Tag Archives: Inside Out the Movie

Supreme Expression

Pixar’s 2015 Inside Out follows a girl named Riley from her birth. Rather than express Riley’s life in a typical manner, emotions inside of her like joy, sadness, anger and fear steer the way. This creative twist of events provides a unique perspective of what goes inside the mind of a child. If only a spiritual element was added to this film, supreme expression could be realized.

You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works, James 1:22.

Expression is the process of making known one’s thoughts or feelings. Whether this is communicated through an articulation, declaration or proclamation, words begin to express what’s going on deep inside of you. According to Jesus’ earthly brother, when faith, good works and words are implemented properly, you reach what the Bible refers to as supreme expression.

You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes], James 1:24.

Yet, what if you are extremely shy? Or like me, born with a severe speech impediment. What do you do to experience supreme expression? This is the dilemma faced by a man from Decapolis. According to Mark 7:32-35, Jesus said, “Ephphatha” which is a prayer to open and loosen your tongue. When you add belief to this prayer, Matthew 21:21-22, supreme expression is possible to achieve through Christ who gives us strength, Philippians 4:13.

by Jay Mankus

Inside Out

I’m usually not a big fan of animation movies. Yet, it seems like every Pixar film appeals to kids and adults. Whether you’re talking about Cars, Toy Story or Finding Nemo, there is something for everyone in the audience. When I first put Inside Out into my DVD player, my initial thought was “this is going to be lame.” The more I watched, I became glued to the screen.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, Romans 12:12.

This 2015 animation illustrates how emotions affect the life of a newborn baby called Riley. Inside this little girl, characters compete to influence Riley’s life through a control panel. Joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger take turns helping Riley understand these emotions. Until her family moves to San Francisco, Joy is the dominate emotion, maintaining a positive mindset despite what happens each day.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope, Romans 15:13.

As joy and sadness get sucked out of the control center during an accident, Riley’s life takes a drastic turn for the worse. This portion of the film pierced my heart, taking me back to my years in junior high when I was lost, lonely and searching for the meaning to life. Like Riley, I tried to find alternates, substitutes to fill the void in my heart. Nothing satisfied me until a friend introduced me to Jesus. The only way to truly change is to open your heart to Jesus who has the power to transform you from the inside out.

by Jay Mankus