Tonight, I finally saw Toy Story 3. Â I know…egads! Â That movie has been in theaters and to DVD. Â Why did I wait this long to finally see it? Â Lack of time. Â The usual excuse. Â So, get your freak outs out of your system that I didn’t see this movie sooner. Â Because that’s not what this posting is about.
Toy Story came out when I was around 9 years old. Â I remember seeing it in theaters and being in awe of the new animation I was seeing on screen. Â It was Pixar’s first hit. Â Anyway, I could totally relate to Andy and his toys. Â A few years later, Toy Story 2 came out and I saw that in theaters as well. Â It was okay. Â Not better than the original, but it was okay. Â The movies reminded me of my own relationship with my toys. Â Being an only child, you had to entertain yourself somehow.
Anyway, most of you who know me, know that I cry easily during movies. Â Well, let me rephrase that, I cry easily in certain scenarios. Â We all have “that movie” that makes us lose it. Â Movies such as Anna and the King, The Chipmunks Movie (specifically during the Mother song), The Iron Giant, The Green Mile, etc. Â The list goes on.
I wasn’t expecting Toy Story 3 to affect me the way that it did. Â Â I was a bit embarrassed since I was watching it with a friend. Â I made it through most of the movie without crying. Â The incinerator scene got me a tad emotional and thank God for the “Claw” line from the aliens to get me back to normal. Â But…the scene where Andy’s mom is in his room…that got me slightly started with a few tears. Â I didn’t realize it would be a warm-up to what was coming. Â When Andy is introducing his toys to Bonnie one by one, I started weeping. Â Then when he finally lets go of Woody, I was a mess. Â That scene went both ways. Â Woody was already in the “college” box getting ready to leave and the rest of the toys were going to go to Bonnie. Â But Woody let Andy go, and then Andy finally let Woody go.
And…here I start crying again just thinking about it, I suppose it’s all still fresh.
Then the last playtime with the toys. Â Beautiful scene. Â The final goodbye though had me in a huge mess. Â When Bonnie moves Woody’s hand to say goodbye to Andy, his reaction got me going (good job Pixar). Â Andy looks fondly at the toys one last time, he says, “Thanks, guys”…and I had to start wiping my eyes at a faster rate so I could see what was happening on the screen. Â Then Woody’s, “So long…partner” finished me.
So why did this movie make me the blubbering mess that writes this to you?
I remember saying goodbye to my own toys and donating them to charity. Â I still have my teddy bear that was given to me on the day I was born. Â When I was old enough, I named the bear, “Precious”. Â Precious went through all my surgeries with me growing up and even has the stitching to match my own scars. Â This film represented the final goodbye to my childhood. Â I’m sure there is a contrast between the children and the young adults who viewed this film, and I bet they saw two different movies. Â I remember there being a Facebook group regarding young adults telling the kids to move over since Toy Story was a part of our childhoods and we grew up with Andy and the franchise. Â For me, the film ended beautifully. Â It was the perfect closure to one of my favorite Disney stories while I was growing up.
Well, it’s after midnight and I’m exhausted from a day of doing nothing (yay days off!). Â So I shall close this post with a classic from my childhood.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB2gPZRsz0Q]