Released on Nov. 22, 1995, Toy Story, Pixar's first animated feature (and the first fully computer-animated feature film) introduced audiences to some pretty wacky characters in the form of living toys. Bright and colorful on the surface, the film and its sequels featured unexpected depth and heart.
A Buddy Film
Most people see this as a buddy film, with cowboy Woody and the new upstart Buzz Lightyear, who thinks he is a real spaceman and not a toy. They immediately become at odds with each other, but as they= days go by -- and the sequels -- they become the best of friends.
When Woody is finally assured Buzz will not take top spot in the world of Andy, the child who owns these playthings, things settle down. Everyone becomes a fun little family, albeit a toy family with Andy calling the shots.
As written by Christian Review:
It’s a dynamic that calls to mind John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Woody and Buzz embody this sacrificial love as they grow from adversaries to allies, their bond deepening through shared trials.
A Fellowship of Toys
This film is about camaraderie, as each situation in which the toys find themselves brings new complications where they must work together as a cohesive group.
Again, from the Christian Review
Nearly three decades after its release, Toy Story remains a beloved classic. Its humor, heart, and groundbreaking animation have stood the test of time, resonating with new generations of viewers. But beyond its entertainment value, it offers profound lessons on friendship, purpose, and faith.
For Christian audiences, Toy Story is more than just a movie. It’s a reminder that even in the simplest stories, we can find reflections of God’s truth. It challenges us to love selflessly, serve faithfully, and embrace the wonder of God’s creation.
The Joy of Childhood
Although the toys bring the heart to the stories, it is their human “parents” that bring the soul.
Andy is the first owner of the toys. As he plays and figures new adventures to put them all in, his favorite and best buddy is his cowboy doll, Woody.
This show was so popular it inspired several feature sequels, as well as made-for-TV half-hour shows. Toy Story 2 came along four years later in 1999; and in 2010 we got Toy Story 3.
A New Beginning (and a Note of Caution)
It is in Toy Story 3 when audiences felt a pang of sorrow because Andy grew up and, when about to go off to college, gave his precious childhood friends away to younger child Bonnie.
Before Bonnie was gifted the toys, the group found themselves mistakenly delivered to a daycare center, where they were met by a dictator named Lotso and a group of rough-handling children.
When Bonnie got the toys, she knew they would be her best friends and would get along well with the toys she already had. Bonnie’s imagination is wild.
When it comes to comparing Andy and Bonnie, I vote for Bonnie. Not because she is a girl, but because she has a creativity about her that makes every situation in which she puts her toys a wild and fanciful time.
There is, however, a caveat with Toy Story 3, of which parents should be aware.
From Jesuit-run America Magazine:
The movie served up enough double-entendres and other multilevel gestures, speaking to children and adults distinctly but simultaneously, to keep the older set (20%) in our packed Yonkers theater laughing almost in sync with the kids (80%). But I also left deeply disturbed by the presence of (what I at least took to be) a casual torture leitmotif in the movie.
(Spoiler alert: if you don’t want to know a few details of “Toy Story 3,” stop reading here.)
Let me preface these remarks by saying that I found the intimations of serious violence throughout the movie, and especially in the last half-hour (living toys nearly getting thrashed to shreds and burned to death in an incinerator, and calmly holding hands as they prepare to die violently in fire), almost willfully gratuitous. (This movie, by the way, is rated G.)
And More Toy Story
Toy Story 4 with Bonnie in charge of the toys came out in 2019, and Toy Story 5 is scheduled to come out next year, but the cast and storyline has not been announced.
The half-hour films can stand on their own, however knowing the background of the characters does help. And each of these -- Toy Story of Terror (2013) and the holiday film Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014) -- have Bonnie as the owner of her beloved toys.
There are many platitudes within all of these films.
In the Christmas film, Toy Story the Time Forgot, Angel Kitty says, “Greet the world with an open heart,” “Limitations are the shackles we bind to ourselves,” “The joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you," and “Be grateful for your gifts. They are all around you.”
Growing Up
In the beginning it is Woody who takes on the role of protector to Andy, even though Andy is human, and Woody is a toy. As Andy grew up and left home, Bonnie’s group of toys mingled with those given to her by Andy, and they all banded together and took on the role of her protector.
Her imagination knew no bounds, as they soon found out. But they end up loving her just as much as Andy’s toys loved him.
And in the end, love is at the heart and soul of this franchise.
Image: Shutterstock
Francine Brokaw is a longtime journalist whose articles have been published in national and international publications. She is accredited by the MPAA and is a long-standing member of the Television Critics Association. She also hosts Beyond the Red Carpet on YouTube.
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