The Sweetest Secret in the “Toy Story” Trilogy

Jon Negroni just might get you to cry over “Toy Story” again.  I love the post from Beliefnet’s former “Deacon’s Bench” blogger about the connection between the first shot of the original (Pixar’s first and the first-ever full-length feature film that was completely computer-animated) and the last shot of the third.  But Negroni tops it with an argument documented with a level of detail and analysis usually reserved for Supreme Court briefs, showing what may be the sweetest and subtlest secret in the films.  Negroni says that Andy’s mom, barely glimpsed and heard in the movies, has a deeper connection to the movie’s toy characters than we knew.  She was the original owner of Jessie.  Read his piece, watch the movies, and appreciate filmmakers who respect the audience enough to reward careful attention.