How Characters in Toy Story 4 Find Themselves

9 years ago, when I was in the sixth grade, our teacher, Sonia, asked us if anyone watched the new-launched movie, Toy Story 3, this weekend, and said that she cried so badly while watching. Innocent and stupid, we laughed so hard at her. Who on earth will cry while watching a Disney animation! It is the gathering of fantasy and all the wonderful things on earth! Well… The younger me could never imagine the 22-years-old me watching Toy Story 4, weeping and laughing like a Schizophrenia. If the younger me knew it, she would definitely mock me.

Becoming the type of person I used to laugh at sounds sarcastic, but it is Disney’s success to create the satire of realizing ideas we, adults, wouldn’t realize when we were little — Disney creates stories that make kids laugh but adults cry because the fun stories deliver ideas that only adults with enough experiences will understand, and this understanding is even more tragic because we realized that once we got the point, we’re not as innocent as kids anymore, and worst of all, we can never return to the past phase. So the main value that broke me down in Toy Story 4 is: we get lost inevitably, but our inner voice and insistence will lead us to our key value as an individual.

— — — — — — — -SPOILER ALERT — — — — — — — -

Forky, the new character in Toy Story, realized who he truly is in a hilarious way. In the beginning, as a toy made out of trash, Forky keeps managing to return to his comfort zone; he wants to stay in the cozy, warm, and safe trash can. However, every time Forky wants to return to the trash can, Woody throws him out, wants him to be available around Bonnie, and tells him he is not trash but a toy. The problem, the irony, and the punch line here are that the definition of “trash” varies from Forky and the rest, including Woody and the audiences. So to help Forky realize who he is and has empathy for Bonnie, Woody has to gain the new definition of trash. It leads us to rethink what’s negative and unworthy to us might be positive and valuable to others, thus we should not see the world with ideology. After Woody sorts this out, Forky can successfully find his mission.

Unlike Forky, Woody is clear about his identity as a toy but has the wrong self-cognition. The whole adventure of this movie is for Woody to discover himself after being ignored. In his world, his kid is everything: he wants to accompany his kid forever, and though not being well-liked, he still wants to devote himself to protecting Bonnie. We should admit that this so-called royalty to Woody is actually the reflection of parents who aren’t willing to let go of kids and want to be at their side forever, which leads Woody to lose himself, and the parents to lose themselves, too. It’s hard to say if it’s wrong or right, it’s too complex, but we know that in the end, when seeing Woody decides to leave Bonnie and explore the unknown with Bo, we are proud of him; and when ___ asks Buzz if Woody is a lost toy now, when Buzz says he’s not lost anymore, we find it comforting. That’s because we know that it’s a pun — Woody is a lost toy in terms of constantly being forgotten, but he is not lost in terms of realizing who he is by being in the driving seat of his life.

The one who inspires Woody to explore is Bo, the luckiest in Toy Story 4. She is the one who can’t be more clear about her self-cognition and what she wants. She doesn’t define herself by the kids’ preferences- not by Andy’s sister nor her next kid who left her in the antique store- instead, she sees the departure as her accomplished mission. That’s why when Woody “rescues” her from the giving-away, she refuses and leaves calmly. She might be upset, but will never be defeated. Without chaining herself to kids, with her unique view of her life as a toy, she desperately wants to explore the world. On the playground, in the antique store, and the carnival, we see her bravery, outstanding skills for living, and her invite to Woody to discover the world. This situation is totally opposite to the traditional mindset of patriarchy- for example, Aladin, the male character, is the one who invites Jasmine to explore the world. Thus, it is a big breakthrough for gender. Bo serves as an explorer and takes the initiative, and is the one who is clear about her self-cognition.

Same as Bo, Gabby Gabby knows her desires, and persists in getting a speaker to make herself a perfect toy in order to be play with, which is fulfilling the function of being a toy. This dream seems wonderful, but it becomes complex when Gabby Gabby wants to achieve it at all costs. She wants to replace her broken speaker with Woody’s, but it’s not moral to make those Chucky-like-creepy-looking dolls, Bensons, chasing after Woody and confine him. These are the villain’s acts- ruining the protagonist’s plans and harming him. We all disgust her. However, Disney gives her a very more-than-complex setting that makes the audiences hate her, but at the same time, empathize with her longing for being a perfect toy and her being dumped. First, Gabby Gabby tells Woody her poor situation- though the monologue is one of her means- Woody gives her the speaker, thus her purpose is done. The audiences feel sorry about her past so, though angry about her using Forky and Woody, we still are glad to see her having the speaker. The audiences are also touched by her genuine kindness and appreciation toward Forky and Woody. Second, after we finally understand Gabby Gabby, the dramatic twist, being dumped in the toy box by Harmony, breaks everyone’s heart, since we all know the feeling of working so hard for achieving something but eventually in vain. Thankfully, in the end, Gabby Gabby jumps out of the box and finds a kid that truly loves and appreciates her, and her self-esteem is content.

Forky, Woody, Bo, and Gabby touched me so much, and I’m proud of the process of their self growing. I see some traits of me in their characteristics, and I share some similar experiences with them. They also keep reminding me of being brave, listening to my heart, and chasing my own dream through bursting out laughter with every audience in the movie theater. With the love for Toy Story 4, and some silly thoughts in my mind- such as wondering if Disney is going to sell the exact materials in Forky DIY box, or being too entertained when Ducky and Bunny are paying tribute to Michael Wazowski in Monsters, inc. when they are daydreaming about being ghost dolls to scare the old woman- I’m giving Toy Story 4 a 100 out of ten. It surpassed Zootopia, and became my favorite animation movie.