![bear toy story 3 bear toy story 3](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pixar/images/4/4b/TS3_Lotso.jpg)
It is here that the aliens, who first entered the trilogy as comic relief, have their finest hour. It also demonstrates an absolute trust in his owner, despite Andy’s lessened attention to him.īeing cut off both from Andy and from the new heaven he could have had becomes a very real possibility as Woody and his companions face infernal destruction at the dump. His refusal echoes the words of Paul, who could have wished himself “accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of brothers” (Rom. But Woody refuses this heaven, even though he acknowledges loving it, because there are other toys that need saving, and because his owner was not the one who chose to place him there. He quickly finds that Bonnie loves playing with toys, treats them well, and that her other toys have established a healthy community it’s another toy heaven like Andy’s room was when he was young. Woody’s conviction is most vividly illustrated when he finds himself in Bonnie’s house. Although toys have freedom to choose their actions, they are ultimately dependent beings who exist to serve and bring happiness to their owners it is through this service that they are themselves fulfilled. Even if their owner seems to have abandoned them, and even if he knows that every toy will eventually face this transition away from the child they have known, he sees that it is not his prerogative to decide when that mission is over.
While the other toys come to believe that their mission as Andy’s toys is over, Woody is not convinced. Unlike the first two films, in Toy Story 3 all the toys know who they are–no one has to be told “you are a toy”–and Woody in particular has finally come to perfect knowledge of his status as Andy’s toy, meant to be played with by him, but even more important simply to be there. This week I reflect on some of the numerous theological elements present in Toy Story 3.Įven though I expected the film to have rich material for reflection, I was surprised at just how much was there, and have had great difficulty in limiting my focus to something short enough for a post. In last week’s post, I explored some theological ideas from the first two Toy Story movies.