Movie poster for the 2015 film depicting Riley's five emotions: Fear, Anger, Joy, Sadness, Disgust.

Inside Out is a film about an 11 year old girl named Riley who moves across the country from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents. Riley experiences a transformation in her mind and in who she is as a person as she tries to adjust to her new life in San Francisco and to the difficult process of growing up. The viewer follows Riley’s five emotions, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, on a journey in her mind to help her through her transition to adolescence, and to assist her in making what they think are the right decisions. 

Pete Docter, the film's director, worked for Pixar Animation Studios for many years before directing Inside Out. He has directed other well-known Pixar films such as Monsters Inc. and Up, in addition to many other Pixar "shorts." Docter has been a voice actor in various Pixar films, as well as being a writer for many Pixar films. At the time of creating the film, Docter's daughter was 11 years old and was the inspiration for the character of Riley. 

By making Riley a gender-neutral character and using important turning points in her life, Pete Docter is able to teach members of every demographic that an important aspect of growing up is understanding the memories that create our personalities.