The cast of Pixar’s upcoming film Turning Red has come out in defense of its themes after a review emerged that claimed the movie wasn't relatable to American audiences. The review in question was featured on CinemaBlend and quickly courted controversy in the comments after publication.Turning Red is the feature directorial debut of one of Pixar’s senior animators and art directors, Domee Shi, and is heavily inspired by her experiences of growing up in a Chinese-Canadian household. Shi has worked as an animator since 2011 and has previously exhibited her story-telling prowess by writing and directing the critically acclaimed Pixar short Bao.There has been a fair bit of hype surrounding the film’s release later this month, but it seems CinemaBlend’s managing director Sean O’Connell felt the film missed its mark as a relatable teen drama. O’Connell criticized the focus on the protagonist’s Asian background by stating it limited the film’s ability to connect with audiences.
"I recognized the humour in the film, but connected with none of it. By rooting Turning Red very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for Domee Shi's friends and immediate family members,” O'Connell wrote.
Hundreds of fans were quick to lambast the review, claiming O’Connell was ignoring the cultural experience of the film’s creator. CinemaBlend moved swiftly to take down the controversial review and released an official apology with the editor-in-chief stating: "We failed to properly edit this review, and it never should have gone up." O’Connell also commented on the situation, issuing an apology and thanking the responders for their input.
Turning Red Stars Speak Out
In the wake of the incident, the stars of Turning Red have also weighed in with their public opinion. Rosalie Chiang, who portrays protagonist Meilin (Mei) Lee in the film, categorically denounced any claim that the film is only geared towards Asian audiences in a recent interview. When asked if the film might be a problem for broader audiences, Chiang responded:
"Of course not. This is a coming of age film, everyone goes through this change … I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to."
Co-star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who plays Lee's friend Priya, also dismissed the claim by stating that the story was ‘universal’ and that many people will be able ‘to relate to Meilin's story, regardless of whether you are a young Chinese girl from Canada or not.’ Director Shi also offered her takedown of the controversial review by adding that the film: ‘is a love letter to that time of our lives. It's a love letter to puberty. It's a love letter to Toronto.’
Aside from the review in question Turning Red has received an overwhelmingly positive critical response with a 94% 'fresh' rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The film is set to premiere on Disney + on March 11th. It was initially slated to have a combined theatrical and streaming debut, but Disney since announced plans to make it a Disney + exclusive due to a lack of significant recovery of family films at the box office since the effects of the global pandemic.