formulaic Pixar Sequel
Inside Out 2 leans more towards greatness than redundancy & though it falls short of being one of Pixar’s best, it’s a worthy addition to the library.
Pixar’s Only Openly LGBTQ+ Characters Have Very Small Roles
From Onward to Lightyear, Queer Characters Barely Make A Mark
Starting with Disney’s 2017 live-action remake ofBeauty and the Beast, Pixar’s parent company has touted the inclusion of “exclusively gay moments” in its films (viaVulture). These blink-and-you’ll-miss-them character moments — many of which play into harmful stereotypes — are beyond frustrating. If aDisney movie’s LGBTQ+ representationcan be edited out without changing the film’s tenor, it isn’t good representation. Finally,Pixar featured its first LGBTQ+ character in 2020’sOnward. Although Officer Specter is voiced by queer icon Lena Waithe, she’s a cyclops police officer who merely makes a throwaway comment about her girlfriend.
When eagle-eyed fans spotted a potential queer couple in a background shot ofFinding Dory, filmmakers said that there was “no right or wrong answer” to the speculation.
A few months afterOnward’s release, Pixar released a short film calledOutas part of the animation studios’SparkShortsseries. The first Disney and Pixar movie to feature an openly gay main character,Outalso boasts the companies' first same-sex kiss. Still,Outisn’t a feature-length film with a massive reach and budget. SubsequentLGBTQ+ representation in Disney/Pixar filmshas reverted to blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments.InLightyear, Buzz’s best friend, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), shares a quick kiss with her wife, Kiko; inElemental, Lake Ripple (Ava Kai Hauser), Wade’s sibling, is non-binary.
Lightyear’s LGBTQ+ Rep Is Great (But There’s A Bigger Problem)
Lightyear’s Alisha and Niko are great LGBTQ+ representations, but Disney and Pixar have struggled with inclusion. Will they continue after Lightyear?
Pixar Denied Any LGBTQ+ Themes From Previous Movies
Luca Was Accused Of Queerbaiting Viewers
WhileDisney’s Pixar has featured LGBTQ+ characters in movies, the Oscar-winning animation studio has yet to center a film on a queer character. In 2021,Lucacame the closest to bucking that trend. The coming-of-age fantasy film follows Luca, a young sea monster who can assume the form of a human boy while on land. While exploring the town of Portorosso, he becomes close friends with the adventurous Alberto, who’s also hiding his sea creature identity.As the boys navigate their true identities, they attempt to blend in with the rest of the villagers.
Even ifLucawasn’t intentionally made to be a movie with LGBTQ+ representation, Pixar’s graver misstep was telling queer viewers their interpretations were wrong.
For many queer and trans people,Luca’s metaphor couldn’t be more relatable.Moreover, the story that unfolds between Luca and Alberto reads like a first crush — a summer romance that’s full of joy. Sometimes, being an apt metaphor is enough. However, the lack of mainstream LGBTQ+ representation requires movie-makers to be more direct. Unfortunately, the folks behindLucavehemently denied any queer themes. Even ifLuca’s perceived LGBTQ+ representationwasn’t intentional, Pixar’s graver misstep was telling queer viewers their interpretations were wrong — that meaningfully seeing themselves in the film was pure coincidence (viaAsk.com).
2024 DreamWorks Movie Did Pixar’s Classic Formula Better Than Any Pixar Movie In The Last 9 Years
While Pixar might be known for its inventive and award-winning animated movies, DreamWorks' 2024 movie pulled off a classic Pixar formula perfectly.
Inside Out 2 Could Have Massively Helped Pixar’s LGBTQ+ Representation
Pixar Should Learn From Its Short Film, Out
There’s no denying thatInside Out 2paints a wonderful picture of adolescence and deftly explores teenage friendships. Seeing those stories represented in film is also incredibly important. Still, given Pixar’s track record,I’m still frustrated by the studio’s lack of openly LGBTQ+ protagonists — or even supporting characters.Even Walt Disney Animation Studios has featured its first openly gay protagonist, 16-year-old Ethan Clade (Jaboukie Young-White), in 2022’sStrange World. Ultimately, LGBTQ+ viewers will findInside Out 2relatable, even if we’re still waiting for Pixar’s representation to improve.
Inside Out 2was released in theaters on June 14.
Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
