The Blockbusters That Shaped Us: Structure & Style in Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ and Beyond!

From the studio that brought us joy, anger, sadness (along with fear and disgust) – and I’m talking all the emotions a Pixar film evokes, not just the characters from its 2015 hit Inside Out – came the very first full-length computer animated film thirty years ago: Toy Story.

Hard to believe it’s been three decades since the Oscar-nominated film blasted into our hearts on November 19^th, 1995 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood before its wide release on November 22^nd. Fun fact: It was also the first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar in the writing category! A well-deserved nod for Joel Cohen, Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Alec Sokolow, Andrew Stanton and Joss Whedon. While John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar the same year from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his “inspired leadership of the Pixar Toy Story Team resulting in the first feature-length computer animated film”.

Nothing short of revolutionary for the film industry.

It’s worth stepping back to consider that moment thirty years ago, from the vantage point we have now where AI is on the rise, infiltrating creative works, and the debate rages around its validity as a tool vs. replacing the human factor.

We are, indeed, about to go “To infinity, and beyond!” as our technological advances continue to snowball. Put so wisely, yet unintentionally, all those years ago by Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen).

And it all started with a mouse.

I mean… the Walt Disney Company coming to the small Pixar company, which was originated by George Lucas and once bought by Steve Jobs, to create a computer-generated animated film. Why did Disney choose Pixar? Well, before Toy Story there was Tin Toy, the company’s third short film and first computer animated film to receive an Academy Award, when it was named Best Short Film in 1989. Genius, actually, putting the heart of Disney and graphics acumen of Pixar together. Toy Story, and every film that followed out of Pixar, is a testament to solid storytelling and how important stunning yet relatable graphics can make or break that story. Animation is a tool, which launched a whole new way of filmmaking thanks to Woody and friends going on their first adventure in Toy Story… much like the original rag tag crew at Pixar, coming together for a common goal.

There’s something so satisfying about watching Luxo Jr., that would be the little lamp synonymous with the Pixar name, hop across the screen and stomp that into the ground to take its place. The new replacing the old, simultaneously shining a light on the future and creating light in the dark, depending how you choose to see it. It’s a comforting way to set the table for the audience, and we always know what we’re going to get when we sit down at a Pixar table.

In fact, Vox put all the Pixar themes into this handy little grid for your viewing pleasure. Things like:

There are more, but these key elements of a Pixar flick are part of the reason for their success. They create emotional resonance for the audience that goes beyond the beautiful animation and lovable characters. It’s how those characters relate to each other that creates the core of the story. The ensuing adventure is secondary.

Sure, the adventures is why we think we’re there. We want to know if Woody and Buzz will end up safe at home with Andy! But really, we stay to watch because what we really want is these two lovable opposites to get along.

Much more has been written on Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling, efficiently laid out by screenwriter and teacher Corey Mandell for the ISA here. So we won’t rehash those, but I do recommend a peek at them as your yellow brick road to a solid story structure.

Instead, we’re going to move on to Pixar’s quintessential style.

It shouldn’t escape you that a hallmark of Pixar’s animation is the eyes. Large, constantly emoting. The eyes, after all, are the window to the soul. In this case, the soul of the story is what the storytellers behind their blockbuster hits are trying to get across to audiences. This is a beautiful synergy between the screenwriters and artists bringing Toy Story and the rest of the Pixar library to life.

There’s also always a great soundtrack involved. Music does so much to set the tone of a scene, recall us back to memories of our own which then become a lens through which we might view the current story in front of us.

We all had those essential toys in our childhood. The ones that had a special place in our heart above the rest and while we may have outgrown them, boxed them up, or even gifted them away long ago, they are still part of what shaped us. That’s Woody for Andy in Toy Story. So, while a talking cowboy toy may not be my thing, I had some Polly Pockets that were essential to my play time. That emotional resonance of my tiny little dolls reflected in Randy Newman’s Academy Award and Golden Globe Best Song nominee, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. Toy Story’s main theme and recurring theme through its four feature film instalments (a fifth on the way in 2026!).

A Pixar film is like settling in with a very expressive friend who’s always got beautiful tales to tell. We know we’ll feel all the things, and get a vibrant taste of something new with all the nostalgic flavors we love. Its stylized stories are hallmarks of our own journey, both as admires of the silver screen and scriptwriters ourselves, absorbing the very best cinema as to offer.