Content warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Disney film “Going Red.”
Pixar turn red takes fans into Mei’s complex world, where she learns to navigate life as a thirteen-year-old in a twisty way – she must manage a red panda that appears when she gets too emotional. The premise leads to some awkward encounters, tear-jerking scenes and thought-provoking lines.
The most profound lines in Disney films reflect Mae’s journey as she learns to accept herself despite not fitting into family and cultural expectations. With continued interest in the behind-the-scenes facts and details that inspired the film (as Screen Rant reports), now is an ideal time to look back and rediscover some of the film’s most thought-provoking lines.
Li Meilin:
“Be careful—honoring your parents sounds good, but if you take it too far, you might forget to honor yourself.”
From the moment fans first meet her, it’s easy to see that May is a likeable character who tries her best to balance being a fun friend and a responsible daughter. In her opening monologue, May jokingly addresses a saying that warns people not to forget to “respect” themselves, providing a telling clue to the film’s central conflict.
This line accurately describes what Mei does in the movie, as she honors her parents and “goes too far” and ignores her own wants and needs. If Mei stopped to think about this statement, she might have an easier time dealing with the red panda.
Li Jin:
“There are all kinds of sides to people, May, and some sides are messy. The point is not to push the bad stuff away, but to make room for it and live with it.”
While King mostly plays a quiet father behind the scenes, he shares a heartfelt moment with Mei when he discovers a video of her playing with a red panda. He reminded May that “there are all kinds of sides to people” and that the “point” is to find a way to “live with it.”
This is an important concept that May has to learn through experience, as she is not yet ready to admit that she wants to retain the “chaotic” side of herself. The intense pressure from her family to evict her red panda made it difficult for her to accept this aspect of her personality.
Li Meilin:
“Sometimes I miss the way things were, but nothing stays the same forever.”
A line that emphasizes how smart and mature Mei is is spoken at the end of the film when the protagonist recalls his “past” with Ming. She admits that it’s okay to miss these things, while also accepting her current situation because “nothing lasts forever.”
It was an incredibly sobering comment for the 13-year-old, who had to overcome challenges that the average teenager would never experience. That said, this quote will probably resonate with most viewers, even if they’ve never lived with a real red panda.
Li Meilin:
“All her hopes and dreams were pinned on me.”
When Mei’s friends suggested she keep her red panda, she immediately ended the conversation, reminding them that her “whole family would be scared,” especially her mom, on whom her “hopes and dreams were pinned.”
For Mei, being an only child carries a huge responsibility and she feels pressure to be perfect in the eyes of her parents. Her family expects her to do better and achieve more than they do, which leaves her no room for mistakes or fun times with her red pandas.
Li Meilin:
“I’ve been obsessed with my mom’s approval my whole life and I can’t handle losing it, but losing you guys feels even worse.”
An important turning point occurs when Mei abandons the ceremony to attend a concert at 4*Town with her friends. She admits she’s been “obsessed” with her “mom’s approval,” but realizes she can’t let that get in the way of her friendship with Miriam and the gang.
Fans may remember how Mei threw her friends under the bus when she refused to admit that monetizing red pandas was her idea. Her apology was a pivotal moment that highlighted how she learned to embrace herself and accept that what she wanted might sometimes be different from what her mother wanted.
Miriam Mendelsohn:
“But you’ve really changed and I’m so proud of you – just don’t get over it, you know?”
One of Miriam’s best quotes turn red Let Mei think about something before the ceremony to banish the pandas. Miriam tells her that she is “proud” of the way she has “really changed” and asks her not to “get out of this.”
Mei’s red panda makes her more outgoing and carefree, a side that brings her closer to her friends. Miriam’s line acknowledges this change in May, and thankfully the protagonist later sees it as an improvement in her character.
Grandma Wu:
“Like all the women around this table, you too will banish your inner beast and ultimately become your true self.”
Grandma Wu is the head of the family and often does what she says. When she arrives with May’s aunt, no one questions her decision to perform the ritual that will allow May to “exorcise the beast within” and become her “true self.”
The way she decides what Mae’s “true self” is says a lot about her role in the family. No one dared to question her, especially Xiao Ming, who knew she could not disappoint her mother. This dynamic affects “all women” in the room, making May’s quest for autonomy all the more important.
Li Ming:
“Don’t hold back from anyone – the further you go, the prouder I am.”
A tear-jerking moment occurs when Ming finally apologizes to Mei, as she sees how her daughter “makes everyone happy” at the expense of her own happiness. She encourages Mei to never “back down,” which is exactly what the protagonist needs to hear before she fully embraces her red panda.
Ming’s thought-provoking lines underscore the film’s depiction of not only Mei’s journey, but also Ming’s experience as a mother. She eventually realized that she had to do her part to end the vicious cycle that women in her family experienced.
Li Meilin:
“I’m changing, Mom. I finally figured out who I am, but I’m afraid it will take me away from you.”
Mei and Ming eventually connect by the end of the film, and they both realize they’ve been damaged by similar experiences. Fans couldn’t be blamed for shedding a tear or two when she admitted she was “scared” that her efforts to “figure out” who she was would take her away from her mom.
At this point, Mei is on the final leg of her journey to accept her red panda as part of her true identity. This line reflects her position on the turning point of breaking away from her family’s restrictive practices and moving toward the independence she longs for.
Li Meilin:
“We all have an inner beast.”
May leaves the audience with something to think about in the final minutes of the film, as she confidently states that everyone has an “inner beast.” She admitted there was “a messy, loud, weird part” of herself that had been “hidden” and reminded viewers that “a lot” of people “never let it out.”
The protagonist asks fans to think about the less-than-ideal parts of themselves (according to society’s standards) and re-examine them. This quote ends her story on an inspiring note, hopefully reminding viewers to accept and love themselves.