Toy Story (franchise)/Fridge: Difference between revisions

** First, I realized that the reason Andy only has a mother (his father is probably dead), is because Woody and Buzz Lightyear ARE Andy's Dads - or rather, his divorced, deadbeat biological father and the new one with all the money. Take into account the creator's intention, that Woody was a hand-me-down from Andy's father. Now look at the way he plays with Woody at the start of the first movie - Woody is the hero in all his plays among all the toys. He's the dad who loves his son, who's always there for him. Then in comes Buzz - expensive toy who has all the cool features, like a laser and wings; very similar, in fact, to the wife's new husband who's always able to buy his stepson all the more expensive gifts, which the son pays more attention to - completely ignoring his real dad (Woody) who tries really, really hard to get his son's attention - to the point that his jealousy compels him to drive the rival away (take the 'Pizza Planet' incident, which is like a family outing - Andy picks Buzz over Woody). At that point, the whole movie is about these three characters coming to terms with where they stand. Woody realizes that it's unfair to deprive Andy of a second father figure, with whom he essentially begins to share custody of their boy - he and Buzz are BOTH the heroes of Andy's games. Buzz in turn realizes that Andy doesn't love him because he's rich and gives a lot (ie: is a Space Ranger) but because Andy enjoys his company. And Andy realizes that while he loves Buzz for being brand new, he adores Woody even more, because Woody's always been there for him (in a line in [[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 3, he says that he's had Woody "as long as I can remember").

*** Actually, it's been stated that Andy has only a mother because a two-parent family would be "too perfect". It's a cue to vulnerability. Your theory could have been interpreted in that though.

** Second, if you take the 'toys-as-parents' theme as true, a lot of the character's reactions in [[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 3 make sense. Woody is the character who is most reluctant to part from Andy, because he's worried about Andy not having Woody watching over him anymore - he doesn't want to no longer be part of his 'son's' life. At the end of the film, he witnesses a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|Heartwarming]] exchange between Andy and his mother. Woody then realizes that Andy will never forget him, or the other toys, and would always love them - just like any child who appreciates all their parents do for them. He realizes, further, that there are other children who could use the toys' love, like Bonnie.

** Third, it's through ''these'' particular realizations that it hit me why Lotso is the trilogy's last and ''best'' villain. He is Woody - or rather, he is what Woody could have BECOME, if his jealous streak in the first film had been allowed to fester throughout. Remember that Lotso was replaced - with a look-alike, no less. This to him is like a child who doesn't respect what he was to her - a little girl who no longer cares about her parent and gets a new model, rather than respecting his memory or waiting for him to get back. For all WE know, Lotso and his friends may have been walking for just a day before they returned, to find that Daisy has abandoned him. Compare this to Andy, who held out hope that he could find Woody AND Buzz - he was even seen to cry at the thought that he'd leave them behind. As such, Lotso ultimately became evil not just because he was hurt, but because he believed that he had no reason to exist - and he took out this bitterness on other toys to try and validate his own worth. Think about Stinky Pete's words in the second film, how children destroy and forget their toys when they grow up - they don't need them, just like they don't need their parents anymore. Lotso sees toys in general as disposable to those they give their hearts to - their children, just like the kids who live off their parents and never show their apreciation. Andy, however, is one of those whose heart is always in the right place - the child who doesn't need his parents anymore, but will still remember to call or visit them just to check up. All the kids with names are different interpretations of how kids view their parents. The Sids of the world don't really care in the long run, as long as they can get their immediate thrills; the Emilys throw away the old when they don't need them anymore; and the Daisys replace them. And then we have the Andys and Bonnies - the kids who recognize that everything they are is because of their parents, who have been with them their whole childhoods, watching over them. Woody finds a reason for being in making the children happy (which drives his decision to be donated to the sweet, loving Bonnie). Lotso has no reason to go on without Daisy, and does terrible things to try and find one - in turn, becoming a [[Complete Monster]], and therefore, an empty being who is "not worth it". He spends the rest of his foreseeable life in the dump. My God, the writers at [[Pixar]], especially John Lassiter, now really ''are'' my favorite filmmakers in the world.