16 Reasons Why "Turning Red" Is About To Be Your New Favorite Pixar Film

In a March 2022 interview with Uproxx, Domee addressed how Turning Red includes moments of Mei's mom asking if she's had her first period yet.

"It’s so weird because it happens to every woman, every girl, but you just don’t hear about it or talk about it and it’s awkward and crazy, but we all go through it," Domee said. "But in that moment you feel so alone. So, it’s just my attempt to just help these girls and women feel seen in that way."

Sandra has stated that she hopesTurning Red will initiate discussions amongst Asian families about how it's normal for kids to have flaws or not always meet their parents' expectations throughout adolescence.

“What I hope this film opens up is a conversation for those in the Asian community. When you’re a young person, you’re going to disappoint your parents,” she said to NBC Asian America. “It’s very hard for us, but you will and it’s okay. It’s natural and you need to find your own way.”

Domee is the first Asian woman to direct a Pixar feature-length movie with Turning Red. She used this opportunity to show a positive representation of the Asian community.

"I felt definitely a lot of responsibility and pressure in depicting ... this story about this Chinese-Canadian girl because there just isn't a lot of Asian representation still in our media," Domee said to The Nerds of Color in February 2022. "It's a big deal when a big Hollywood studio backs this movie."

Not only did Domee lead the project as its co-writer and director, but Turning Red also includes other women in leadership positions, as Lindsey Collins produced the film and Julia Cho co-wrote the screenplay.

“I didn’t even realize it was an all female-led team until the wrap party when I actually watched the movie," Rosalie said to The Hollywood Reporter in March 2022.  "I think that really speaks for how great this movie is.”

Billie and Finneas co-wrote "Nobody Like U" for the Turning Red soundtrack. Both expressed the love they have for Pixar when they were interviewed for the film by IMDb.

"The impact that Pixar has on all humans, it's really kind of amazing to think about," Billie said.

"Within this sort of treasure chest you put memories of your childhood in, Pixar films loom pretty large," Finneas added.

Billie also told Pixar that writing with Finneas for Turning Red was "the most fun" they've ever had collaborating together on music.

In Turning Red, Mei and her mother, Ming, are sometimes at odds as Mei goes through girlhood. Domee included this in the movie to reflect the experiences of Asian and immigrant children.

“I think, especially for immigrant kids, Asian kids, and for Mei in the movie, I think she has to come to realize that there is no perfect relationship with your parents, that it is always going to be messy,” Domee said in her NBC News interview.

She was also quoted as having said in a press conference that the filmmakers chose to "explore the nuances of Asian parent-child relationship in dealing with change, and of intergenerational conflict and how it can shape who we become." 

While speaking to The New York Times, Lindsey explained that one mission of Turning Red is to send the message that embracing emotions is a positive thing.

“Girls and women are always judged for not controlling their emotions — ugh, she’s so emotional,” she said. “I love that we have a main character who is learning over time that she doesn’t have to push emotions away or get rid of them to be considered a good girl or a good woman. The movie is ultimately about being able to own your emotions. Own ’em!”

Watching Mei navigate adolescence in Turning Red will bring viewers back to the awkward stages that go along with being a young teenager.

"The inspiration behind Turning Red comes from my own life growing up as a dorky, Chinese-Canadian girl in Toronto, Canada," Domee told IMDb. "It really taps into that awkward, cringey time in all of our lives when we were 13, when everything in our lives [was] changing."

Pixar was very open to including real-life elements associated with Domee's Toronto upbringing, which contributes to the film's appeal.

"I think it added to the specificity and the charm of the original pitch, that it was about a Chinese-Canadian girl. It just added a uniqueness to it," Domee told Uproxx. "It was very exciting for Pixar to be like, Oh, we can put more Canadian Easter eggs and explore Canadian culture on the big screen ... [and] just seeing how much diversity we can put in the movie ... It was just a really cool opportunity."

Julia told The Hollywood Reporter that she and Domee wrote the screenplay for Turning Red with just as much care as tales of boyhood are given in film.

“We’re treating girlhood as complex and as authentically as we treat so many stories of boyhood that are already in the culture,” she said. “For me, I think what I really love is seeing older men being like, ‘I love this movie because of my daughter.’ There’s something in there for all of us.”

Domee said in her Nerds of Color interview that writing with Julia and working with production designer Rona Liu was vital in creating Turning Red. Their combined experiences resulted in Mei's realistic Chinese household.

"I also knew that this is gonna reach audiences who are unfamiliar with a Chinese household, and I was excited to introduce people into this world," Domee said. "I knew I was in good hands when it came to the design of the world 'cause I knew ... [Rona] would do her research, she would draw from her own life in dressing Mei's house and her bedroom just to make it feel like a real, authentic, Chinese immigrant household."

Mei turning into a red panda whenever she is experiencing heightened emotions is a different concept and entertaining for audiences. This plot element mixed with the major themes of Turning Red results in a fulfilling cinematic experience for viewers.

"I think Turning Red is universal," Sandra said to IMDb. "It's about finding your own voice and then accepting your own voice."

"We're bringing something new and different while also keeping with the Pixar tradition of great stories with great characters," Lindsey said.