Toy (Stories) R Us

I'm going to make an assumption. You've seen 1995's Toy Story and its 1999 sequel, Toy Story 2. You're one of the millions who enjoyed the adventures of Sheriff Woody, Buzz, and friends. And now Toy Story 3 is waiting in the wings, set to release in June 2010. If that feels too far off to satisfy your Pixar fix, the folks at Disney (who acquired Pixar in 2006) have a treat for you—a double feature experience beginning Friday: Toy Story and Toy Story 2… in 3D!

Woody and Buzz, back on the big screen

Let's call it what it is. Toy Story has—in a mere 14 years—become a "classic." It represents not only the birthplace of Pixar's imaginative journeys, but the turning point of the entire world of CGI animation. With the vision and direction of John Lasseter (now Pixar's Chief Creative Officer), Toy Story became the first feature-length film to be fully computer generated. The animation world was forever changed. Studios such as DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda) and Blue Sky (Ice Age, Horton Hears a Who!) began to emerge in hopes of tapping into Toy Story's magic—and its massive profits. But nobody has been able to match the consistent caliber of Pixar's feature films. 

Since Toy Story, Pixar has grossed over $2.4 billion with a mere 10 feature films—an average of $240 million per film. Financial success aside, those first two Toy Story films have also received millions of thumbs-up, even from the critics. Both TS and TS2 hold the rare and coveted 100 percent "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Of the 10 Pixar films, Cars is the only one to dip below the 90 percent mark on the site, putting the Pixar franchise at an average of 94.5 percent, a benchmark any studio would drool over.

So, what's Pixar's secret?

Story. Story. Story.

While we could offer a myriad of opinions on the matter, the simplicity of Pixar's success lies with one thing: Story. How fitting, then, to launch the franchise with the word Story in its title. According Lasseter,  Pixar's co-founder, there are three vital components to their success—world, character, and story, the last in which the animated genre breathes or dies upon.

John Lasseter

In fact, Toy Story almost never made it to the big screen due to (a lack of) story. The original storyline was pronounced dead on arrival in November of 1993 by Disney execs (who had already agreed to back the film in distribution). It was a day known as "Black Friday" by Pixar employees; production came to a screeching halt on the condition that the story could be reworked. Obviously, a rewrite paid off and Toy Story resumed production in 1994 and eventually hit theaters in November of 1995.

The result was a classic "buddy" story, telling tales of friendship, love, identity, and rescue—all while deeply immersed in the absurd. Which brings us to a second ingredient of the genius of the Toy Story series (and all Pixar films, for that matter).

The Absurd

What a premise: A closet full of toys that comes to life whenever the real-life humans are out of the room. They talk. They hold public meetings. They play video games. They drive cars. They go on dates, and even get married (congrats, Mr. Potato Head!).

It's ridiculous, of course. But it's the ridiculousness that works.

The irony lies in the realization that it is within the absurd—the space in which we have detached ourselves—that we encounter our own story. We become sympathetic to Woody—not because we share the qualities of a talking toy, but because we resonate with his quest for significance. We appreciate Buzz's unwavering commitment to find his counterpart (TS2)—not because it's some entertaining plot, but because we all desire a friendship worthy of pursuit and rescue. We tear up during the heartfelt "When Somebody Loves Me" (Jesse's ballad in TS2)—not because of Sarah McLachlan's mesmerizing voice (okay, maybe so), but because we fear harsh realities of abandonment.

In any case, the story of a seemingly outside reality becomes dear to our own.

Nudging us toward 'receptive insight'

Pixar wasn't the first to master the art of storytelling. It's predominant throughout Scripture. Not only is God's redemptive act revealed through the complex narrative of the Bible, but Christ is recognized as a prolific storyteller. 

In 'Toy Story,' the antagonist protagonists learned to work together

In fact, it was Christ's relentless commitment to parabolic speaking that prompted his disciples to ask, "Why do you tell stories?" (Matt. 13:10, The Message). It's perhaps the smartest question ever posed by the disciples—and it prompted a direct response that would provide a window into Christ's preferred medium of discourse. Jesus answered their question: "[This is] why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight" (Matt. 13:13, The Message).

In the case of Christ, this "nudging" is always tethered to the reality of God—the kingdom of heaven already at hand. Christ speaks of this mystery by simply telling stories. "Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one …" "There once was a man who had two sons …" "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle …"

Christ uses narrative, metaphor, and even the absurd—a camel through the eye of a needle!—to point toward a greater reality, one difficult for us to comprehend other than via story itself. The Toy Story/Pixar team is simply utilizing the same methodology, by telling stories in order to engage the audience with the greater reality. And in the case of the budding relationship of Woody and Buzz, a reality wrapped in love, acceptance, and belonging. Is it mere coincidence that at least three of Pixar's top directors—Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall*E), Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille), and Pete Docter (Up, Monsters Inc.)—are Christians?

My favorite moment in both Toy Story films is the pivotal scene, each focused on the same imagery. Both Buzz (TS) and Woody (TS2), in the midst of their own identify crisis, slowly lift their leg to read the mark on their shoe. Each reads "Andy." The reminder acts as a "nudge" in their own right, realizing there is someone back at home who they belong to, someone who loves and accepts them "as is."

Sound familiar?

It's no wonder many identify with the Toy Story films, for they anchor themselves in the human story. One that, as Christians, we recognize as a dance between God and humanity. A dramatic comedy birthed in identity and belonging—yet full of pursuit, wandering, and rescue.

The 3D Double Feature

So, what about this 3D Double Feature opening in theaters this week? I attended a screening last week with my two oldest children (ages 9 and 6), and it quickly became apparent that Pixar has succeeded in what might be their greatest task—creating films that transcend generations.

A two-week run in theaters

After two features, one refillable bag of popcorn, and a (surprisingly) entertaining 15-minute intermission, we applauded Pixar's ability to create experiences worthy of being shared—child and adult alike.

As for the 3D … To be honest, unless the studio is willing to create scenes specifically to enhance the 3D experience (which Pixar did not), these movies in 3D are like every other film in 3D—novel for the first 10 minutes, and then you remember those uncomfortable, oversized glasses clamping at your face. But fortunately, the beauty of the TS/TS2 re-release lies not in the 3D experience, but in stories worth experiencing again (and again)—not to mention introducing younger children to the films on the big screen, and not just on your home TV.

The Toy Story 3D Double Feature opens Friday and is anticipated to run for two weeks only.

Bob Davidson has a Masters of Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is co-founder of Project rednoW, a theological conversation via the art of wonder.