{"id":3530,"date":"2011-02-05T10:47:39","date_gmt":"2011-02-05T10:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/\/?p=3530"},"modified":"2011-02-05T10:47:39","modified_gmt":"2011-02-05T10:47:39","slug":"the-magic-of-toy-story-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/the-magic-of-toy-story-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magic of Toy Story 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In the Toy Story<\/em> Movie Trilogy, Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) undergoes the rich complex emotional journey of an exceptionally well-drawn Power of Love<\/a> character. In Toy Story 3<\/em>, Woody completes that journey with his beloved Andy. \u00a0Toy Story 3<\/em> is as powerful, heartfelt, thrilling and funny as any film deserving of a “Best Picture” nomination. \u00a0It has my personal vote to take home the 2011 Oscar in that category.<\/p>\n

Power of Love characters see their own value only as it is reflected in the eyes of their love object. \u00a0Woody’s relationship with Andy defines who Woody is and why he feels important. \u00a0His “special place” in Andy’s heart and on Andy’s pillow is put at risk in the first Toy Story<\/em> film. \u00a0A new toy, Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), has captured Andy’s attention and interest. \u00a0When Buzz appears on Andy’s bed Woody approaches the interloper to set things straight.<\/p>\n

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When Buzz won’t cooperate Woody’s reaction is mounting fury and intense jealousy. \u00a0Woody says: “Listen, Lightsnack, you stay away from Andy. He’s mine<\/em>, and no one is taking him away from me.”<\/p>\n

Over the course of Toy Story<\/em>, Woody learns to share Andy’s love. \u00a0Woody and Buzz become friends. \u00a0It is a hard won step in Woody’s emotional journey. \u00a0Power of Love characters fear becoming useless, unnecessary, unwanted or unappreciated.<\/p>\n

These characters define their own self-worth by how much others need or are dependent on them. Jealousy and resentment are the immediate reactions when a Power of Love character feels displaced or rejected. Woody must put these selfish feelings aside and learn that love is expansive. \u00a0If you are open and generous you will find that there is enough to go around.<\/p>\n

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But Woody’s arm gets ripped and Andy leaves him behind. \u00a0Andy goes to Cowboy Camp without his friend. \u00a0Through a series of unfortunate events, Woody ends up in a yard sale and is stolen by a vintage toy collector. \u00a0Buzz, leading the other toys, comes after Woody to return him to Andy and the toy chest.<\/p>\n

Initially, Woody is tempted to stay with his new friends. \u00a0What he is offered is immortality– to be enshrined in a museum, admired and adored forever by endless generations of children. \u00a0Buzz tries to talk some sense into Woody.<\/p>\n

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Woody: \u00a0“Nah, Buzz.” \u00a0(Woody sighs) \u00a0I can’t go. I can’t abandon these guys. They need me to get into this museum. Without me, they’ll go back into storage. Maybe forever.”<\/p>\n

Buzz Lightyear: \u00a0“Woody, you’re not a collector’s item, you’re a child’s plaything. You are a toy<\/em>!”<\/p>\n

Woody: \u00a0“For how much longer? One more rip, and Andy’s done with me. And what do I do then, Buzz? Huh? You tell me.”<\/p>\n

Buzz Lightyear: \u00a0“Somewhere in that pad of stuffing is a toy who taught me that life’s only worth living if you’re being loved by a kid. And I traveled all this way to rescue that toy because I believed him.”<\/p>\n

Stinky Pete the Prospector tries to warn Woody that Andy is growing up and will eventually abandon him and break his heart. Woody tells Pete: “Your’e right, Prospector. I can’t stop Andy from growing up… but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”<\/p>\n

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Woody: “Look Jessie, I know you hate me for leaving, but I have to go back. I’m still Andy’s toy. Well, if you knew him, you’d understand. See, Andy’s… ”<\/p>\n

Jessie: “Let me guess. Andy’s a real special kid, and to him, you’re his buddy, his best friend, and when Andy plays with you it’s like… even though you’re not moving, you feel like you’re alive, because that’s how he sees you.”<\/p>\n

Woody: “How did you know that?”<\/p>\n

Jessie: “Because Emily was just the same. She was my whole world.”<\/p>\n

In Toy Story 2<\/em> Woody learns to love Andy even though he knows Andy will eventually outgrow him. \u00a0Woody has moved from loving Andy because it makes Woody feel needed and important, to loving Andy unconditionally. \u00a0Even if love may eventually break Woody’s heart, it’s the only thing that matters. \u00a0The end is already in sight in Toy Story 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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When Andy delivers the box, he is surprised to see Woody inside. \u00a0Andy hesitates and then lets go too. \u00a0He plays with Woody and the gang one last time and tells Bonnie: \u00a0“Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.”<\/p>\n

Both Woody and Andy are ready to move on because that’s what you have to do in life. \u00a0The people you love eventually all will leave you– because of circumstances, age or death. \u00a0They go off to college. \u00a0They move away. \u00a0They come to the end of their lifespan. \u00a0We can choose to be embittered, resentful and closed off by our loss or we can chose to love expansively and let go like Woody.<\/p>\n

This movie was particularly poignant to me because my family has learned all too clearly that loving is letting go. \u00a0Eleven years ago, on a Good Friday, my father died of lung cancer. \u00a0He was a long-time smoker and an “Ad Man” in the era of Mad Men<\/em>. I can still see him light up a Pall Mall and sip his Tanqueray Martini. \u00a0He always had a crisp white handkerchief in his pocket, a shine on his shoes and the faint scent of Brylcreem and British Sterling. \u00a0If I had one word to describe him it would be “dapper.” \u00a0He was a showman and a professional hypnotist. \u00a0Everyone in town knew him and he was genuinely interested in and curious about everyone he met.<\/p>\n

At the end of his life, my dad was in hospice care at home. \u00a0We were all fortunate to be with him and in the house when he died. \u00a0In his last days, it was clear he was ready– more than ready– to go. \u00a0As much as we wanted to keep him with us for just a little longer, it was time to say goodbye.<\/p>\n

The biggest thing I’ve learned about love is that it is not diminished by distance. \u00a0It is not diminished by time. \u00a0It is not diminished by death. \u00a0Those we we have loved live forever in our hearts. \u00a0It hurts to love and let go. \u00a0But it hurts even more to close ourselves off from love.<\/p>\n

I have learned we must allow our hearts to be cracked open by love and even be broken. \u00a0Those we love will disappoint us. \u00a0They will often fail us. \u00a0They will leave us. But that is part of being human. It’s a fragile, frail and imperfect existence. \u00a0And in the end, love is the only thing that makes life matter– even when it means saying goodbye. \u00a0There is no movie I can think of that expresses that sentiment better or with more elegance, grace and humor than Toy Story 3<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I’d love to hear your experience of the movie and how you have experienced and written about loss and love in your own life and work. \u00a0Please comment below or post on our new ETB FaceBook Page<\/a>. \u00a0And if you are feeling generous and expansive today please “like”<\/a> us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Toy Story 3 is as powerful, heartfelt, thrilling and funny as any film deserving of a “Best Picture” nomination. It has my vote to take home the 2011 Oscar in that category. It touched me in a profoundly personal way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,57],"tags":[372,373,25,26,375,376,27,28,377,30,31,378,32,33,34,507,35,36,37,38,39,40,427,1016,41,42],"class_list":["post-3530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies-character-development-screenwriting-screenplay-script-blog","category-power-of-love","tag-animation","tag-cartoon","tag-character","tag-characters","tag-children","tag-disney","tag-emotional-toolbox","tag-etb","tag-family","tag-film","tag-films","tag-kids","tag-laurie-hutzler","tag-movies","tag-nine-character-types","tag-pixar","tag-screenplay","tag-screenplays","tag-screenwriting","tag-script","tag-scripts","tag-scriptwriting","tag-tom-hanks","tag-toy-story","tag-tv","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"ttshowcase_normal":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",125,94,false],"ttshowcase_small":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",75,56,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"Image Size 500x500":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",500,375,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-600x450.jpg",600,450,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-100x100.jpg",100,100,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Laurie Hutzler","author_link":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Toy Story 3 is as powerful, heartfelt, thrilling and funny as any film deserving of a \"Best Picture\" nomination. It has my vote to take home the 2011 Oscar in that category. It touched me in a profoundly personal way.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3530"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}