A Weekend with old Friends

Weekends are always a good time to reconnect with long lost friends, and this weekend I was able to catch up with two that I haven't seen in a long time.

Their names are Buzz and Woody.

On Saturday night, my husband and I took our sons to see The Disney Double Feature: "Toy Story & Toy Story 2 in 3D". While my children have seen both films about a gazillion times, they had only ever seen them on DVD. Toy Story was released in 1995, three years before the birth of my oldest son. Toy Story 2 followed in 1999. My children grew up loving Buzz and Woody, but had never experienced the thrill of seeing their stories played out on the big screen. In 3D no less.

My children were enamored with the idea of a "double feature". (I think they liked the idea of the bathroom break in between films). This took me back to my own childhood when Disney would trot out a different double feature each summer weekend. This would consist of a live action film paired with an animated feature (such as “The Love Bug” and “The Aristocats”). I don't remember how old I was, but I do remember that my parents would drop off my two sisters and me at the theater where we would be alone and unchaperoned for three hours. This was in the days before cell phones or pagers. Imagine doing that now? Not to be outdone, a friend tells the story of how her mother would drop her and her siblings off at one beach with inner tubes, only to pick them up a mile or two south at a different beach. We’re all still alive to tell the tale.

But I digress. I worried that I might be bored watching the Toy Story films again, even with the addition of 3-D (which was pretty snazzy, by the way). It just goes to show you how a great film can stand the test of time and multiple viewings. While the name of Sid's dog, Scud, seemed a bit dated, the rest of Toy Story was still fresh and engaging. I even heard a few comic references that I missed the first two hundred viewings. (Woody tries to prevent Buzz from being taken by "the claw" in the grabber machine. The little green men hold Woody back saying "He has been chosen..he must go." to which Woody retorts "Stop it you zealots!" Priceless.)

The underlying theme of Toy Story film is how new friends impact existing relationships. Top dog Woody suddenly finds himself bumped to second place when shiny new space ranger Buzz Lightyear enters the picture. Woody's feelings of anxiety, annoyance, jealousy and sadness are relatable to both children and adults alike. I see these same feelings in my 8-year old, my 11-year old and myself. Toy Story 2 is a darker tale, with a sinister stranger kidnapping Woody. Buzz and the gang then set off to rescue him. The second film again taps into Woody's anxiety and insecurity about his relationship with his owner, wondering if he would be better off on display as a “collectible” in a Japanese museum than staying with Andy and risk being cast aside in a few year's time. I enjoyed the film's blatant disdain for collectibles versus toys. Collectibles remain in boxes and behind glass, whereas toys are meant to be played with and loved. (Hmmm. I wonder how many Pixar executives have original Toy Story toys, mint in box?)

The sold-out show was packed with a mix of adults and children, with adults outnumbering kids by a good 5 to 1 (though to be fair, the three hour plus double feature started at 7:30 p.m.) And while each film earned a round of applause and cheers, the highlight of the evening occurred even before the movies began: the trailer for Toy Story 3 (in 3-D), scheduled to open in June 2010. From what I could glean from the preview, Andy goes to college (college!) and the toys are donated to a day care.

So now you know where I'll be in June: Learning more life lessons with my pals, Buzz and Woody.