Whether we’re aware of it or not, we are all active participants in Pixar’s storytelling. The studio has mastered the practice of imbuing straightforward stories with complex – and universal – emotions. Its latest effort, Turning Red, is another stunning example of that.
The film centres around Mei Lee, a 13-year-old Toronto resident who wants to drink in as much of her youth as possible while allowing her overbearing mother’s expectations to govern her life. As Mei ventures further and further into her teenage fancies (cute clerks at gas stations, wildly popular teen boy bands, sneaking out at night to go to a party… you get it), she discovers that her elevated emotions turn her into a giant red panda. Her biggest shock, though, is realising that this transformation very much runs in her family.
Pixar’s Turning Red is a heart-warming ode to youth that depicts puberty, friendship, and familial bonds as messy, painful, joyous, and necessary without condemning or diminishing any of them. It acknowledges that these feelings and experiences are part of our lives, and that how we navigate them is how we figure out who we are and what we’re about.
Recent examples of this hidden profundity include Soul and Luca, two stories with simple premises and fathoms of emotional depth. Nearly every Pixar outing has gifted us with an actionable takeaway, a depiction or reflection that illuminates pieces of our souls. They consistently find the most beautiful and offbeat ways to validate the human experience. Through Mei, each of us revisits our versions of her struggles. Director Domee Shi’s masterpiece reinforces the idea that for Pixar, there is no distinction between story and substance. The two are inextricable. They need each other. They become different entities when they are apart.
Turning Red is easily one of Pixar’s best, most brilliant efforts in years. Sure, it’s fun, funny, and tender, but what really carries it to greatness is its ability to put us back in touch with our youth and give ourselves a bit more grace.
Turning Red is available to stream on Disney+
