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'Turning Red' Coming Spring 2022
- Thread starter NateD1226
- Start date
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Posted this in the Disneyland Miscellaneous Thoughts thread, but wanted to add here: watched Turning Red the day it dropped and really enjoyed it.
As far as the movie's 'limiting demographic' goes, I'm a white guy in my late 20s and found plenty to relate to.
One complaint I've seen from several reviewers is that they can't relate to how over-the-top the mom was, immediately followed by multiple comments indicating they had a parent exactly like this.
Still, even if aspects of the movie aren't realistic, is it that hard to see something as an artistic exaggeration? Exaggerating is built into the DNA of this film, down to the anime facial expressions, dramatic slow-mo shots, and red panda metaphor. I actually really liked the art style and found the movie soulful (even if it's not a full-on tearjerker), dynamic, and fun.
Also (rewatching right now), the mom makes it clear one of the reasons she was watching Mei “like a hawk” was to spot signs of Mei’s impending panda transformation. There are plenty of logical reasons why parents become overprotective and clingy, with this plot point certainly being a valid one.
As far as the movie's 'limiting demographic' goes, I'm a white guy in my late 20s and found plenty to relate to.
One complaint I've seen from several reviewers is that they can't relate to how over-the-top the mom was, immediately followed by multiple comments indicating they had a parent exactly like this.
Still, even if aspects of the movie aren't realistic, is it that hard to see something as an artistic exaggeration? Exaggerating is built into the DNA of this film, down to the anime facial expressions, dramatic slow-mo shots, and red panda metaphor. I actually really liked the art style and found the movie soulful (even if it's not a full-on tearjerker), dynamic, and fun.
Also (rewatching right now), the mom makes it clear one of the reasons she was watching Mei “like a hawk” was to spot signs of Mei’s impending panda transformation. There are plenty of logical reasons why parents become overprotective and clingy, with this plot point certainly being a valid one.
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Robaire's my favorite.
A lot of discussion about Mei's rebellion and lying... but no one's calling out the parents for not preparing their daughter or for being so controlling.
www.nytimes.com
‘Turning Red’ Is a Good Conversation Starter — and Not Just for Girls
Some parents don’t like its depictions of adolescent rebellion, periods and sexuality, but experts say those topics are appropriate for family discussion.
WDWJoeG
Well-Known Member
Straight to video - errrrr, Disney+A lot of discussion about Mei's rebellion and lying... but no one's calling out the parents for not preparing their daughter or for being so controlling.
‘Turning Red’ Is a Good Conversation Starter — and Not Just for Girls
Some parents don’t like its depictions of adolescent rebellion, periods and sexuality, but experts say those topics are appropriate for family discussion.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Maybe I don’t scrutinize enough, but I find both cases understandable.
For starters, the dad didn’t seem particularly involved or controlling, and he offered support without judgment during the moment Mei needed it most. He was also unafraid of marrying into a family with a long line of incredibly powerful women, even after witnessing the worst of them. He’s an understated rock in this movie.
But it wouldn’t have been his place to set Mei up for the panda transformation. That was all on the mom, and given her own internalized feelings about the panda (shameful, inconveniencing, etc.), it’s not really a surprise she went the helicopter route, with the aim of spotting the signs early enough. Clearly, that didn’t work, but the intention was there.
As for Mei, she wouldn’t be the first teen to get whacked with a bad case of boy/girl-craziness. Along with realizing her close friends and peers actually valued her bold new quirk, she threw herself into that world and let loose for the first time in her life. I know a lot of people who did similarly in middle school, high school, or even university, depending on the strictness of their home environment.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
I wonder what people who are complaining about Mei’s “rebelliousness” think about how Rapunzel behaved in her movie.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I agree with all of this, and though the film was quite sympathetic in its portrayal of all the family members including the mother.
One of the things that struck me about the Rotten Tomatoes reviews, though, was that a lot of people did get annoyed by the idea that this movie suggested it might be ok for children to disobey their parents and make their own decisions at times. I wonder if the movie hit a little too close to the bone for those parents who see it as their role to control what their children hear, see, and, ultimately, how they behave and what they believe. The irony is that this attitude often leads to exactly the kind of sneaking around portrayed in the movie as children get older. I can imagine, though, there is a certain type of parent for whom this movie might play into anxieties about their children getting older, being exposed to influences beyond the parents' control, and perhaps making different decisions about issues that are particularly important to or even "non-negotiable" for their parents.
Not to mention that developmental psychologists point out that most teens start to value their relationships with their peers more so than with their family. That, and wanting to be their own person is the heart of almost all teen rebellion. And throw in a whole bunch of mood-altering hormones into the mix (even for boys... testosterone is the 'jerk hormone.')
Also, not to mention, lots of adults seem to have selective amnesia when dealing with rebellious teens conveniently forgetting their own similar rebellions. As someone who is often in discussion with parents about their rebellious teens, I keep incredulously asking them, "Are you really surprised by this? Did you not do the same thing when you were a teen?"
Also, not to mention, lots of adults seem to have selective amnesia when dealing with rebellious teens conveniently forgetting their own similar rebellions. As someone who is often in discussion with parents about their rebellious teens, I keep incredulously asking them, "Are you really surprised by this? Did you not do the same thing when you were a teen?"
Encanto is an example of the literary genre: Magical Realism.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Wow, didn't know Lindsay Ellis had moved to doing PBS content.
I like some of her takes on things, especially Disney content. But she gets real deep in the weeds a lot of times, and comes across as snobbish.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
She, unfortunately, quit her YouTube channel because she was being harassed online over the dumbest things. She simply compared the story of Raya and the Last Dragon to Avatar: The Last Airbender and then a bunch of bad faith actors tried to portray her as racist for doing so and then went out of their way to dig up any old tweets or videos of hers that could be considered problematic. None of the "dirt" dug up would matter to the average person, but it apparently took a huge toll on Lindsay. It's a shame, she was my favorite YouTuber.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
I miss Lindsay too - it’s all extra ridiculous because Honest Trailers made the exact same comparison and didn’t receive any backlash.
Glad to see she’s still making video content, I had no idea.
Dear Prudence
Well-Known Member
I would 10000000% unironically buy a 4*Town CD and I did not enjoy that kind of music at the same age from the same time period.
Billboard Hot 100...
