5 powerful life lessons for teens from 'Turning Red'
Turning Red, a Pixar and Walt Disney production, came to Disney+ Hotstar on March 11. The movie revolves around 13-year-old Meilin Lee who is a brilliant student, loves her friends but is afraid of letting out some of her desires in front of her parents. It explores a mystical theme, and in the process, doles out life lessons for teenagers. Let's look at some.
At the very outset, Meilin is shown to be an achiever who calls herself an adult who "does what she wants." However, quickly she admits that even though she is her own person, she is an adult who has responsibilities. She helps her parents at the temple after school. So next time you call yourself an adult, remember, being an adult comes with responsibilities.
Meilin is always trying to live up to her mother's expectations. While it is not a bad thing, in the process, she makes herself believe that she can never disappoint her mother. At one point, she is even about to lose her friends because of this fear. Her suppressed emotions burst out horribly later. It shows that hiding your emotions can be detrimental.
An ancient family boon-turned-inconvenience leads Meilin to turn into a panda. At first, she is scared, but then she realizes that the only way to tame the panda is by being calm. Every time she has a handle on her emotions, she is able to stop herself from turning into a panda. Sometimes, being calm is all it takes to overcome a tough situation.
Friends are an important part of our growing up years. Friends are an important part of Meilin's life too. She can be herself around them and talk about boys. In fact, it is because of her friends that she is ultimately able to control her emotions and consequently, the panda. As her friends say--It is our love, we are like a warm, fuzzy blanket.
The red panda in the film signifies our insecurities, fears, basically a part of us we want to keep hidden from the world. Despite having the option to get rid of the panda forever, Meilin decides to keep it, even though she is afraid of what that might mean for her in the future. The lesson? Don't be afraid to show who you are.
