Some pegged the notion as straight out of Ayn Rand (this would have been her favorite movie ever), but the idea was somehow made to feel inclusive via Bird’s humor, panache and narrative clarity. Thematically, the movie’s deepest fear concerns the creeping slump of mediocrity: If greatness lies within us, why can’t we let it out? Maybe it’s because we’re told-in subtle ways-not to shine too brightly and make others feel inadequate. The plot’s spirit proved infectious, the reviews rapturous. Everything was riding on his long-germinating vision of an exceptional family rediscovering its purpose. Joshua RothkopfĪ superheroic family tries to blend into their quiet suburban lifestyle, but realizes that their skills are nothing to be ashamed of.īest quote: “When everyone’s super…no one will be.”ĭefining moment: “No capes!” declares Edna Mode, the film’s snooty fashionista, and we see the fates that befell some unlucky caped crusaders.įiring on all cylinders, Pixar’s first film to earn a PG rating signaled a grabbing of the brass ring: Yes, the studio’s computer animation was peerless, but could it also do marital malaise, middle-aged belly spread and sneakily ambitious philosophy-all of it tucked into spandex? Writer-director Brad Bird commanded a degree of control unprecedented since the days of old Walt himself. Lasseter’s team bent gravity itself to make that a reality. But the film’s lasting impact is simpler than that: Swinging, bouncing or skidding, toys are alive in our minds. It makes sense that these toys would keep dreaming even when put away for the night. Toy Story speaks to our love of play, and the way we invest our dolls and action figures with the souls of whom we want to become. The humanity imparted by Tom Hanks as the passed-over Woody can’t be understated: This was a role rich enough to lure the hottest actor in the game. Naturally, none of this would have worked had there not been a killer script, labored upon for years by a creative team that included Lasseter and future directors Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and The Avengers’ Joss Whedon. Suddenly there was a real weight to billions of bits and bytes, and audiences were enraptured. Pixar’s debut feature is its most beautiful thing, emphasis on thing: The genius idea here was to embrace the stuff of toys-to imbue plastic and cloth with solidity and tactility. Nothing less than the first shot in what would become a revolution, John Lasseter’s simple tale turned adults into happy children, naysayers into believers, and computer animation into the dominant expression of an entire industry. Joshua RothkopfĬowboy or spaceman-which is Andy’s favorite plaything? And how do these secretly alive toys feel about that?ĭefining moment: The elaborate escape from evil Sid’s room, a breathtaking action sequence that put Hollywood’s A-list to shame. Pinocchio will remain immortal as long as we draw, paint, tell tall tales and wish upon stars. A swirling adventure flecked with shame, rehabilitation, death and rebirth, the movie contains a universe of feelings. But those readings are like cracking open a snow globe to see that it’s only water. Cultural theorists have, for decades, discussed Pinocchio in psychosexual terms or as a guide to middle-class assimilation. The takeaway is hard to argue with: Don’t lie, to yourself or others. (Pinocchio’s extending schnoz is animation’s most sinister and profound metaphor.) It’s staggering to think of this material as intended for children, but that’s the power here, a conduit to the churning undercurrent of formulating identity. Disney’s second feature-originally a box-office bomb-begins with a sweetly singing cricket, yet plunges into scenes from a nightmare: in front of a jeering audience on a carnival stage into the belly of a monstrous whale beyond all human recognition. Its influence on fantasy is massive: Steven Spielberg quotes the soaring ballad “When You Wish Upon a Star” in his dream project Close Encounters of the Third Kind (and remade the whole picture with his aching robot-boy adventure, A.I.). Pinocchio is the most magical of animated movies, a high point of cinematic invention. Heeīest quote: “Always let your conscience be your guide.”ĭefining moment: Playing pool, drinking beers, smoking cigars: Who knew it could transform kids into jackasses? (Literally.)Īnd so we reach the top of our list-we’d be lying if we didn’t say it was by a nose. A wooden puppet yearns to be a real boy he must prove himself worthy.ĭirectors: Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney, Wilfred Jackson and T.