Michelle Rutter

Turning Red was delightful! It is a coming of age story that focuses on the systemic issue of the generational expectation for perfection, as well as the experience of being a pre-teen going through puberty and wanting to come into one's own, apart from one's parents. Despite being one of the characters that could be considered an antagonist, Mei's mother proved throughout the movie that she loved her daughter. When the mere thought of Mei possibly having her first period came to mind, her mom was ready to go with a full BOX of supplies and even packed a special lunch for her! Despite her love, she was horribly overbearing and did several things that murdered Mei's social life for a bit. I wasn't surprised that Mei rebelled, drew sexy anime pics, or loved boy bands. All 13 year olds do something similar to that! What matters is that she and her mother (and ultimately her grandmother) came to an understanding and proved that, even when the monster comes out, they still love and support each other. In short, I would highly recommend this film! Especially to anyone with young girls!