When Joy gets complicated

It’s rare for me to see a film in the theater the weekend it opens. But there were several reasons I wanted to see Inside Out—Pixar’s latest creation, in which the emotions inside a pre-teen girl’s mind are anthropomorphized and sent on adventures—last Friday afternoon. It was hot and it had been a long week, so sitting in a cool theater and not talking to anybody for a couple of hours sounded good. Also, I’m doing a movie-themed sermon series later this summer and could use some inspiration.

Perhaps most significantly, I live with a seven-year-old girl whose mind is often a mystery to me. I was intrigued by the possibility that Pixar might offer some insight into what is happening inside that little head. 

So we went, my daughter and I, and I was not disappointed. The air-conditioned theater was lovely. The movie was fun and funny, and it provided plenty to think about as a preacher and a parent.