Disney has been celebrating the release of the new movie around the parks in tons of different ways.
©Disney
So far, Inside Out 2 has been celebrated with a new character meet and greet, specially-themed treats, an addition to a popular nighttime show, and more. But, it isn’t just Disney who is celebrating the release of the new movie — it seems to be a pretty big hit with therapists, too!
Inside Out 2 follows the emotions in Riley’s mind as she enters her teenage years, which means we get to see her experience new, more complex emotions. The movie came out on June 14th, and tickets are on sale now! Disney has been celebrating the movie’s release with a ton of treats, merch, perks, and more. But, it’s therapists who are giving this film the most applause, according to NPR.
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In the movie, Riley’s primary emotions like Joy and Sadness take a backseat to secondary ones like Anxiety and Embarrassment thanks to puberty. The story continues to resonate with teens and adults alike.
Kristi Zybulewski, a clinical social worker at Sage Alliance in Paramus, New Jersey, said that most teenagers she works with have seen Inside Out, more often than not on the recommendation of a therapist.
Inside Out 2 is out now
She’s grateful for the movie as it gives kids an “emotional vocabulary” to help them name their feelings — and it supports what she tells them in therapy. “All emotions are welcome. … They’re all necessary. They’re all meaningful. They’re all rich,” Zybulewski, who is a huge fan of the franchise herself, says.
A favorite scene of hers from the first film is when Sadness sits with Bing Bong, Riley’s imaginary friend from childhood. “The scene … reminded me very much of being a therapist,” Zybulewski said. “Sitting with sadness, sitting with difficult emotions, is something that so many people feel uncomfortable with. Understandably so. But it’s such a gift we can give to each other.”
This is such a fun thing to do!
Even Pixar’s chief creative officer, Pete Docter (who also co-wrote and co-directed Inside Out and is an executive producer on Inside Out 2) said, “When I grew up, emotions were not talked about a lot. It was something that my generation didn’t really do a lot of.”
Now, though, young people seem more comfortable talking about their feelings, which Docter says “is great, because they are these powerful but largely hidden rivers that run beneath and power everything in ways that we’re not even aware of.”
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In the sequel, the anthropomorphic emotion Anxiety takes control of Riley’s mind and “bottles up” characters Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, making them “suppressed emotions.”
A psychologist who consulted on the movies, Lisa Damour, said it makes sense that Anxiety would take the lead as Riley enters puberty.
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“It’s because they can anticipate more things that could go wrong,” she said. “Fear tends to be the emotion that we have that reacts to immediate threats. Anxiety can imagine all of the things that can go wrong and worry about them.”
Ultimately, she believes that the Inside Out movies help kids and parents validate their emotions and show that feeling our emotions can make us better humans.
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Well, what are you waiting for? Get yourself, your kiddos, and all of your emotions to the movie theater and catch Inside Out 2 if you haven’t already! Just make sure you bring tissues. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB!
ALERT: ‘Inside Out 2’ Movie Tickets Are Selling Out FAST in Disney World
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We went to see it with our granddaughters, one just turned 13 and other is 10 going on 16! Boy, I couldn’t believe how amazing this movie is dealing with the emotions these two girls are just beginning to experience. It was like it was written for them!! They LOVED this movie and I know they will watch it again and again when it comes to Disney Plus. Congratulations to Disney for this movie!!