Turning Red serves as another fantastic instalment in the new era of Pixar films that reject overused tropes and repetitive kids’ narratives in favour of smaller, grounded, personal stories that foreground unique voices.
Directed by Domee Shee (the first woman to single-handedly direct a Pixar movie) the film breaks boundaries both in its subject matter and in its production. Not only does the film utilise an all-female leadership team, but it also unapologetically confronts the taboo of female puberty.
Turning Red decimates any sense of taboo with refreshing honesty. Our central protagonist is Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old high-achieving preteen who tries her hardest to appease her protective, overbearing mother (Sandra Oh). Mei is on the cusp of puberty and suddenly finds herself undergoing a bizarre transformation. Strong bursts of emotion cause her to “puff” into a large red panda, an animal linked to her cultural heritage. The transformation is an undisguised analogy for the physical and emotional changes Mei experiences as she begins puberty.
Turning Red has received largely positive reviews since its release, however some critics insist that the film is “too specific”, and thus alienating for many viewers. In a now-deleted series of tweets, Cinemablend’s managing director Sean O’Connell suggested that whilst some Pixar movies are universal (Toy Story, Monsters Inc.), “the target audience for [Turning Red] feels very specific, and very narrow”. O’Connell goes on to comment that, “if you are in it, this might work well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.”
O’Connell’s two-and-a-half-star review stated that whilst Turning Red (a coming-of-age story centred around a Chinese Canadian girl) may be personal to its creator, these narrow parameters make it less universal. He further claims that the film’s setting of Toronto, its centring of teenage girlhood and puberty, and the focus on the Chinese Canadian community is limiting.
The issue with this review and those like it is that they completely miss the purpose of the film. They dismiss the possibility of Turning Red as a widely-relatable story because of its focus on a Chinese Canadian teenage girl, instead of the typical white male protagonist. They therefore refuse to engage with how the film perfectly executes its function of foregrounding unacknowledged stories and marginalised groups. It is foolish to suggest that a film is only enjoyable if you fit into a certain demographic (particularly because of other hugely-successful Pixar films with fantastical premises). You needn’t be a rat or a chef to enjoy and relate to Ratatouille.
Mei’s red panda alter ego represents more than just her hormonal changes. “You kind of see the panda’s metaphor evolve along with Mei,” explains director Domee Shi, “It starts with puberty, but by the end, it’s clear the panda represents messiness: The messiness of growing up. The messiness of life. The messiness of all the emotions inside of us that we’re taught at a young age to put away because it causes a stir [and] grabs attention.”
Through the metaphor of the red panda, Shi crafts a heart-warming, empowering and humorous narrative about female puberty and a changing mother-daughter relationship. There are multiple damaging stereotypes about teenagers that this film works hard to silence. Often mocked for being too dramatic, or for their interests and hobbies, this movie flaunts all of those typical teenage girl behaviours without an ounce of judgement. The group start to become interested in boys, draw embarrassing pictures of themselves with their crushes, and obsess over fictional boy band ‘4*Town’. Regardless of their interests, Turning Red embraces their unbridled enthusiasm, further adding to the fun, infectious energy of the film.
Turning Red is a masterclass on how to approach teens feeling awkward in their pubescent bodies. It is a film with the capacity to change the way parents and young women alike approach the uncomfortable conversations associated with puberty. The lack of shame attached to menstruation, and to showing your emotions regardless of how overwhelming they may be is precisely what needs showcasing to young individuals and adults raised to feel embarrassment alike.
More importantly, Turning Red will certainly facilitate conversations and encourage people not to feel awkward about a natural part of life. We need more films like this that put women of colour centre stage – whether that be in the director’s chair or in the titular role – and that make the young women and girls of the audience feel good, seen, and understood.