Grace Fleming

I really, really appreciate how Pixar made this movie for the people who saw the original as children and have since grown up and are in or a bit beyond their teenage years. The emotions, themes, and messages in the movie may fly over most kid’s heads but will certainly land for anyone who has struggled with anxiety and the hardships of change. It strives to be realistic yet hopeful, embracing the fact that life may not always be as easy or as happy and carefree as it once was, but you can still adapt and learn to get through it, as well as learning to find the joy in little things in a time where joy isn’t as easy to come by. You are going to deal with emotions that are more complex and difficult than you may be used to. You are going to go through hard times and changes. But no matter what happens, you will keep moving forward. Life goes on. Control what you can and learn to live with what you cannot. I think these messages were all very well executed, and the audience can certainly find comfort and acceptance within this movie. Slight spoilers ahead! I would also like to praise the way Anxiety’s character was executed - particularly in the scene where Riley had a panic attack. It felt very similar to a real panic attack one would experience, where your thoughts and feelings are racing so quickly that you almost seemed paralyzed, helpless to watch. The tear welling up in her eye symbolized a lot; that feeling of knowing that these thoughts are harmful for you, but also feeling as if you’ve gone too far to be able to stop it. There were a lot of other things I appreciated about her, but this part really got me.