Movie Musings: Disney and More

20 Reasons to Love Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story

You might or might not be aware of this, but November, 22nd, 2015 will mark 20 years since Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story was released. That being the case, I thought I would share with you 20 reasons why Toy Story (1995) is worthy of every movie and/or Disney lover’s respect. 

• It’s a product of Pixar Animation Studios, but also Walt Disney Pictures, which is the film company who has undoubtedly created the greatest animated movies of all time.
• It was the first movie ever to be animated completely by computer-generated imagery.
• It’s a very clever story that appeals to both adults and kids.
• The movie features the unforgettable song by Randy Newman, “You’ve Got a Friend In Me.”
• All of Woody and Buzz’s friends are humorous in their own, unique way.
• Its success brought Pixar Animation Studios the money, but also the inspiration to produce all of the films that have come out since then. (i.e. A Bug’s Life (1998), Monsters Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Toy Story 2 and 3 (1999, 2010), etc.).
• Toy Story (1995) also spawned a musical/stage version that plays on the Disney Wonder Ship of the Disney Cruise Line. The film also led to the creation of two television specials, Toy Story of Terror! (2013), and Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014), and several shorts that have played in front of other Disney films, Hawaiian Vacation (2011), Small Fry (2011), and Partysaurus Rex (2012). Toy Story 4 is on its way as well and will be released in 2017.
• The voice cast of the film is tip-top. It’s nearly impossible to imagine any other actor in it. Tom Hanks was Pixar’s first choice to play Woody, but Billy Crystal was the studio’s first choice to play Buzz Lightyear. He declined, which he later regretted (fortunately he went on to become better known throughout the world as the voice of Mike Wazowski), and Bill Murray was considered for the role. Finally, the role was offered to Tim Allen, and he accepted.
• The movie was directed by John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, who was also one of the original story writers for the film. In addition to that, Lasseter was one of the original story writers, as well as the director of A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Cars (2006), and Cars 2 (2011).
• It consists of many pieces of unforgettable dialogue, written by 8 brilliant writers, i.e. “YOU ARE A TOY!,” “You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity, farewell,” “Hey Hamm, look I’m Picasso…I’d don’t get it…You uncultured Swine! What are you looking at, you hockey puck!”
• One of the film’s writers was Joss Whedon, the director and co-writer of The Avengers (2012, 2015) franchise. It was his own personal idea for the Pixar animators to create the character of Rex, the neurotic dinosaur.
• The lighting in the movie makes everything in the movie seem extremely realistic, that it becomes hard to believe that anything in the movie is animated, and not live-action.
• There are cute “Easter Eggs,” in the film, such as a Mickey Mouse Watch in Andy’s bedroom, and on Andy’s bookshelf, there are books with the names of all of Pixar’s short films produced prior to Toy Story (1995), including Tin Toy (1998), which was what hatched the idea of toys being alive in the minds of the Pixar Animators. “Toy Story” Easter Eggs can also be spotted in other Disney/Pixar films.
• Former United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey voiced the Toy Sergeant in the film and its sequels. His voice-over performance is so brilliant, that it almost becomes hard to believe that he is acting. And in addition to that, it’s no wonder that he used to work for the Marine Corps.
• The movie received 3 Academy Award nominations, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Although it lost in all 3 Categories, it did however manage to win a special Academy Award for Unique Achievement in Film, which was presented to John Lasseter. 
• The iconic Steve Jobs was one of the film’s Executive Producers. He originally suggested Bob Dylan be the writer and performer of the soundtrack before Randy Newman came into the project.
• Joe Ranft, one of the film’s writers, also provided the voice of Lenny the Binoculars. Ranft would also voice a number of other Pixar characters (i.e. Heimlich the Caterpillar in A Bug’s Life (1998), Jacques the Lobster in Finding Nemo (2003) and Red in Cars (2006)), before his untimely death of a car crash in 2005.
• Andrew Stanton, another one of the film’s writers, provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear’s enemy, the Evil Emperor Zurg in Toy Story 2 (1999). Stanton also go on to win 2 Best Animated Feature Academy Awards for his writing and directing of Finding Nemo (2003) (He also provided the voice of Crush in the movie.) and Wall-E (2008).
• John Ratzenberger, who provided the voice of Hamm, has gone on to lend his voice to every Pixar film, including Inside Out (2015). He is the only actor to do so.   
• Like many Disney movies, watching Toy Story (1995) is a heartwarming experience whenever you see it, but unlike many Disney movies, Toy Story (1995) will also make you thankful that you have the friends you have in your life, because true friendships last forever.