There’s a class of adults that easily dismiss animated fare because its target audience is children. They’re convinced that movies about kids lack the emotional complexity and depth of character of movies like Pulp Fiction, Saving Private Ryan, or The Godfather. For those people, I would counter with Toy Story 4. Woody and Michael Corleone have deep, complex arcs from the beginning of the movie until the end. Christina Hendricks’s Gabby Gabby, like Private Ryan, gives us a character that emotionally floors the audience with 5-10 minutes of screen time. And Forky (Tony Hale) like any Tarantino character, has a creativity and inner monologue unlike anything seen on cinema before. And this isn’t even the BEST Toy Story movie!
After the perfect ending to the toys’ story. We find most of our friends, including Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) adjusting to life with their new kid, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). After one day in kindergarten, Bonnie brings home Forky (Hale), a new toy she created, that instantly becomes her favorite. Forky, however, has no interest being a toy, leaving it to Woody to convince him how awesome it can be. On a road trip, Forky’s crisis of character leads him to escape the RV the toys are in, forcing Woody to chase after him. That chase leads him to an antique shop and carnival, where he runs into an old friend from his past.
Identity is the theme of Toy Story 4, especially for Tom Hanks’s Woody. The whole franchise has embraced this theme since Sara McLachlan ripped our hearts out with Jessie’s song. Woody has lived his whole life defined by his kid, whether it be Andy or Bonnie. His greatest fear was living life without the love of a child, because that’s how he defined himself. This isn’t all bad: Forky learns from Woody how amazing it can be to make a child happy. Previously thinking the worst thing that could happen to him was becoming lost, he encounters Bo Peep (Annie Potts), whom he tragically saw forgotten by Andy. Bo Peep, after a few dark years, has found a way to move on and live a life that Woody not only never imagine, but to his surprise he finds out is really rewarding in different ways than child rearing. The early conflict in Toy Story 4 is helping Forky understand his identity, but the real, meaty story is what happens when Woody returns Forky to Bonnie. Will he return to his friends? Or has he untapped a new identity for himself?
With most of our old friends – Ham, Potato Heads, Slinky, Rex, etc -sidelined in Toy Story 4, it’s up to the writers to create new characters for us to care about and love to make Woody’s internal struggle really earned. Pixar’s, especially the Toy Story franchise’s, greatest talent is finding ways to give us emotionally complex characters to root for in a few scenes. Jessie’s song from Toy Story 2? 3 Minutes!!! Of all the new characters, Forky gets the most screen time. But not a minute goes by where you’re not completely entertained by Tony Hale’s ability to bring him to life. Forky will remind you of Buzz in the first Toy Story, completely convinced of what his purpose is, with Woody acting as his guide to his new reality. Hale gives the fork, silly putty, googley eyed creation a naivete and earnestness that makes him instantly lovable. Bo Peep really didn’t have a character in the first couple movies other than “Woody’s love interest,” so it’s good to see her fleshed out here. Annie Potts gives her an inner confidence earned though trials and tribulations. She does for Woody what Woody has done for so many others: act as a teacher and guide into a new world the sheriff doesn’t understand. As much as I was into Woody’s emotional arc in this movie, Gabby Gabby’s story is probably the best example of what Pixar can do with its character development. I’m tearing up just thinking about this poor relic of a toy. With ONE WORD during a speech to Woody, Gabby’s life snaps into place for the audience, changing how you feel about her instantly. The reward for investing in her character is as satisfying as any feeling I have felt in a Toy Story movie, containing an emotional power that will bring you to tears: I certainly cried a little.
So go on, adult movie goers. You turn down all this amazing storytelling and emotional catharsis the Toy Story movies can provide and watch movies for adults. Let’s see what came out this year: High Life, The Best of Enemies, Always Be My Maybe, Isn’t It Romantic, What Men Want? Yikes. Even the good ones like Everybody Knows, Someone Great, or High Flying Bird simply lack that magical storytelling evident in every Toy Story movie. But go on, feel grown up if it’ll make you feel better.
Ok Us is pretty good, I’ll give you that.