At the end of Toy Story, Woody and Buzz learn how to get along and share the role of Andy’s favorite toy after escaping from Sid’s house. The first movie released by Pixar, 1995’s Toy Story is one of the most popular animated movies ever made. Directed by John Lasseter from a story created by Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft, with a screenplay written by John Lasseter, Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow, Toy Story featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, and more.
Woody (Tom Hanks) has always been Andy’s favorite toy, but when Andy gets the new Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) Space Ranger toy for his birthday, the hierarchy of the bedroom shifts and Woody gets jealous. While Woody doesn’t want to lose the spotlight, Buzz doesn’t even realize he’s a toy. When Woody and Buzz accidentally wind up in the bedroom of the vicious neighbor Sid, they need to find a way to escape and get back to Andy before he moves to a new house and they lose him forever.
Why Are The Toys Alive?
Is there a magical or technological explanation?
In the original Toy Story, there’s no explanation for why the toys are alive. While most of the humans in the world of Toy Story aren’t aware that the toys are sentient and come to life when they leave the room, it’s otherwise treated as totally normal for toys to come alive and talk. There’s nothing inherently magical or technological about the toys coming to life. They don’t get struck by lightning or gain sentience because of a child’s birthday wish. While the logic isn’t ever properly spelled out, it’s just accepted that each and every toy has a life of its own.
While it never comes up in the first three Toy Story movies, Toy Story 4 gives a bit of an explanation for how toys come to life with the introduction of Forky. Forky was just a plastic spork and collection craft supplies until Bonnie put him together and he came to life. The implication in that case is that Forky came to life after being crafted into a toy, either because of the love of Bonnie or some other metaphysical reason. It doesn’t help provide any more of a specific answer than was spelled out in the original Toy Story, but it does give audiences more to think about.
Why do Sid’s Toys Help Woody and Buzz?
They’re not as scary as they look.
After Woody and Buzz accidentally end up in Sid’s backpack and get taken back to his house, they discover his room is full of Frankenstined toys that have been broken and reassembled into scary combinations. While the toys all look creepy, they’re nice to Woody and Buzz. Since Sid does so much toy “surgery,” they know how to properly reattach Buzz’s arm and get him back into working condition. The fact that they belong to Sid combined with their scary appearance might make them look dangerous, but ultimately they help Woody and Buzz escape Sid’s house and get back to Andy.
Most of the toys in Toy Story live to make their kid happy. All of Andy’s toys collaborate and work together to make sure toys don’t get misplaced, lost, or replaced, but Sid’s toys aren’t like that for Sid. Since Sid tortures his toys and doesn’t treat them well, they don’t have the same sense of loyalty to Sid as Andy’s toys have for Andy. While they may not have the opportunity to bring Sid healthy childhood joy, they can help Woody and Buzz bring joy to Andy by making sure they don’t get left behind when Andy moves, so they help Woody and buzz escape.
Why Don’t Andy’s Toys Trust Woody Anymore?
Woody meant to knock Buzz down, just not out the window…
Woody is Andy’s oldest and most favorite toy, making him the clear leader of all Andy’s toys at the beginning of Toy Story and all the toys look up to him and follow his instructions until Buzz arrives. Buzz is far more “cool” and advanced than Andy’s other toys, so the other toys are naturally drawn to him. When Woody is concerned Andy will leave him at home and take Buzz to Pizza Planet, he tries to knock him down behind the dresser so Andy, but accidentally knocks him out the window instead. RC doesn’t know what Woody’s intention was, so he tells the other toys Woody knocked him out the window on purpose.
Woody’s jealousy and dangerous attack on Buzz immediately loses him the respect of all the other toys. He may not have intended to knock Buzz out the window, but they don’t know that, and it was still a mean, dangerous thing to do. So, when the toys see Woody trying to escape Sid’s house, and he’s holding Buzz’s broken arm, their trust is hardly improved. Even when he tries to board the moving truck the other toys still don’t trust him until it’s clear he’s got Buzz with him.
Toy Story’s Ending and True Meaning Explained
You’ve got a friend in me…
For as long as he can remember, Woody has been Andy’s favorite toy, so when Buzz shows up he feels threatened. Not only does Andy want to play with Buzz more, but the other toys in Andy’s room are also enamored with the Space Ranger toy. Meanwhile, Buzz doesn’t even appreciate his own popularity. Initially, he doesn’t even know he’s a toy, but once he realizes he is, his whole world is shattered. Both Woody and Buzz lose touch with what makes them special and being taken out of Andy’s room and being forced to develop a friendship with each other is what it takes for them to realize their shared importance to Andy.
At the end of Toy Story, Woody is happy to share the role of favorite toy with Buzz, and Buzz is proud to be a toy, so much so that he’s nervous about what other toys Andy might get for Christmas. Both toys haven’t only learned how to be better friends to each other, but also better toys for Andy.
