Release Year: 1995

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

Director: John Lasseter

Writer: John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft, Joss Whedon, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow

Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

We know; we know. The premise of "toys coming alive when no one is looking" sounds pretty nightmarish. And with good reason—before Toy Story, the world had met the homicidal Chucky (and his not-so-blushing bride), the creepy-as Dolly Dearest, and the demonic toys from the unimaginatively named Demonic Toys.

But Toy Story achieves the unachievable—it's a movie that makes you want your toys to be carefully concealing their sentience.

And when Toy Story hit cinemas in 1995, it didn't just change the way that little kids and grown adults alike thought about their possibly-alive dolls and toy soldiers. It made them concerned about those toys' emotional and psychological well-being.

Because these toys ain't just walking and talking—they're exploring their psyches with more neurotic introspection than Woody Allen.

And speaking of Woody…

In Toy Story we meet Woody, a cowboy doll and the hero of our story. But, like any good hero, he faces some challenges right out of the gate. When Buzz Lightyear arrives, this confident space ranger action figure outshines Woody in just about every way.

Of course, when their owner, Andy, starts playing with Buzz a whole lot, Woody's insecurity and neurosis kick into high gear. Eventually, both Woody and Buzz wind up on a wacky misadventure while they try to find their way back to Andy's house and deal with the crushing sadness of loss, change, and the kind of existential crises that would make Camus start weeping.

You know, kid stuff.

And Toy Story didn't just break ground in the field of introducing angst to young kiddos: it was also the very first movie made by a little-known animation studio called Pixar. Back in 1995, you wouldn't be able to pick them out of a production company line-up, but today, Pixar is one of the most creative, admired, and profitable companies in the world. Toy Story was the first in a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful blockbusters like Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., and Inside Out.

And Toy Story paved the way for Pixar's signature blend of comedy and tragedy. (Seriously, just turn on any Pixar movie and try not to puddle up.)

But before the ugly-cry-inducing first ten minutes of Up, there was Toy Story. It was the little animated movie that could. Made by total storytelling novices with a budget of only $30 million, Toy Story ended up becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1995. (Source)

It made $191 million in U.S. theaters alone. That doesn't count international tickets. Or merchandise. Or later DVD sales. Or any of the sequels. (Source)

Yeah, Woody and Buzz have made some big bucks for Pixar.

At the time, Toy Story was such an impressive feat that it even got nominated for three Oscars and won a Special Achievement Award for being the first feature-length computer-animated film. Oh yeah—and this was five years before the Academy added the Best Animated Feature category. Not too shabby. (Source)

Will Toy Story make you feel bad about the way you treated your toys as a kid? Absolutely—we now feel really bad about donating our Polly Pockets to Goodwill.

But, will it also warm your heart, make you smile, make you question the meaning of life, and make you question what exactly the phrase "To infinity and beyond!" means? Also absolutely—what in the name of Mr. Potatohead is beyond infinity?

There were cartoons before Toy Story, and cartoons after Toy Story.

We know we sound like we're just being major suck-ups to the team at Pixar and the all-powerful hopping desk lamp that surely controls them.

But this not-so-little film about the floppy-armed cowboy Woody and his delusional best bud Buzz did for animated films what, say, Spiegelman's Maus did graphic novels—it showed the world that it was totally possible for cartoons to be deep, searing, and interesting for adults.

It's not like there weren't philosophical cartoons floating around before Toy Story landed in theaters in 1995. There were. But before Toy Story, most people heard "animated feature film" and thought about happy endings, singing woodland creatures, damsels in distress, and joyous musical numbers.

And after Toy Story, people heard "animated feature film" and also thought about identity crises, deep sorrow, ego death, and nuanced characterization.

This complexity is why some critics have called Toy Story the greatest animated movie of all time. But, it's also regarded as one of the best movies of all time, period. It has an 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

100%. Seriously—that's the same rating as Citizen Kane (which is routinely referred to as the best movie of all time), All About Eve, and The Maltese Falcon.

Toy Story is a trailblazer. An icon. And, yes—it will definitely make you feel all the feels. So sit back and grab a beverage—whether you're a kid stabbing a juicebox or a senior citizen grabbing a daiquiri—and watch or rewatch Toy Story. Just make sure you have a box of Kleenex (and whatever flavor of ice cream you need when existential dread hits) handy.