Rich character work emboldens Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’

The stellar legacy of Pixar Animation can be traced to the studio’s resonant approach to relatable storytelling. An 8-year–old and an 80-year-old can connect to the universality of emotional arcs in movies like “Wall-E,” “Coco,” “Inside Out” and the “Toy Story” films.

After a stretch of successful-but-familiar sequels, Pixar’s most recent films have taken a more specific, smaller-scale approach to its storytelling, notably in last year’s 1950s-set sea creature coming-of-age comedy, “Luca” and now “Turning Red,” which chronicles the unpredictable assault of puberty on a 13-year-old girl living in Toronto, circa 2002. These connections to a specific time and culture create a new access point to deeply felt universal themes.

Meilin (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a Chinese-Canadian pre-teen devotes most of her free time with her overprotective mother (Sandra Oh), working together at the family’s Chinese temple and sharing stories of their ancestor Sun Yee, who once, according to legend, transformed into a ferocious red panda in order to protect her family.

While she enjoys the time with her mother, Mei is growing up, bonding with her friends over school crushes and a mega-popular boy band called 4*Town (amusingly composed of five members). After her mother inadvertently embarrasses Mei in front of a dreamy teenage store clerk, Mei loses control of her emotions and puffs into a giant fuzzy red panda. Turns out the women in the family have all inherited the transformative power of Sun Yee, and only a special family ritual on the evening of the next red moon can subdue the panda spirit for good.

Whereas her mother and grandmother describe the transformation as a dangerous burden, Mei discovers that those “big emotions” bring out a truer version of herself, especially compared to the strict expectations from her mother.

Directed and co-written by Domee Shi (the Oscar-winning filmmaker of the Pixar short, “Bao,”), “Turning Red” obviously treats Mei’s red panda outbursts as a broader exploration on puberty and all the emotional turmoil that brings. It’s the specificity and focus on these fully-realized characters that makes that narrative compelling, especially in the depiction of Mei’s school life alongside her loyal circle of goofball friends. So much of the humor of the film stems from their interactions, particularly in how these sweet-natured-yet-socially-awkward pre-teens go about securing concert tickets to their favorite band. In short, “Turning Red” fully understands the confusing contradictions of a hormone-riddled 13-year-old brain.

The family dynamic works as well, with Mei’s mother harboring pain from her own tussle with the panda inside, and Mei’s soft-spoken father (Orion Lee) trying to find small ways to support both the women in his life, even as their paths diverge.

Pixar’s visuals always impress, but “Turning Red” offers a bit of a welcome diversion from the “house style” in the form of occasional anime-influenced flourishes. As an extra hook, the film deploys Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas to write three songs for the 4*Town crew (which lovingly recall the cheesy bliss of NSYNC/Backstreet Boys mania).

As many classics as Pixar can claim over the years, the studio has had a tendency to focus on male-centric stories. “Turning Red” is the first feature directed by a woman at Pixar (though Brenda Chapman had a co-directing credit on “Brave,” a movie she was removed from before production ended). “Turning Red” benefits greatly from its diversity on-screen and behind-the-scenes, presenting a fresh perspective on vibrant storytelling that still appeals to the 8-to-80-year-old demographic.

“Turning Red” is now streaming on Disney+.

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Tyler Wilson is a member of the International Press Academy and has been writing about movies for Inland Northwest publications since 2000, including a regular column in The Press since 2006. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.”