Inside Out 2 (2024) and Being Two Isn't Easy (1962)

Two more movies about childhood for week 2 of our young year.

Inside Out 2 (2024; Disney+ or your library)

Riley, about to enter high school, navigates shifting friendships at a summer hockey camp as new emotions take center stage. I had my doubts that a sequel to Inside Out could hold a candle, but I left the theater happy to report, “They did it again.” However, this one feels different. The first movie feels like a tragedy, as perfect as a sphere; this sequel is a comedy, like a squishy bouncy ball with soft strands coming out of it in all directions. The first film is a dark night of the soul; this one is a summer hockey camp—much lower stakes. But it is no less meaningful for its lighter tone. More than one scene will wow you as an all-too-familiar struggle with Anxiety takes colorful form, and as the story resolves in a meaningful message for all of us: to let go, practice a little self-compassion, and creatively hope for the future. Time is a central theme, and it’s a good reminder to live in the now.

Inside Out 2 is good, clean fun. And I must admit that, like its predecessor, it fascinated me to the point that I decided to make it my movie for 2025. I watched it every month from January to June so that I would know it, um, inside out. I did this because I wanted to use this film as an example in an academic article, which I have nearly completed and plan to submit by the end of this month. In the process, I discovered one “easter egg” that transformed the movie for me: a “Caution Wet” sign in the opening shot of the film. Notice these yellow signs as they pop up throughout the story, and think about how they relate to the film’s theme of taking things one step at a time.

In December, my extreme nerdiness about the Inside Out movies came in handy. I read a book called Wonderworks (Angus Fletcher, 2021), which combines neuroscience and literature to show how stories can make us more creative, more hopeful, more empathic… I decided to make a summary video on YouTube. Then I realized that I could conclude my video showing that the Inside Out movies use all twenty-five of the techniques Fletcher identifies! You can watch this video here.

For sensitive viewers: Somewhat of a spoiler—a character experiences an anxiety attack. Of course, there’s a happy ending.

Being Two Isn’t Easy (1962; Japanese with English subtitles; Criterion Channel or YouTube if you’re a pirate)

A two-year-old narrates a year of growing up with his comically overprotective but fumbling parents. This movie, too, is a comedy. Having a two-year-old for a narrator is quite the change of pace! He can’t talk yet, so his tongue is firmly planted in his cheek. There’s no movie quite like it. Quirky, heartwarming, creative, and wholesome.

For sensitive viewers: A couple of life-threatening accident situations that endanger small children.

Nathan’s Writing Update

I have made some key progress on my book, New Eyes: Movies, Ecology, and the Philosophy of Compassion. Specifically, I have finished new drafts of my book proposal and Chapter One (on the Wicked movies). I plan to submit these to a couple of presses by the end of the month—wish me success! And if you want to be one of my proofreaders and comment-givers during my writing process, let me know :)