By If Riley’s basic emotions thought her childhood was complicated, she’s in for a whirlwind adventure in her teenage years. We take a look at the new characters: Anxiety, Envy, Shame, Boredom, and Nostalgia.
With its recent release, Inside Out 2 is a box office hit, introducing new emotions. The girl we met in the first part is now entering adolescence, has the first signs of hormonal acne and, of course, her concerns have changed.
In this context of chaos and uncertainty, Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Shame arrive at Headquarters to accompany her in the transition to high school. What is the plot about? What role do emotions play? Let’s find out.
Brief review of the film
Inside Out 1 explores Riley Andersen’s life as an 11-year-old when her life is turned upside down by a move. The plot unfolds inside the girl’s mind, where her primary emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust – work together to guide her actions.
At the time, Joy led the headquarters with optimism and vitality. The headquarters was functioning relatively well, and Riley was a happy, healthy little girl. She identified herself with compassionate thoughts that reflected her positive self-image , such as “I am a good person, I am a good friend.” There was also room for other necessary emotions, such as Sadness and Anger.
Now, in Inside Out 2 , Riley is a young woman with a promising future in the youth ice hockey leagues . She is invited to participate in a camp that will not only challenge her skills on the rink, but also her bonds with her inseparable friends. With adolescence on the horizon, she tries to recover her old personality in the face of a changing (and now much more developed) belief system .
The film presents this system as a huge, dynamic structure composed of luminous strings grown from memories.
During adolescence, beliefs shape us, define our fears and values, and influence our personal development and the formation of our own criteria.
How does the plot progress in Inside Out 2?
By the second film, puberty alarm bells ring and everything changes. Riley now has to deal with more intense challenges. As her body changes, so do her concerns and interests. The social level becomes the most crucial and, at the same time, the most threatening. The introduction of more sophisticated emotions becomes indispensable.
Most of the plot takes place at the three-day hockey camp that Riley believes could define his social and athletic future.
What are the new emotions in Inside Out 2 ?
With the arrival of adolescence, the emotional headquarters in Inside Out 2 suffers an unexpected demolition and everything that once seemed stable now goes out of control. The young woman’s mind needs more specific and robust equipment, especially to face the challenges of the social level, such as the need to belong to a group . Thus, the new characters arrive.
Anxiety
Orange, disheveled and always one step ahead. This is Ansiedad , the character who takes control of Riley’s mind. She appears excited, nervous and with six suitcases (just in case she’s missing something she needs). Her thinking tends to be catastrophic , always anticipating the worst scenario.
Their job is to plan ahead and protect Riley from potential dangers. In this case, the main objective is to keep the girl on her toes to ensure she receives social approval and thus avoid her greatest fear: not having friends in high school . A very natural concern for a 13-year-old.
What is the greatest learning we have learned?
Inside Out 2 uniquely shows that anxiety can be functional and necessary, as long as it remains within healthy limits.
Shame
The character Shame is so clumsy that he arouses tenderness in the audience. He tries desperately, but unsuccessfully, to hide in his hoodie. Even though he barely speaks and avoids making eye contact, he does not manage to go unnoticed: he is huge, has a blush-like pink color, and his hands are sweaty.
What is the greatest learning we have learned?
This emotion plays a crucial role because it makes us aware of the judgment of others and motivates us to respect social norms and codes. While it is true that young children can often feel shame, the intensity of shame often increases during puberty due to physical changes, concern about peer acceptance, and social pressure .
Envy
Her huge, bright eyes say it all: she looks with admiration at what she desires. Envy is charming, blue-green in color and much shorter than she would like. In fact, she is frustrated by being the only one in the barracks who cannot reach the console to handle the young woman’s emotions, unless she stands on a stool.
In Riley’s case, Val Ortiz is her biggest source of admiration. Val is older and very cool, as well as the talented captain of the ice hockey team . He soon becomes her role model, inspiring her with his athletic skills and unique style.
What is the greatest learning we have learned?
Her personification raised many questions among adult audiences. Why is this emotion seen as so adorable, when we generally associate it with feelings of disgust, jealousy and even ill will? Well, the truth is that the creators of the film decided to present Envy in her most functional and healthy version, and not as a hateful villain.
There is a fundamental difference between malicious envy, which involves resentment, constant criticism and destructive competition, and benign envy, which acts as a motivation to strive to achieve our own goals.
Boredom (Ennui)
Of all the new emotions, this is undoubtedly the one that generates the most curiosity. It has a body as thin as a spaghetti, it crawls instead of walking and, most strikingly, it controls the emotional dashboard of the teenager through your smartphone , without having to get up from the sofa.
His attitude is nonchalant, but sharp. He responds to emotional situations with sarcasm , sighs, and eye rolls. He stays in the background for a reason. Ennui only appears at key moments, as he doesn’t give away his energy for free, he chooses where to direct it. He calls on his creativity and innovation when needed.
What is the greatest learning we have learned?
Ennui is a French term that translates into English as “boredom” or “tediousness.” But beyond this, this character refers to the characteristic adolescent apathy . That feeling of lack of interest or motivation towards some activities or aspects.
In a world of constant stimulation, Ennui helps us decide where to focus our attention and energy, which is essential in the adolescent stage for the formation of identity. Even in adulthood, a selfless attitude can serve as a protection against sensory and emotional intensity.
Who is Nostalgia and why does she only appear in two scenes?
Nostalgia has a fleeting but significant role in the film. She is a kindly old lady who wears a warm sweater, enjoys hot teas and has a special affection for the past. Her rose-colored glasses symbolize how we tend to remember yesterday as happier than it really was.
Unlike Riley’s other emotions, Nostalgia isn’t part of the main group in Inside Out 2. In fact, she enters through a “secondary entrance,” and the other characters don’t want her to get too involved in the girl’s mind—at least for now.
In Inside Out , emotions are brought up based on Riley’s experiences, suggesting that Nostalgia might play a larger role in her later years. While it does come up, for example, when Riley fondly recalls how her current friendships began, she doesn’t have that much work to do yet.
Neither good nor bad, all emotions are necessary
Intensely challenges the notion of positive or negative emotions. It teaches that each has its role in well-being and personal development. For example, sadness is crucial in facilitating emotional connection and working through loss, as we see with Riley in the first film. In the sequel, anxiety prepares her for the challenges that might soon arise.
Another great message of this film is that we cannot be happy all the time. Growing up involves experiencing unpleasant feelings that we should not avoid or ignore, because they help us learn and adapt to new situations that life brings us. All emotions, both happy and painful, are valid and necessary for our human experience.