How Well Do You Remember Inside Out?
- by Joseph Allen
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Few films have been received as warmly as Inside Out. Pixar's film, which follows the emotions of a young girl and tells a moving story at the same time, captured the hearts of audiences who were wowed by the films beautiful animation and winning story. Pixar films have a remarkable capacity to move their audiences, and Inside Out proved to be no exception. The film was released in the summer of 2015, and it was an instant success, grossing more than $800 million worldwide. Prior to the film's release, many had worried that Pixar had lost its edge, and was now mostly focused on sequels to films it had already created.
Inside Out proved that Pixar still had some juice left in its tank. The film was completely original, and managed to execute a concept that no live-action film could ever live up to. Inside Out showed audiences what animation could do, and reasserted Pixar as the best animation studio in the world. The film is a couple years old now, but it hasn't lost any of its charm. Those that saw it in theaters may have a tough time remembering exactly what happened. This quiz is designed to test that memory.
What's the Main Character's Name?
We're introduced to a young girl in Inside Out, and follow the emotions that live inside her head. This girl is growing up, and her life is in turmoil. All of this leads to the adventure at the heart of the film, one which shows us what it means to grow up and lead a healthy emotional life. The main character's emotions are deeply compelling, and her name communicates quite a bit about how normal and everyday her emotional struggle is.
Where Is Riley From Originally?
We know that part of the reason Riley becomes emotionally unstable is her move across the country, but it can be tricky to remember where she was from originally. Her dad left that somewhat cooler environment for a warm coastline, but Riley still misses the state dearly, but has trouble admitting that to her parents. She wants to have fun and be happy, but her family's move across the country has made that harder than it usually was back in her home state.
Where Does Riley Move to?
Riley's live is completely transformed at the beginning of Inside Out when she discovers that she's moving across the country because her dad got a new job. This surprise is what initially sets Riley off emotionally, and sparks the mission that her emotions go on over the course of the film. You wouldn't think that moving to this popular, sunny city would set a young girl off, but leaving all of your friends behind in the process is more than enough to get emotional about.
Which Emotion Does Amy Poehler's Character Represent?
Amy Poehler voices the film's main character, and is always optimistic about the future for Riley. The character could very easily become quite annoying, but Poehler infuses enough nuance into her to make her into someone fairly likable. It's Poehler's character who learns the most over the course of the film, and it's this character who manages to channel many of the story's central ideas. Inside Out is a marvelous film, and a great deal of that comes down to Poehler's winning central performance.
Which Emotion Does Phyllis Smith's Character Represent?
Phyllis Smith was likely the smallest name among the principle cast members in Inside Out, but that doesn't mean she doesn''t have what it takes to work alongside Poehler and the rest of her cast mates. Smith's character plays a crucial role in the film, and Smith's voice work does a lot to suggest the nuance to her character. Smith is will known for playing Phyllis on The Office, and she brings a lot of that character with her to the big screen for this role.
How Old is Riley?
In Inside Out, Riley is going through the kinds of things that a typical child has to go through. Her life is uprooted because of things that are outside her control, and she's forced to deal with how to respond. That's a lot for her to handle, especially considering her young age. Riley is still a kid, although she seems to be growing up pretty quickly. She's learning how to handle her emotions, and like most kids, she's struggling a little bit.
Who Is Riley's Imaginary Friend?
When Sadness and Joy are outside of headquarters, they run into Riley's imaginary friend, a delightfully absurd creation that Riley doesn't play with much anymore. Over the course of the film, this adorable creature helps Sadness and Joy get back to Riley's headquarters. He's been hanging out inside of Riley's mind for years, so he knows it much better than either Joy or Sadness. His story is one of the core emotional beats of the film, and his fate is as tragic as they get.
Where Are Joy and Sadness When They Become Two-Dimensional?
During one particularly fun sequence that employs some creative animation, Joy, Sadness and Bing Bong enter a part of Riley's mind that's a little less concrete than what they're used to. In this part of the film, the three-dimensional animation briefly becomes two-dimensional, and it looks like Joy and Sadness may be trapped more permanently. Fortunately, the pair manage to find a way out, and continue their journey, but this two minute segment of the film is one of the most visually rewarding.
Which Emotion Does Lewis Black's Character Represent?
There are five characters living inside of young Riley's head that represent her emotions, and each one gives us a different feeling. They take turns controlling Riley's head, and together create a balance that makes Riley an emotionally stable person. One of these emotions is voiced by Lewis Black, and is represented by a short, red, mustached man who seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed every day. Black's emotion is distinct from the others, but it can be hard to remember which it is.
What Sport Does Riley Play?
When we first meet Riley, one of her defining characteristics is her love for this sport, which she played regularly in her backyard growing up. Although she initially seems uninterested in playing it after she's moved, she eventually comes around to the idea and proves her skills. After all, coming from Minnesota makes her a far more formidable player than most of the kids. Riley proves that gender has no influence over athletic ability, especially when it comes to this sport.
What Kind of Pizza Disgusts Riley?
When Riley and her family first move into their new home, Riley has a great idea to cheer everybody up about the move. She decides that she and her mom should go hunting for pizza, which is sure to improve the situation immensely. Unfortunately, when she arrives at the pizza place in San Francisco, she is sorely disappointed by what she finds there. The pizza place only serves a specific kind of pizza, and it's one that Riley, and most people, really can't stand.
What Do the Islands in Riley's Mind Represent?
Part of Joy's mission in returning to headquarters is to keep the various islands inside of Riley's mind from collapsing. These islands are supported by the core memories, and so they begin to fail when the core memories are removed from headquarters. Although some of these islands do fall before Joy returns, Riley isn't crippled by their absence. In fact, new islands are erected in their place, as Riley begins to adjust to life in San Francisco, and grows up a little bit too.
Which Two Emotions are Jettisoned Out of Headquarters?
The plot of Inside Out is kickstarted when two of Riley's emotions end up stranded outside of Riley's control center, and are forced to take an extended journey to find their way back. The other three emotions are left to control Riley's brain, with disastrous results. All of this only makes the journey back more urgent, but it can be tricky to remember which two emotions are stranded outside of Riley's control center. Their journey is at the heart of the film, but who exactly is on that journey?
Which Emotion Does Mindy Kaling's Character Represent?
Mindy Kaling is appropriately cast as this emotion, who reacts negatively to things that are unappealing to Riley. She's in charge of areas like shame, and helps Riley to notice things that others might judge her for. Kaling plays the small role pretty wonderfully, and helps the other emotions who are still in Headquarters run Riley's brain over the course of the film. They don't do a great job, but they tried hard, and that has to count for something.
What Does Sadness Do to Memories?
Joy spends a lot of the film trying to keep Sadness away from the memories that Riley creates everyday. She does this because Sadness does something to the memories that Joy doesn't like, and Joy wants to the memories to stay the way they are. Although Joy eventually realizes that Sadness has a valuable role to play in Riley's emotional landscape, it takes her a pretty long time to figure it out, and she isn't exactly kind to Sadness while she's working everything out.
What Next Phase is Riley Entering at the End of the Film?
Although the emotions in her head don't seem to worried about it, we in the audience know the next few years will be a turbulent period for Riley. The crew in headquarters has a new control board, and some of the new buttons on the board remind us of where Riley is soon to be headed emotionally. This ending lays the groundwork for a potential sequel, but one isn't planned as of yet, which might be for the best, considering how good the original is.
Which Emotion Does Bill Hader's Character Represent?
Although Bill Hader is not known for this particular emotion, he performs the role exceptionally well, bringing plenty of manic uncertainty to it. There are few comic actors working today as gifted and as versatile as Hader, and his ability to instill heart and warmth into a character that could be preoccupied with other things is remarkable. He's a skilled voice actor, and Inside Out benefits enormously from his delightfully manic and insecure presence inside of the film's complicated emotional tapestry.
Which Two Emotions Were Formed First?
In the film's first scene, we see Riley's birth, and the creation of two of the five emotions we would eventually come to know for the rest of the film. These two emotions are likely the most basic ones that a human can feel, and they're also two of the most central characters in the film as it unfolds. Although they don't love each other's company at first, they eventually realize they'll both be necessary if Riley is going to be emotionally healthy.
What is Joy Chasing When She's Sucked Out of Headquarters?
Joy is sucked out of Riley's emotional headquarters through a memory tube, she's chasing after something that has tumbled out of its storage location. Joy is trying to keep Riley happy, even as Sadness steers her towards tears in her classroom. It's in this moment that Joy and Sadness are sucked out of headquarters and into the wider world of Riley's mind. Joy will spend the rest of the movie trying to get back to headquarters with the item she was chasing.
What Happens to Riley's Memories Every Night?
Every day, Riley generates memories of the activities that she's been through. Eventually, these memories are unloaded from the mainframe, and it's at this point that things get interesting. We all know that memory is a fickle thing. We don't always remember things exactly as they happened, and sometimes we dispose of a memory altogether. Riley's memories are no different, but when they're sent out of headquarters, they're all headed for the exact same spot. What happens next depends on the memories themselves.
What Happened to the Family's Moving Van?
Although Riley and her parents arrive at their new home in San Francisco on time, their moving van didn't travel with them. The fact that Riley's family is without most of their stuff only contributes to Riley's overall mood. Moving across the country often means quite a bit of risk, and Riley's family is no exception. Moving sucks, and Riley knew that already. Still, Riley's first days in San Francisco are disaster after disaster, and that doesn't do a ton to make her feel good.
Where Does Riley Sleep on the First Night?
Because Riley's family doesn't have any of their stuff, they're forced to rough it for their first night in San Francisco. Although Joy attempts to keep the other emotions in check, the final straw almost comes when Riley is forced to sleep in a less than ideal setting for her first night in San Francisco. Joy may try to brand this particular escapade as an adventure, but Riley's other emotions aren't buying it, at least before Riley's mom comes in and thanks her for being such a trooper.
Where is Riley When Joy and Sadness Get Sucked Away?
The conflict that's brewing throughout the first act of this film comes to a head when Joy and Sadness are sucked out of Headquarters and forced to make their way back. This all happens around a specific event in Riley's life, one that triggers her emotional instability. Joy tries to course correct when Sadness starts to take over, but she isn't able to do so successfully. Instead, Riley's emotions begin to spiral out of control in a way they hadn't so far in the film.
Which Island do Joy and Sadness Initially Try to Use to Return to Headquarters?
When Joy and Sadness are dumped in long-term memory after being sucked out of Headquarters, it initially seems as though they'll be able to return fairly quickly. Using one of the islands that gives Riley a personality, the two of them walk back on the connection that island has to headquarters. Unfortunately, just as they're about to make it to headquarters, Riley's dad attempts to play with Riley and cheer her up, and Riley's decision to ignore her ultimately makes the island crumble.
What Random Memory is Often Called to Riley's Mind?
Because memory is such a fickle thing, people tend to remember things that aren't ultimately very significant to their lives, even as they forget much more important things. Riley has one memory that she can never seem to get rid of, despite its significance in her own life. When Joy and Sadness are traveling through long-term memory, they meet two Forgetters who have vowed to hold onto the memory forever, and will randomly send it up to headquarters, which will force Riley to remember it.
What Are Bing Bong's Tears Made Of?
When we first meet Bing Bong, he's really excited by the prospect of being remembered by Riley again. All he wants to do is play with the friend who created him. After some momentary excitement, though, Bing Bong trips and stubs his toe, which causes him to burst into tears. It's hear that Joy notices that Bing Bong doesn't cry normal tears. In fact, his tears are made of something fairly remarkable, even if they are the result of a young girl's imagination.
What Kind of Vehicle Does Bing Bong Have?
Bing Bong has a special machine, one that Joy believes they can use to return to Headquarters and restore balance to Riley's emotions. This vehicle is powered by singing, and perfectly encapsulates the wild and uninhibited mind of the toddler that created it. Although the vehicle ultimately proves to be critical to the plot, its existence suggests the mix of zany humor and fascinating ideas at the core of this film. Bing Bong is ultimately a tragic character, but he's pretty funny too.
Where Do Joy and Sadness Go to Wake Riley Up?
Joy and Sadness have boarded the Train of Thought, and are on their way back to headquarters. The two of them are making good progress, but that progress is halted when Riley goes to sleep. As a result, Joy and Sadness are forced to go to a specific part of Riley's mind in order to wake her up. Although they're ultimately successful, they go through a number of trials before they get Riley to wake up, so they can get back on their way.
What Ultimately Wakes Riley Up?
Although Joy tries to wake Riley up with a happy dream, it isn't until they scare her that she's startled enough to wake up. The thing that ultimately wakes Riley up is a deep fear, buried in her subconscious, one that holds Bing Bong prisoner after he attempts to disrupt the dream. Joy realizes that Sadness's suggestion to create a scary dream was the right one, and so, after she frees Bing Bong, she lures this fear into Riley's dream and wakes her up.
What Does Riley Steal Before She Runs Away From Home?
After Riley is startled awake, Anger decides that it's time for her to follow through on her plan to run away from home. Riley sneaks out of her house, but before she does, she steals something that will make her travel a bit easier. This theft ultimately leads to the collapse of Honesty Island, and is definitive proof that Riley is losing it without some of her emotions. This theft is not who Riley is, and it's not what Joy or Sadness wants for her.
What Happens to Bing Bong?
Although Bing Bong is one of this film's central players, the resolution of his story arc is perhaps the most tragic aspect of this whole film. Ultimately, he realizes that Riley has outgrown him, and she'll never really want to play with him again. As tragic as this realization is, it's also one which speaks the the film's message of memory. Bing Bong may recede in Riley's mind, but he had an enormous impact in shaping who she would eventually become.
Where Does Riley Go When She Runs Away?
After Riley runs away from home, she could go to any number of places. All she knows for sure is that she was unhappy in that house, and she thinks she needs to restore some aspect of who she used to be if she's ever going to feel better about her life. It's not a crazy idea, but it's one that leads Riley to take some fairly crazy actions, including her decision to head to this destination after she leaves home.
Which Emotion Gets Riley to Get Off the Bus?
For a moment, it seems as though Riley will be unable to feel anything for the rest of her life. Anger is unable to remove the idea of running away from Riley's mind, and realizes that his idea was a bad one to begin with. Riley does ultimately get off the bus, but the emotion that helps her make that decision might not be the one audiences thought it would be. Instead, a new emotion gets to take the reins.
What is Created Inside Riley's Mind at the End of the Film?
At the end of Inside Out, Riley returns home and is able to tell her parents that she misses Minnesota. Together, all three of them explain that they miss their old home, and they're able to find happiness by being sad together. This is a critical moment for Riley, one that allows her to move forward with her life and adapt to her new circumstances. It's a huge moment for Riley, one that leads to the creation of an entirely new thing inside her mind.
What Do the End Credits of Inside Out Contain?
After a truly poignant experience, the creators of Inside Out decided it would be best if audiences left the theater laughing, and so they added a truly great gag to the end credits of the film. This gag isn't moving in the way that much of the rest of the film is. Instead, it's meant to inspire laughter, and succeeds in a pretty substantial way. It was more than enough to leave audiences thoroughly satisfied with the experience of the film as a whole.