When the first Toy Story came out (way back in 1995), I practically forced my parents to buy me a Woody doll. And by forced I mean chucked a serious tanty so they literally had no other choice than to satisfy my orders. I carried that dude around for years – I even contemplated legally changing my name to Andy.
And while, as I edge closer to my late-20’s, it’s no longer socially acceptable for me to carry Woody around, I still carry the lifelong lessons that the franchise drilled into me from a such a young age. Sure, I still often struggle with navigating life’s moral obstacles, but it would’ve been much worse in a world without Toy Story.
If you’d like a walk down memory lane or just need a refresher in life, have a skim through my main takeaways.
1. Acceptance
There’s no denying that Woody was initially apprehensive about the arrival of ol’ mate Buzz Lightyear. After all, Buzz was new, shiny and came equipped with a badass totally-not-fake laser beam – that’s stiff competition.
While initially a tense relationship, anyone who’s watched the franchise 3000 times knows that Woody puts aside any reservations he may have, welcomes Buzz into the group and from there the two quickly become inseparable. As in, better pals than most friendships in real life.
I was an alarmingly weird kid (still am), so seeing an actual depiction of characters with different looks, backgrounds and personalities all having a chummy time meant the absolute world.
2. Loyalty
I’d like to think a few of my mates would risk their lives if I ever got abducted by a money-crazed used toy salesman (see: Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 2) but the likelihood is slim – they’d probably assume I got myself into it and they’d be right.
Without question, Woody and the gang are each other’s ride-or-die. I mean, they’ve literally swung off the back of trucks going 50km’s an hour for one another. If you watch any one of the movies, the loyalty is palpable and while my friends might not save me from getting sold to the black market, I don’t question that they’ve been there for every single other chapter of my life.
That’s the Toy Story generation though – we’re unhealthy, co-dependent levels of loyal.
3. Change
Change is awful. I don’t care what anyone says, change is the worst thing that can happen to a person. This is how I feel now, even after watching Woody having to say farewell to his longtime human companion, so how stubborn do you reckon I was pre-Toy Story? Worse. So much worse.
Sadly, things change no matter how much we fight it. Trust me, I fight tooth and nail to prevent change – I made two of my married friends add an additional section to their vows that said they must ever leave me despite what happens to their own marriage.
But if Woody and the gang can move onwards and upwards, us mortal humans should be able to too. In theory….
4. Belief
Ahh, the crucial life lesson that everyone needs to know. Firstly, believe in yourselves and others etc, but most importantly, believe that toys probably come to life when you sleep. Nobody can prove that it’s not true so just have a little faith that while we slumber, our beloved playthings are discussing philosophy and going on wild adventures. Here’s to hoping.
Anywho, you’ll be able to revisit all of these precious memories when Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 4 hits cinemas on June 20th, 2019. It might be a while away but it’s never too early to start crying out of excitement – I won’t judge. After all, you’ve got a friend in me.
