You can't be happy all the time: how Encanto and Turning Red can help families wrestle with anger and sadness

Press/Media: Expert Comment

Period28 Apr 2022

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleYou can't be happy all the time: how Encanto and Turning Red can help families wrestle with anger and sadness
    Degree of recognitionInternational
    Media name/outletThe Conversation
    Media typeWeb
    Duration/Length/Size800 words, 4 minute read, 25,855 reads Republished Stuff, MamaMag, Yahoo, MENAFN
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date28/04/22
    DescriptionIn the film Turning Red (2022), a young 13-year-old girl, Meilin “Mei” Lee, turns into a red panda whenever she has strong emotions: when she is angry, when she is sad and when she is excited.

    She begins to believe that strong emotions are embarrassing and tries to suppress her true self.

    In the film Encanto (2021), the multi-generational Madrigal family keep their emotions from each other, causing their house to crumble.

    As in Inside Out (2015) and Frozen (2013) before them, in these films the traditional animation villain is gone, and the “villain” becomes the character’s emotions.

    Only when the characters learn to embrace all of their feelings – and realise they aren’t villains in our stories – can they become their true, authentic selves.
    Producer/AuthorJane Howard
    URLhttps://theconversation.com/you-cant-be-happy-all-the-time-how-encanto-and-turning-red-can-help-families-wrestle-with-anger-and-sadness-181782
    PersonsCher McGillivray