Turning Red
Turning Red is available on Disney Plus.
SCREENPLAY: A
I remember enough from tenth grade science class to know this movie doesn’t ace the biological reality of puberty. Acne and armpit hair, yes. Panda, no. But a lot of times facts just can’t explain life as well as feelings can. Bizarre as it may be, this story about a girl who turns into a giant red panda perfectly captures all the feelings and emotions of this pivotal experience. It’s an exciting time. It’s a strange time. It’s a scary time. And this is a wonderful story. There’s not a lot of major twists or turns, but every moment feels perfect and true.
CHARACTERS: A+
Mei Lee is a treasure. Pixar genius (and first ever Pixar solo female director - whoop whoop!) Domee Shi conjures the slippery, specific energy of the beast commonly known as: middle schooler. Just by watching her do her homework, you can see Mei Lee’s energy is undoubtable, undefeatable, and maniacal. Until her mother appears. She’s still a spaz, but she’s uber obedient and less sure of herself in her mother’s presence. When she’s around her friends (who are amazing), we see a third version of Mei Lee - the rebellious teenager. Which of the three Mei Lee’s is the real one? They all are. We all have different “us’s” who we show to different parts of our world. This makes Mei Lee feel entirely real. Rosalie Chiang voices her to perfection. Her three friends are - one more time - amazing. They can each fairly be called one-dimensional. But like single notes on a guitar, the three of them together create a lovely and resonant power chord.
CRAFT: A
I grew up not far away from Toronto. It’s the place our family went to go do “big-city-things.” Details like the street cars and the dozens of cultures you see on a single block picks up the vibe of Toronto to a T. Memories of every concert I saw at the Sky Dome came rushing back during the film’s finale.
The animation is Pixar level, for good and obvious reasons. Mei Lee in red panda form moves and feels genuine. If ginormous red pandas existed, this is definitely what they would look like. It’s a difficult thing to capture artistically.
HOCKEY ACCURACY: F
I know this is a dumb thing to get hung up on. I fully, completely recognize that. I know I should drop it, walk away, and never spend another second writing about this …
WHY ON GOD’S GREAT WHITE NORTH IS THERE A 1980 OLYMPIC HOCKEY POSTER ON THE TEACHER’S WALL?
Hockey is a religion in Canada. Shove football, muscle cars, apple pie and fifty thousand fireworks in a blender and drink it. That’s NOTHING compared to what hockey means to the Canadians. The 1980 Olympic Hockey tournament is remembered for one thing, and one thing only: The Miracle on Ice. The US defeating the Russians on US soil. Canada came in sixth place at those games. No puck fearing, sensible Canadian is memorializing that on his wall 22 years later. I know this is one small, unimportant detail, but it rocked me.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Toenails fascinate me. Specifically, the fascination occurs every time I look down and say to myself, “Yep, they’re gettin’ a bit long. Time for a clipping.” I doubt anyone could ever accurately notice a difference in toenail length from one day to the next. But logic demands that there is a specific length of toenail that is “too long.” And that means that a magical moment - the moment that separates “too long” from “they’re fine!” - must exist, even if we never actually see that moment happen.
For many people, the transition from kid to young adult works in a similar way. Puberty isn’t like a microwave. Kids don’t go BEEP BEEP BEEP the second they turn into young adults. But one day you look at them and realize something’s different. They’re not a kid anymore. You didn’t see the moment happen, but it happened.
To be even more specific, it’s this “microwave moment” (whether we’re talking toenails or children) that fascinates me. Turning Red captures this fantastical magic of transformation on film. This is the true companion film to Inside Out that Soul wanted to be. It’s a beautiful and unbelievable storytelling achievement.