Some have the perspective of using the film to look into sadness and depression while others talk about the science behind the emotions and how they interact to create reactions and behavior.
One perspective I particularly appreciate is that of Claire Lerner, LCSW, at ZERO TO THREE. She focuses on the complex emotional lives of children as shown in the movie, and shares tools that parents (and child care providers) can use in their everyday lives to help children deal with their feelings and grow into emotionally aware adults.
To quote Lerner:
Young children are deeply feeling beings. Starting in the earliest months of life, well before they can use words to express themselves, babies have the capacity to experience peaks of joy, excitement, and elation. They also feel fear, grief, sadness, hopelessness, and anger—emotions that many adults understandably find it hard to believe that such young children can experience. But just as Riley in the film needs her parents to hear and empathize with her difficult feelings of pain and loss—which helps her move on in positive ways—so do babies and toddlers.
Her post, Inside Out: A Film for Parents of Young Children, Too, is a must-read for all child care providers, early childhood educators, parents and others who interact with or care for babies and young children.