Inside Out 2015

A young girl named Riley is born in Minnesota, where within her mind, five personifications of her key emotions—Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger—come to life. These emotions function in Headquarters, Riley’s conscious mind, guiding her actions and shaping her memories through a complex control console. Each new memory is encapsulated in a colored orb, which is then sent to storage at the end of each day. The most significant or “core” memories create a central hub in Headquarters, powering five distinct “islands” that represent different facets of Riley’s personality. Joy, portrayed by Amy Poehler, seeks to maintain Riley’s happiness, but she, along with the others, struggles to grasp the essential role of Sadness, who seems only capable of invoking tears.

When Riley turns 11, her family relocates to San Francisco due to her father’s job change, only to find their new home devoid of warmth, compounded by the misplacement of their belongings in a moving truck somewhere in Texas. Joy grows increasingly worried when Sadness begins to unintentionally alter happy memories into sad ones, which prompts her to try to keep Sadness at bay. However, on Riley’s first day at her new school, an accidental encounter leads to a tearful moment, creating a profound core memory tinged with sadness. In a frantic bid to keep this new memory from the central hub, Joy inadvertently dislodges existing core memories, causing chaos in the personality islands and leading to their destabilization.

Before Joy can restore order, both she and Sadness are ejected from Headquarters through the memory tube, landing in the labyrinthine storage area of Riley’s long-term memories. Meanwhile, Anger, Disgust, and Fear are left to manage Riley’s emotions, but their efforts only alienate her from familial connections and personal interests, leading her personality islands to deteriorate dangerously into the Memory Dump—a void for discarded memories. Anger prompts a notion to flee back to Minnesota, believing this will rekindle happiness.

As Joy and Sadness embark on their journey, they meet Bing Bong, Riley’s long-lost imaginary friend, who is desperate for reconnection. He guides them towards Headquarters via the train of thought. Their adventures across Riley’s mind lead to trials when they witness another personality island collapse, causing the train to derail. Just as Riley prepares to board a bus to Minnesota, Joy tries to utilize a recall tube to return to Headquarters, but the breakdown of another personality island shatters the tube, sending both Joy and Bing Bong tumbling into the Memory Dump.

While sifting through forgotten memories, Joy discovers a moment of sadness from Riley’s life that transforms into joy when her parents and friends offer comfort after a hockey game loss. This revelation highlights the critical role Sadness plays in signaling when Riley needs support. As Joy and Bing Bong attempt to escape the Memory Dump using his once-beloved wagon rocket, Bing Bong selflessly opts to leap out, sacrificing himself so that Joy can flee.

With newfound clarity, Joy utilizes imaginative tools to finally return to Headquarters alongside Sadness. They confront the fallout left by Anger’s idea, which has paralyzed the control console, plunging Riley into a state of despondency. Urged by Joy, Sadness takes charge and successfully dismantles the idea, reviving the console and prompting Riley to return home.

Upon arriving, Riley breaks down, candidly expressing to her parents her longing for her previous life and her struggle to impersonate happiness. As they console her, Joy and Sadness collaborate to forge an integrated core memory that leads to a new personality island. A year later, Riley has adjusted to her new surroundings, and all her emotions function harmoniously, enabling her to navigate a more nuanced emotional landscape. The film concludes with various characters experiencing a multitude of emotions, showcasing the intricate tapestry of feelings that define us all.