Rewatchables Reference

• Woody and Buzz's showdown at the gas station – 'You are a toy!' (Sean's pick).
• Buzz realizing he's a toy / seeing his own commercial on TV (Mallory's pick).
• The opening montage with 'You've Got a Friend in Me' (Shea's pick).
• The Claw sequence at Pizza Planet – 'I have been chosen. Farewell, my friends. I go on to a better place.'
• Mrs. Nesbit scene – Buzz's breakdown after losing his arm.
• The toys scaring Sid.

• The animation – still looks incredible 25 years later; revolutionary for digital animation.
• Disney betting on Pixar – bridged the gap after Disney's 2D golden age.
• Randy Newman's music – 'You've Got a Friend in Me' discussed as being in the running for best original song in movie history.
• The 81-minute runtime – great pacing, glides through.
• The themes – coming of age, identity, purpose, friendship, existential dread, the fear of being replaced/forgotten.
• The indescribable attachment children have to their toys – still resonates.

Mallory's hot take: the runtime is too short at 82 minutes – feels like a TV episode (Sean and Shea roasted her for this).

• Billy Crystal was offered Buzz Lightyear but declined; later called it 'the biggest mistake of his career'.
• Chevy Chase and Bill Murray were also considered for Buzz.
• Jim Carrey was Pixar's original choice for Buzz but they couldn't afford him.
• Paul Newman was originally wanted for Woody (to represent Old Hollywood vs. New Hollywood).
• Rick Moranis was approached for Rex.

Wallace Shawn as Rex – 'Rex is so over the top,' though it's intentional (Mallory's pick).

• R. Lee Ermey as Sarge (Shea's pick).
• Eric von Detten as Sid – also the actor from Brink and The Princess Diaries (Mallory's pick).
• John Ratzenberger as Hamm – voices a character in virtually every Pixar movie.
• Wallace Shawn as Rex.

• Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head (winner).
• John Ratzenberger as Hamm.

• Denzel Washington as Buzz Lightyear – 'it's a whole different movie' (Shea's pick).
• Sean says the cast is perfect and he wouldn't recast anybody.

• First animated film nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
• Lasseter received a special achievement Academy Award – only 15 total in Oscar history.
• Hasbro denied use of 'GI Joe' name because the doll would be blown up; became 'Combat Carl'.
• The Binford toolbox is the same brand from Tim Allen's Home Improvement.
• The toy shark's 'Howdy, howdy, howdy' references a Gary Larson Far Side comic.
• Buzz Lightyear was named after Buzz Aldrin.

• Tom Hanks in 1995: Wins second Oscar ('Forrest Gump'), releases Apollo 13 and 'Toy Story' within five months, films That Thing You Do – 'possibly the highest Apex Mountain in the history of the show'.
• Steve Jobs: Executive produced 'Toy Story' while simultaneously on the brink of returning to Apple.

• Why doesn't Buzz try to interact with Andy if he thinks he's a real space ranger? Why does he freeze when humans come in?
• Toys on foot and an RC car can somehow catch an actual moving truck.
• The moving truck at the end is nearly empty – where is all the family's stuff?
• Woody knocking Buzz out the window feels out of character for someone who's always the planner.

• Can toys die? Or just be destroyed?
• Do all Buzz Lightyears believe they are Space Rangers out of the box?
• Is Woody an asshole? (Consensus: not an asshole, but can behave like one – complex, insecure character).
• Who hurt Sid? What's going on with his family life?
• Is Emily (Jessie's original owner from 'Toy Story' 2) actually Andy's mom?

Consensus: No – 'the brevity is what's so brilliant'.

Woody – unanimous. The entire 'Toy Story' franchise hinges on Woody's choices, growth, and sense of self.