Toy Story

1995.

Unlisted / #99

Nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

Woody (Tom Hanks), Andy's (John Morris) toy cowboy, is suddenly replaced by the astronaut toy Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Both toys find themselves lost, struggling to get home before Andy and his family move to a new house.

Eddie: TOY STORY is excellent. When I first saw it, I was awe-struck by how great an animated movie could be. Even among 90s Disney classics such as LITTLE MERMAID, ALADDIN, and LION KING, a movie like TOY STORY stands above the rest, and it shows Pixar's storytelling prowess right out of the gate. That being said, I don't know if it deserves to be on the list. At #99 on the revised AFI 100, this is clearly a "historical significance" pick. Just as SNOW WHITE was listed simply because it's the first animated feature, TOY STORY is listed for being the first computer-animated feature. If they were creating a list, purely based on quality, TOY STORY 2 and FINDING NEMO would've gotten the recognition way before Pixar's rookie film. (And that's only because the list was made in 2007. If we continue to the present day, WALL-E and UP also surpass the original TOY STORY.)

That being said, I do want to point out that TOY STORY was the first movie I ever saw where the main character comes from a single-parent home, but the movie never draws attention to it. As a child of a single mother, I guess I'd say that it was refreshing to finally see that.

Sarah: It's hard for me to admit I agree with Eddie. But, even if this is only on the list for significance I still think it's perfect. It's simplistic story of childhood love is beautiful. I don't think TOY STORY 2 or 3 surpasses it. I might give you FINDING NEMO though, maybe. I think what makes Pixar such a classy company is that it doesn't put story as a side note to effects. (Ahem, looking at you AVATAR, KING KONG). The animation was groundbreaking but today the movie still holds up because it remembers to focus on the love between Andy and his toys.

Why You Should See It: For me, it's a combination of Buzz's introduction and the magic flight to Andy's mom's car. When we meet Buzz, he shows the toys how he can fly, to which Woody responds, "That wasn't flying. That was falling with style." At the end of the movie, as Buzz soars over Andy's street, Woody admits that they're really flying. "This isn't flying," Buzz remarks. "This is falling with style."