Gabby: Josh and I take to twitter for the second time as we dive into the world of Pixar to discuss Toy Story 3. Since we talked about a British movie last time, representing my side of the pond and well selected by Josh, I thought it would be interesting to switch sides and pick a modern American classic. Toy Story 3 offers so much to chew over it seemed like an exciting prospect. As we marveled at the level of detail and the quality of the animation, we were also struck by the themes that are at the heart of the series.
Josh, do you think of Woody as a representative for some of these themes such as loyalty and friendship?
Josh: I think all the characters represent those themes, I don't think there's anyone (at least in the main group of toys) who isn't fiercely loyal. Even Mr. Potato Head, snarky as he is, is devoted to Andy and to the other toys. Part of what I love about this series is that even though it has so much heart, it's not afraid to look at how difficult it can be to wear your heart on your sleeve and need others the way all of the toys need each other. Almost everything that happens in all 3 movies is driven by the desire for loyalty and friendship and no matter how dark things get (and hoo boy, do they get dark!) it's that very same loyalty and friendship that saves the day.
Let's talk a bit about our history with these movies, I was 19 or 20 when the first was released, so by my math I believe that means you were...let's just say closer to the age of the intended audience. For me, I was at an age where childhood toys had (for the most part) been gone for some time, did you see the first Toy Story when it was released? If so, do you remember how you felt about it then?
Gabby: I was just a bit too young for the first Toy Story when it came out (I was five, sorry Josh) and I remember being terrified of Sid and having nightmares of those toys coming to get me. But I also remember that I was a child who was very happy to believe that her toys were real, so this movie was so great to me as it tapped into that wish. I think the tone of the movie does hold a lot of hope for imagination, which really connected with me. The movie that really sold me on Toy Story was the second one. I completely fell in love with the characters, particularly Jessie. I had it on video and started memorising Jessie's lines of dialogue and of course started to sing a long in that heartbreaking 'When she loved me' scene. I still have a huge affection for her, she is what I wanted to be I think: ballsy, brave, no nonsense with huge amounts of energy and perseverance. In the third film she is such an essential element of that group and I think Joan Cusack was perfect casting. It was through DVD I began to realise how great the first movie is as well. When I saw the third movie at the cinema I felt like these movies were a big part of my childhood and it was very emotional for me by the end. I think the audience felt exactly the same way, even though we were all different ages I could feel everyone around me crying as well. Did you get to see the third film at the cinema?
I think you're right about all of the toys showing friendship and loyalty. They work so well as a team. In the third film though, the other toys lose faith in Andy, whilst still very loyal to each other. This is understandable as they have been in affect abandoned by him, which brings me onto asking about the fear of abandonment and isolation that runs throughout the series, how do you think this fear relates to childhood fears?
Josh: I wish it ONLY related to childhood fears! I don't know if that fear of abandonment and isolation ever really fades, I think it just moves around from parents to kids to spouses/significant others. During the movie we were talking about the deep well of sadness that all 3 of these draw from, and it fascinates me that they balance joy and melancholy as well as they do.
You were 5? Bear with me a moment, I have to go die of old age. Ok, I'm back, but now I'm a ghost. You can tell because Ray Parker, Jr. ain't afraid of me. Anyway, I was lucky enough to see all 3 in the cinema (a British term, but I love the sound of it so I'm keeping it). I saw the first two when they were first released, and then again in a triple-feature post-converted to (pointless) 3D on opening day of the third. The 3D added nothing (except to the ticket price) but it was a treat to see them all in a row in a crowded theater. The scene you mentioned, Jessie's song, makes me cry every time and there I was, a man in his mid-thirties in a theater full of kids, crying like I had just lost my own favorite toy. I can only imagine how it must have felt to grow up with these characters.
I remember after seeing 2 for the first time being shocked that they stuck the landing so well. I thought they couldn't possibly follow up the original well, I had braced myself for the soulless cash-in that kids movie sequels tend to be. When the third was on its way I thought there couldn't be any way that they could keep up that level of quality, but Pixar proved me wrong again. I love all 3 movies, and that's incredibly rare, especially for a series designed for kids. Obviously you have a similar affection for these movies, did the quality of each successive entry take you by surprise as well? Also, would you welcome a fourth chapter or would that make you apprehensive?
Gabby: Soon you'll be speaking like a true Brit Josh, a ghost Brit that is. These movies do hold such a fantastic balance of wonder and pain, sometimes seen within the same beat. That is notoriously hard to pull off and they do it so often throughout the series. Even on this viewing of Toy Story 3 the tears were flowing. We were drawing parallels with the the relationship the toys have with their owners and a child's relationship to their parents, which makes the fear of abandonment and isolation really resonate with us as viewers. You mentioned this in relation to the absence of Andy's dad could you elaborate on that a bit?
I am amazed by the quality of this series, they seemed to top themselves with each film. Not only in terms of animation but also the ability to shift tone and mix genre influences. Take the opening sequences at the start of each film, by the time we come to the third one it is like its own crazy sci-fi western with elements of comedy and still has the dimensional lovable characters at the core of the story. Those opening sequences actually give me faith in the Toy Story franchise outside of these three movies. If they were going to continue the series I do have faith it would be something special as I think they hold these films particularly close to their hearts, especially considering as the first one was also their first full length feature. Toy Story of Terror is a good example that they still have a hold on these characters and boy do they know how to build suspense! As I mentioned the opening sequence of Toy Story 3, I wanted to ask you what do you think is so special about it? Is that it captures the mix of tones we have been discussing as well as being a celebration of imagination? Or is that it really excites us for what we have in store for the rest of the film?
Josh: To answer your question about Andy's dad first, I just find it curious that a series of movies that deals so strongly in themes of abandonment and loyalty has as far as I can remember never mentioned Andy's father, even in passing. I'm not saying it means the father must have abandoned the family, it's just curious and I wonder if it was a conscious choice by the filmmakers (especially for such finely detailed movies) or if it was just a way to streamline the movies by dropping what may have been seen as an extraneous character.
As for those fabulous opening sequences, I look at those almost like the opening of the James Bond movies, big fun action beats that grab the audience's attention and tell you a lot about the characters without necessarily being tied to the overall plot of the movie. I also think you're spot-on about describing those sequences as a celebration of imagination, I love the way they (if you'll pardon the bad pun) toy with genre convention.
It's probably about time to wrap this up so I want to ask you one final question. As toys get more and more sophisticated, do you think kids might have trouble identifying with what they may see as old-fashioned toys the way that we can identify with them, or do you think there's a certain timelessness to these movies that will let them carry on, as they're fond of saying, to infinity and beyond?
Gabby: I agree, the movies are too finely detailed to assume anything other than that the absence of Andy's dad was a clear choice. I think children will always love toys. No matter gadgets we have children will always want something to actually handle and cuddle. I think actually playing with them and holding them makes it more real than a playstation game when you're a certain age. Maybe children are growing up quicker in modern society but that doesn't mean they aren't ever young. I also think these movies are timeless for all the reasons we have been discussing. Those themes, the way the film expertly handles the mix of tone and genres as well as those incredibly lovable characters. All of these things assure the series a place in the hearts of many children to come.
