Content warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Disney film “Going Red.”
Pixar’s 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. That premise leads to some awkward encounters, tear-jerking scenes, and thought-provoking lines.
Some of the most poignant lines in a Disney film reflect May’s journey as she learns to accept herself despite her failure to meet family and cultural expectations. With continued interest in behind-the-scenes facts and details about the film’s inspiration (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 Mei is a lovable character who does 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 had stopped to think about this sentence, she might have had an easier time dealing with the little 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 “people have all kinds of sides” and that the “point” is to find a way to “bear it”.
This is an important concept that May has to learn through experience, because she is not ready to admit that she wants to keep her “messy” side. 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 are, but nothing stays the same forever.”
When the main character reminisces about “the past” with Ming, a line is uttered at the end of the film that emphasizes how smart and mature May is. She admits it’s okay to miss those things, while accepting where she is now because “nothing stays the same 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, it’s a line that’s likely to resonate with most viewers, even if they’ve never lived with an actual red panda.
Li Meilin:
“All her hopes and dreams are 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 May, the responsibility of being an only child is enormous, and she feels the pressure to be perfect in her parents’ eyes. 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 stand losing it, but losing you guys feels even worse.”
A major turning point occurs when Mei abandons the ceremony to join her friends in a 4*Town concert. 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 May threw her friends under the bus when she refused to admit that monetizing the red panda was her idea. Her apology was a pivotal moment that highlighted how she had learned to embrace herself and accept that what she wanted might sometimes be different than what her mom wanted.
Miriam Mendelssohn:
“But you’ve really changed, and I’m so proud of you — just don’t get away with it all, you know?”
One of Miriam’s best quotes turn red Before the ritual of banishing the panda, let Mei think about something. Miriam told her she was “proud” of how she had “really changed” and asked her not to “get away with it all”.
Mei’s red panda makes her more outgoing and carefree, a side of her that brings her closer to her friends. Miriam’s lines acknowledge 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 also cast out your inner beast and finally become who you really are.”
Grandma Wu is the head of the family, and most of the time she 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 back down from anyone – the farther 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 May to never “back down,” which is exactly what the main character needs to hear before fully embracing her red panda.
Ming’s thought-provoking lines underscore the film’s portrayal of not only May’s journey, but also Ming’s experience as a mother. She eventually realizes that she must do her part to end the vicious circle experienced by women in her family.
Li Meilin:
“I’m changing, Mom. I’m finally figuring out who I am, but I’m afraid it will take me away from you.”
Mei and Ming eventually bond by the end of the film, both realizing they’ve been hurt by similar experiences. Fans couldn’t be blamed for shedding a tear or two when she admitted that she was “terrified” that efforts to “figure out” who she was would take her away from her mom.
At this point, May is on the final leg of a journey to accept her red panda as part of her true identity. The line reflects her position at the turning point away from her family’s restrictive practices and towards the independence she craves.
Li Meilin:
“We all have our inner beast.”
May leaves the audience with something to think about in the film’s final minutes, as she confidently says 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.