holly.wilson

From the Academy Award winning film, Inside Out is the climax of the movie. Joy is the one at the wheel of the Rileys Control Console. She and the other emotions, Disgust, Fear and Anger cant figure out what role Sadness has to play and what her purpose is in Rileys mental health. Joy and Sadness get sucked out of the Control Center and into the vastness of Rileys mind. Knowing that Rileys mental state is not what it normally is, Joy is desperate to get back to the Control Center so that Riley can be happy again.

During the adventure that takes place, Joy still cant figure out what purpose Sadness serves even after witnessing Sadness comfort a crying Bing Bong whereas Joy was unable to do so. Bing Bong and Joy end up in the Memory Dump and risk being lost forever. In the Memory Dump, Joy reminisces about Rileys Core Memories and laments that all she wants is for Riley to be happy. Sobbing, Joy picks up a core memory involving Rileys teammates and parents dancing after a big hockey game. Joy had always thought this core memory was a happy one, but after rewinding the memory, Joy realizes that initially Riley was sad. Her sadness caused her parents to reach out to console her and with the help of Rileys teammates, they were able to make a sad scene a happy one.

Joy had never realized that a memory could involve both sadness and happiness emotions. Riley and her parents had moved from Minnesota to San Francisco and she was having some difficulty fitting into her new environment. Longing for home and life in Minnesota, her Core Memories of happy moments became a touchstone of sadness as well. In Joys world, memories cannot be happy and sad and happy memories cannot become sad ones and vice-versa.