Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the franchise of the same name, it was the first entirely computer-animated feature film, as well as the first feature film from Pixar. It was directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Bonnie Arnold and Ralph Guggenheim, from a screenplay written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow and a story by Lasseter, Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft. The film features music by Randy Newman, and was executive-produced by Steve Jobs and Edwin Catmull. The film features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, and Erik von Detten.
This article is about the 1995 film. For the franchise, see Toy Story (franchise). For other uses, see Toy Story (disambiguation).Toy Story
- John Lasseter
- Pete Docter
- Andrew Stanton
- Joe Ranft
- Robert Gordon
- Lee Unkrich
- November 19, 1995 (El Capitan Theatre)
- November 22, 1995 (United States)
81 minutes[1]
United States
English
$30 million[2]
$394.4 million[3]
Taking place in a world where toys come to life when humans are not present, the plot of Toy Story focuses on the relationship between an old-fashioned pullstring cowboy doll named Woody and a modern space cadet action figure, Buzz Lightyear, as Woody develops jealousy towards Buzz when he becomes their owner Andy's favorite toy.
Following the success of Tin Toy, a short film that was released in 1988, Pixar was approached by Disney to produce a computer-animated feature film that was told from a small toy's perspective. Lasseter, Stanton, and Docter wrote early story treatments, which were rejected by Disney, who wanted the film's tone to be "edgier". After several disastrous story reels, production was halted and the script was rewritten to better reflect the tone and theme Pixar desired: "toys deeply want children to play with them, and ... this desire drives their hopes, fears, and actions". The studio, then consisting of a relatively small number of employees, produced Toy Story under minor financial constraints.
Toy Story premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 19, 1995, and was released in theaters in North America on November 22 of that year. It was the highest-grossing film during its opening weekend,[2] eventually grossing over $373 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 1995. The film received critical acclaim and holds a 100% approval rating on film aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for the technical innovation of the 3D animation, script, Newman's score, appeal to all age groups, and voice performances (particularly Hanks and Allen); it is frequently lauded as one of the best animated films ever made and, due to its status as the first computer-animated film, one of the most important films in the medium's history and film at large.[4] The film received three Academy Award nominations—Best Original Screenplay (the first animated film to be nominated for the award), Best Original Song for "You've Got a Friend in Me", and Best Original Score—in addition to being honored with a non-competitive Special Achievement Academy Award.[5]
In 2005, Toy Story was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", one of nine films designated in its first year of eligibility. The success of Toy Story launched a multimedia franchise. It spawned three sequels beginning with Toy Story 2 (1999), a spin-off film Lightyear (2022), numerous short films, and a planned fourth sequel. The film also had a theatrical 3D re-release in 2009 as part of a double feature with the second film.
Plot
Sentient when humans are not around, a group of toys are preparing to move into a new house with their owner, child Andy Davis, his younger sister Molly and their single mother Mrs. Davis. Sheriff Woody, Andy's favorite toy and their de facto leader, sends Sarge and his green army men to spy on Andy's birthday party with a baby monitor, as the toys are nervous about him receiving new toys that could replace them. The other toys include Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex the tyrannosaur, Hamm the piggy bank, and Bo Peep the porcelain doll. Andy receives a Buzz Lightyear action figure who believes he is an actual Space Ranger and does not know he is a toy. Buzz impresses the others with his high-tech features and becomes Andy's new favorite toy, making Woody jealous.
Two days before the move, Andy's family plans for a dinner at Pizza Planet. To ensure Andy brings him along and not Buzz, Woody tries using the radio-controlled car RC to knock Buzz behind the desk, but accidentally knocks him out the bedroom window instead. The other toys (except for Bo and Slinky) believe Woody deliberately tried to kill Buzz. Andy takes Woody and a furious Buzz confronts him in the car. The two fight, fall out of the car, and are left behind.
After a further quarrel, they hitch a ride to the restaurant on a Pizza Planet delivery truck. Buzz mistakenly believes a claw crane full of Little Green Men to be a true rocket. Andy's sadistic next-door neighbor Sid, who destroys toys for fun, captures the two from the crane and takes them to his house, where they encounter his Bull Terrier Scud and his abused "mutant" toys made from parts of other toys he has destroyed.
Buzz is shocked by a TV commercial that reveals he is indeed a toy. He attempts to fly but falls, breaks his arm, and has a mental breakdown. After Sid's toys fix Buzz, Sid tapes Buzz to a rocket, planning to blow him up the next morning. Overnight, Woody helps Buzz realize that his purpose is to make Andy happy, restoring Buzz's resolve. Sid takes Buzz out to blow him up while Woody rallies the mutant toys to terrify Sid into never harming toys again.
Now freed, Buzz and Woody pursue Andy's moving truck, but Scud gives chase. Woody climbs into the truck and pushes RC out to rescue Buzz. The other toys, still thinking Woody has killed Buzz, toss him back out. Buzz and Woody pursue the truck on RC, and the other toys see them and realize their error. RC's batteries run out, forcing Woody to ignite the rocket strapped to Buzz. Buzz opens his wings to sever the tape just before the rocket explodes; he and Woody fall through the sunroof of Andy's car, landing safely inside.
At the Christmas gift-opening in the new house, Mr. Potato Head is delighted when Molly gets a Mrs. Potato Head. Woody and Buzz jokingly ponder what gift could be "worse" than Buzz, only to nervously smile at each other when Andy gets a dachshund puppy.