Turning Red is not a Canadian film. You might have wondered if Turning Red was a Canadian film because of all the Canadian elements.
The animated film is set in Toronto in 2002. Meilin "Mei" Lee is a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl. Domee Shi is the director and co-writer. Shi won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Bao at the Academy Awards in 2019.
"Grade Eight." This may seem like a minor point. Americans would say "8th grade" while Canadians would say "Grade Eight." Think of the Barenaked Ladies song Grade 9.
The basic premise of the film is that Mei turns into a large red panda. when she is in a state of high emotion.
There is Canadian acting talent in the film, including Sandra Oh (Ming Lee, Mei's strict mother) and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Priya Mangal, one of Mei's best friends). As we have noted, Canadian talent wouldn't make a difference in the status of a film.
Turning Red director Domee Shi explains how her childhood in Toronto inspired the film (CBC Radio Q)
Turning Red puts Canada in the spotlight (CBC News)
Shi showcased Toronto in this story: not a major city pretending to be somewhere else. SkyDome (aka Rogers Centre) is a key part of the film's plot. Streetcars, Kensington Market, bags of milk: all visible in the film. Okay, so the school Mei attends, Lester B. Pearson Middle School, is not real. This honours all the structures named after the former prime minister, including yes, the major airport.
Canada may seem like a foreign country to a lot of Americans. The idea of a new generation having some understanding of Toronto and Canada is promising.
Domee Shi wins for best animated short at 2019 Oscars
Canada is only part of the show. The story of a 13-year-old girl, Canadian of Chinese descent, is new to the Disney+ world. That story is truly important. The people behind Turning Red would likely argue that this is a human story about puberty, uncertainty about the world, and feeling a bit flustered and scared. We don't turn into a giant red panda on the outside, but sometimes we do on the inside. Very relatable.
There are notable firsts for the Pixar world. The first full-length film directly solely by a woman. Obviously, the first set in Canada.
Turning Red is currently streaming in Canada and the United States on Disney+.
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The Beaverton is like The Onion in its satirical flair. A recent headline in The Beaverton: New Pixar movie details fantastical story of being able to afford living in Toronto.
The humour revolves around "the boundaries of magical realism I had Meilin and her parents live right downtown, as opposed to commuting four hours every day in bumper to bumper traffic from Brampton or even Scarborough.”
The housing situation in Toronto is very real. The dream of a "fully-detached home with TTC streetcar tracks right outside the front door" is just that.
Turning Red is set in the ancient times of 2002, when housing wasn't as much of an issue.
photos credit: Turning Red film/Pixar/Disney
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