Movie Analysis: “Inside Out” — Plot

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of watching movies:

To be a good screenwriter, you need to have a broad exposure to the world of film. Every movie you see is a potential reference point for your writing, everything from story concepts you generate to characters you develop to scenes you construct. Moreover people who work in the movie business constantly reference existing movies when discussing stories you write; it’s a shorthand way of getting across what they mean or envision.

But most importantly, you need to watch movies in order to ‘get’ how movie stories work. If you immerse yourself in the world of film, it’s like a Gestalt experience where you begin to grasp intuitively scene composition, story structure, character functions, dialogue and subtext, transitions and pacing, and so on.

Let me add this: It’s important to see movies as they get released so that you stay on top of the business. Decisions get made in Hollywood in large part depending upon how movies perform, so watching movies as they come out puts you in the same head space as reps, producers, execs, and buyers.

This week’s movie: Inside Out, screenplay by Meg LeFauve & Josh Cooley and Pete Docter, story by Pete Docter & Ronaldo Del Carmen, additional dialogue by Amy Poehler & Bill Hader.

Our schedule for discussion this week:

Monday: General Comments
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Takeaways

For those of you who have not seen the movie, do not click MORE as we will be trafficking in major spoilers. If you have seen Inside Out, I invite you to join me in breaking down and analyzing the movie.

There is a really interesting thing going on structurally once Joy and Sadness get separated from the others as there are three key storylines:

* Joy and Sadness (and eventually Bing Bong) trying to get back to Headquarters

* Fear, Disgust, and Anger in Headquarters

* Riley in real life

Much of Act Two is comprised of cross-cuts between these three narrative perspectives. When I get a chance to see the movie — and read the script when it becomes available during award season — I am willing to bet that each of these three storylines synch up with each other, not only in terms of how they impact the narrative from a plot standpoint, but also thematically. Knowing Pixar, they have constructed this plot… very… very… very… carefully.

One thing I noticed: How much volatility plays a part in each storyline.

* Riley’s increasingly sad and frustrated self: What will she do? Result: Running away from home.

* Headquarters: What will they do? Result: Anger plants running away into Riley’s consciousness.

* Joy and Sadness: What will these strange bedfellows do? Result: Polar opposites, Joy eventually realizes how important Sadness is to Riley’s ‘normal’ psyche state.

But along the way, each storyline is rife with tension as to how it — and the others — will turn out.

That’s a great takeaway for writers: Imbue your story with some uncertainties as to how things will play out. The tension of not knowing outcomes can help generate both drama and curiosity as to how things resolve.

How about you? What were your impressions of the plot? Did it all work for you? Were there some rough patches? Just in general, what strikes you most about the plot?

Please join me in comments to further analyze Inside Out.