A coming-of-age movie like no other
At the beginning of every Disney/Pixar movie there is a little boy or girl inside each of us, they are sitting in front of the screen, wide eyed and excited to see what is about to happen. Well, that is exactly how I felt getting ready to see what Disney/Pixar had in store next.
I had just gotten “We don’t talk about Bruno,” out of my head and wanted to see what other amazing stories were being brought to life on Disney+. I was once again not disappointed, Turning Red is by far one of the best films I have seen this year. Comparatively, it is one of the most mature, diverse, and funny Disney/Pixar films to be made. It is a coming-of-age story about Mei Lee, a Chinese-Canadian girl going through middle school, who constantly finds herself trying to please her family, when suddenly she looks into the mirror and sees a giant red panda in the reflection.
Through her journey of trying to get rid of the giant red panda, Mei runs into a few problems and learns some lessons along the way.
One of the most important things she learns is that she does not need validation from her mother to be happy. It is a significant problem within minority households where there is the pressure to be a perfect and successful child. This pressure leads to unnecessary stress, trauma and anxiety. She eventually overcomes this challenge and discovers who she really is. The story resonates to many of us that have gone through that same experience and gives us validation that we are not alone.
Aside from the story, the diversity seen throughout the film is groundbreaking and something never seen in Disney. We get to see the main characters who are Chinese, someone who is Sikh who wears a turban, a lady with a hijab, plus Priya and Abby, Mei’s Indian and Korean best friends.
It is about time that more diversity is shown within Disney/Pixar and that the content they create better represents the audience they serve.
Overall, the film gave great music, made me laugh, the animation was phenomenal, and it even made me shed a tear. I believe Disney/Pixar has been doing a fantastic job recently but really set ambitious standards with Turning Red. I highly recommend this film to anyone with unresolved trauma caused by their parents but also anyone who just wants to watch a great film.
