Turning Red: A New Chapter in Pixar Films

**CONTENT WARNING: spoilers

Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi, is about a young girl, Mei, struggling with puberty… oh, and she also turns into a red panda on occasion. This movie is the first Pixar film to be produced, written, and directed by women with a witty and apt metaphor for puberty. I can’t say that this movie is for everyone, nor is it a movie you immediately fall in love with. However, every minute I watched, the more I liked it. It incorporates complicated family dynamics, made even more complicated with beautifully put elements of first generation children, cultural aspects, and generational trauma. It’s about time that we got a movie about puberty, and this one is perfect. It deals with all the big and ever-changing feelings that come with growing up, rather than just the physical changes.

Meilin, known as Mei, is a thirteen-year-old girl who is the only child in her Chinese family. She is a model student and when she finishes school, she helps run her family’s temple, dedicated to their ancestors. Mei has a tight-knit group of friends, all of whom are obsessed with a boy band, “4*Town.” Mei’s mom is the stereotypical Asian “Tiger Mom”; an unrelenting mother controlling Mei’s schedule so she can be the very portrait of excellence. And, of course, there’s the whole turning into a red panda part. Remember the family temple? The temple is dedicated to Sun Yee, their ancestor who has been said to have a mystical connection with red pandas. Sun Yee prayed to make her a red panda to protect her village and the gods answered by not only granting Sun Yee her wish but all the future daughters of the family. Mei also has this power, but has no idea about the family secret and wakes up one day as the red panda. Suddenly, her life flips upside down as she spontaneously turns into a red panda whenever she cannot control her emotions. She has endless mood swings and thinks she smells weird. She has a crush on the boy working at the store, and she hates her mother. Domee Shi told HuffPost that the idea came from “wanting to make a movie for that 13-year-old Domee who was struggling with her body and her emotions while fighting with her mom every day and wanting to understand what was going on at that time, but in a fun and unique and magical way.” In other words, the unwieldy, uncontrollable giant red panda as a metaphor for the messy emotions of puberty.

The story moves through the plot slowly at times, and it is relatively simple. From one angle, this movie is not relatable at all. Out of the people you know, who has a family full of magical, transforming women? But if you look at it another way, this is a story relatable to millions. A little below the surface level, Turning Red is about a family forcing their child to suppress and get rid of a messy part of themselves they were born with, even if they themselves don’t want to get rid of it. The stigma around periods and the idea of the model Asian student is all too relatable, and it’s so nice to see a movie breaking these boundaries. In my opinion, this movie was respectful and accurate with its representation and subverted common stereotypes. Mei seems to have strict, stereotypical parents at first glance, but in actuality, they are loving and willing to admit their mistakes as well as learn to love Mei as she is. Lastly, as is Pixar’s tradition, the animation is enchanting and beautiful. 

You might have heard about the ever-rising controversy of Turning Red. While it is true that not everyone will like every movie, the comments about this movie are inconsistent, to say the least. Many viewers seem to feel alienated by the non-white, non-male protagonist. Critic Sean O’Connell wrote a review for CinemaBlend and though it was pulled due to criticisms, O’Connell later doubled down on Twitter, stating “Some Pixar films are made for universal audiences. Turning Red is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work very well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.” So yes, be warned: this movie unapologetically centers women and Asians. But I will ask, is that such a bad thing? Pixar has made movies about chef rats, monsters, talking toys, cars, robots, fish, and the list goes on. But this is the movie we can’t relate to? Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion but as far as I can see it, these critics seem to be unable to comprehend or enjoy any story not told to accommodate their dominant perspective - white, male, etc. 

In a way, we probably could have seen this backlash coming. In American pop culture, if you’re white, you’re the default. You’re used to seeing people who look like you centered in every form of media possible, an effect that only intensifies if you’re a white male of a certain age. As Jeff Yang of the Guardian described it, “If you are [a white male of a certain age], you’ve been the laser-focused target of nearly every Hollywood blockbuster since the industry was created. Male characters are crafted to be aspirational to you, and female ones to be attractive to you, in works largely imagined, created and marketed by people who also happen to belong to [your demographic].” It’s far overdue to have movies like Turning Red that do not pivot around the white, male narrative. 

And that’s not all. Parents have raised issues over the film’s “mature” content— puberty. Apparently, puberty is “cross[ing] boundaries on sexuality that is frankly disturbing.” Specifically, there is a scene where Mei, horrified at turning into a red panda for the first time, locks herself in the bathroom and is audibly freaked out. Her mother, assuming that she has gotten her period, comes prepared with a plethora of period-related products: ibuprofen, vitamin b, a hot water bottle, and the biggest variety of pads I’ve ever seen. Turning Red is a quite clear allegory of menstruation. Apart from this initial moment of extreme embarrassment on Mei’s part, the movie handles the idea of getting periods with no shame or confusion, which is a huge step forward for a major studio. Another aspect that is critiqued is the idea that the movie celebrates kids rebelling against their parents. To critique this, I say that it celebrates being a teenager. This is an infamous part of being a teenager and a healthy part of development as teenagers begin to push boundaries and grow into themselves. But even more than that, these conversations about rebellion and disobedience are tied to Mei’s autonomy. Let me be clear: it is Mei, not her parents or her family, who gets to decide what to do with this new part of herself. Mei puts it best: “My Panda, my choice.”

This movie is a beautiful ode to the Asian diaspora, preteens going through the awkward phase of puberty, and really, anyone who has been made to feel different for being themselves by society. It is movies like this that give children the chance to see people who look like them in media and gives them the courage to practice the radical self-acceptance to do whatever it is they want to.

by ATREYI BASU