On Sunday afternoon, I watched Disney’s latest animated film, Turning Red. Look anywhere on the internet currently and you will see a wide variety of discourse on the film. Some, needlessly so, call the film ‘cringe’ for its depiction of young teen girls and their reaction to boybands, periods and teen crushes.
To those people I ask: who hurt you? Yeah, you may not be able to relate to every film ever made. Does that make it bad? Absolutely not.
While I haven’t been 13 for eight years, I remember vividly the kind of early teenager I was. At the time, One Direction was in their heyday and I was right on the bandwagon. I would sing the songs and buy merchandise (keep calm and love One Direction shirts, anyone?). I was just like these girls: passionate about a boyband. If I had been given the opportunity to go and see them live, I would have done anything.
Those who criticize the film for this reason are out of touch with reality or are simply men who did not have this experience themselves. However, that does not mean the movie is bad. Turning Red is far from bad and is a film I wish I would have had at 13. Seeing an accurate representation of yourself as an insecure 13-year-old is so needed at a time that is very difficult.
Young teen crushes were also a thing that I went through as well. So much of Turning Red deals with growing pains – being 13 is an incredibly awkward age. You are growing at a rapid pace and are arguably at your most awkward.
This is demonstrated through the use of the transformation into a red panda throughout Turning Red. There are new emotions springing up with puberty – everything feels heightened. You find yourself crying and not knowing why, more prone to anger… it is a messy time.
Further, you are also facing resistance against one or both of your parents – likely for the first time. Turning Red demonstrates this tension perfectly. You are beginning to become your own person with your own thoughts and feelings. You are also formulating your own ideological beliefs, ones that might be different than what your parents believe or have prompted you to believe. This tension is demonstrated expertly in Turning Red – however, it also provides a hopeful message. You can build bridges with your parents once more and reach a stage where they respect you as an individual – one that is growing and developing into a young adult.
Lastly, as a Canadian, I did appreciate the references to Toronto and Canada in general. Tim Hortons and Celine Dion– they obviously could not go without mentioning those two highlights of the country. In addition, the film tells the story of a Chinese-Canadian girl – representation is so important and this film is full of it. Toronto is a very multicultural city, so it was very encouraging to see that they had taken the time to represent it accurately.
If you have not watched Turning Red yet, I encourage you to see it. Do not listen to the haters and low-grade critics.