Engaging with a controversial movie

There has been something of a furore over Pixar’s latest animated movie offering, Turning Red.

The film has provoked strong reactions, with audiences either loving or hating it. Its fans love the quirky animation style and accurate portrayal of teenage girls whilst its detractors have been horrified by references to puberty, labelling its Chinese-Canadian heroine Mei ‘unrelatable’.

The latter criticism seems somewhat bizarre, as puberty is something which happens to everyone and the film helpfully rejects unnecessary feelings of shame or embarrassment. Similarly, there should be nothing controversial about having a non-white lead character.