Mini Movie Review (INSIDE OUT)

Two years ago, after reading and hearing so much praise for INSIDE OUT, particularly within the Internal Family Systems therapy community, I eventually got around to seeing the movie while it was still in theaters.  I found the Pixar production enjoyable and was not disappointed. It’s a good, albeit simplified, portrayal of an individual’s “parts” inside their psyche, in this case a twelve-year-old girl’s. The concept of the Self was not directly emphasized the way it is understood within the Internal Family Systems Model. However, it was heavily implied in other creative ways, such as through “islands” of different life domains (e.g., “Family Island” and “Goofball Island”) that are developed from core memories generated by the girl’s life experiences. I was entertained and left with some things to think about, the latter which rarely happens for me after watching a Pixar movie.  I felt hopeful that it would catalyze many viewers to start a process of becoming more aware of and curious about their own emotion-laden “parts,” to introspect about their lives from the inside out.