The Pixar Theory

Every Pixar movie is connected. I explain how, and possibly why.

Before we go further, I should let you know that The Pixar Theory is now a published book.
Since writing this blog post in 2013, Ive been working on completing the unified theory in
what I hope you find to be a compelling and even more persuasive essay. Or not. Its cool
either way.

You can check out the book here. Or keep reading below to read the original theory. Just
keep in mind that a lot of what youre about to read has been changed and modified over
the last two years based on feedback and repeated viewings of the movies.

Back to the theory!

Several months ago, I watched a fun-filled video on Cracked.com that introduced the idea
(at least to me) that all of the Pixar movies actually exist within the same universe. Since
then, Ive obsessed over this concept, working to complete what I call The Pixar Theory, a
working narrative that ties all of the Pixar movies into one cohesive timeline with a main
theme. Another, longer, title is The Grand Unifying Theory of Pixar Movies.

This theory covers every feature-length movie made by Pixar Animation Studios since Toy
Story. That includes:

A Bugs Life
Toy Story 2
Monsters Inc.
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Cars
Ratatouille
Wall-E
Up
Toy Story 3
Cars 2
Brave
Monsters University
Inside Out (in Part 2)
The Good Dinosaur (in Part 3)
Finding Dory (in Part 4)

The point of this theory is to have fun and exercise your imagination while simultaneously
finding interesting connections between these fantastic movies. If you hate fun and/or
imagination, you probably wont like this theory.

[SIDE NOTE: Ill be adding updates made after the theory was originally published. Youll
know its an update if there are brackets like what you see now.]
Brave is the first and last movie in the timeline. Obviously, this movie about a Scottish
kingdom during the Dark Ages is the earliest time period covered by the Pixar films, but its
also the only Pixar movie that actually explains why animals in the Pixar universe behave
like humans sometimes.

In Brave, Merida discovers that there is magic that can solve her problems but
inadvertently turns her mother into a bear. We find out that this magic comes from an odd
witch seemingly connected to the mysterious will-of-the-wisps. Not only do we see animals
behaving like humans, but we also see brooms (inanimate objects) behaving like people in
the witchs shop.

We also learn that this witch inexplicably disappears every time she passes through doors,
leading us to believe that she may not even exist. Dont get ahead of me, but well come
back to Brave. Lets just say that for now, the witch is someone we know from a different
movie in the timeline.
[Some of you have pointed out that the animals in Brave gradually regress back into an
animal state, disproving the idea that this is the source of animals acting like humans. My
rebuttal is simple. They regress because the magic wears off. Over time, their evolving
intelligence grows naturally.]

Centuries later, the animals from Brave that have been experimented on by the witch have
interbred, creating a large-scale population of animals slowly gaining personification and
intelligence on their own.

There are two progressions: the progression of the animals and the progression of artificial
intelligence. The events of the following movies set up a power struggle between humans,
animals, and machines.

The stage for all-out war in regards to animals is set by Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, and Up,
in that order. Notice I left out A Bugs Life, but Ill explain why later.

In Ratatouille, we see animals experimenting with their growing personification in small,

controlled experiments.

Remy wants to cook, which is something only humans explicitly do. He crafts a
relationship with a small group of humans and finds success. Meanwhile, the villain of
Ratatouille, Chef Skinner, disappears. What happened to him? What did he do with his
newfound knowledge that animals were capable of transcending their instincts and
performing duties better than humans?

Its possible that Charles Muntz, the antagonist of Up, learned of this startling rumor, giving
him the idea to begin inventing devices that would harness the thoughts of animals,
namely his dogs, through translator collars. Those collars indicated to Muntz that animals
are smarter and more like humans than we think. He needed this technology to find the
exotic bird hes obsessed over, and he even comments on how many dogs hes lost since
he arrived in South America.

But then Dug and the rest of his experiments are set free after Muntzs demise, and we
dont know the full implications of that, but what we do know is that animosity between the
animals and humans is growing steadily. Now that humans have discovered the potential
of animals, they are beginning to cross the line. To develop this new technology, the
humans begin an industrial revolution hinted at in Up.

[Some have pointed out that Muntz was working in South America before the events of
Ratatouille. This is true, but it is not explicitly stated how and when he developed the
collars. Also, we know Ratatouille takes place before Up for several reasons. In Toy Story
3, a postcard on Andys wall has Carl and Ellies name and address on it (including their
last names to confirm). This confirms that in 2010, the time of Toy Story 3, Ellie is still alive
or hasnt been dead long. This supports the idea that Up takes place years later.]
In the beginning of Up, Carl is forced to give up his house to a corporation because they
are expanding the city.

Wait a second. What corporation is guilty for polluting the earth and wiping out life in the
distant future because of technological overreach?

Buy-n-Large (BNL), a corporation that runs just about everything by the time we get to
Wall-E. In theHistory of BNL commercial from the movie, were told that BNL has even
taken over the world governments. Did you catch that this one corporation achieved global
dominance? Interestingly, this is the same organization alluded to in Toy Story 3:
In Finding Nemo, we have an entire population of sea creatures uniting to save a fish that
was captured by humans. BNL shows up again in this universe via another news article
that talks about a beautiful underwater world.

Lines are being crossed. Humans are beginning to antagonize the increasingly networked
and intelligent animals.

Think about Dory from Finding Nemo for a second. She stands apart from most of the
other fish. Why? She isnt as intelligent. Her short-term memory loss is likely a result of her
not being as advanced as the other sea creatures, which is a reasonable explanation for
how rapidly these creatures are evolving.

Its likely that the sequel to Finding Nemo, which is about Dory, will touch on this and
further explain why. We may also get some more evidence pointing to animosity between
humans and animals.

[Some great users have pointed out that Dory is actually more intelligent and shows signs
of growth due to her ability to read and communicate with whales. This would actually
show signs of how the animals are beginning to change in intelligence gradually.]

And that is the furthest movie in the animal side of things. When it comes to A.I., we start
with The Incredibles. Who is the main villain of this movie? You probably thought of Buddy,
a.ka. Syndrome, who basically commits genocide on super-powered humans.
Or does he? Buddy didnt have any powers. He used technology to enact revenge on Mr.
Incredible for not taking him seriously. Seems a little odd that the man went so far as to
commit genocide.

[A lot of people have been arguing about where The Incredibles actually takes place
because we see technology from modern times and the 1980s even though everything has
a 1960s vibe. This is cleared by Brad Bird, the director, who says the movie takes place in
an alternate 1960s, which means the movie opens in the 1950s.]

And how does he kill all of the supers? He creates the omnidroid, an A.I. killbot that
learns the moves of every super-human and adapts. When Mr. Incredible is first told about
this machine, Mirage mentions that it is an advanced artificial intelligence that has gone
rogue.

Mr. Incredible points out that it got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders. The
omnidroid eventually turns on Syndrome, and starts attacking humans in the city. Why
would an A.I. want to just attack randomly? Do machines have an inherent hatred of
humans?

The movie even shows clips of the superheroes with capes being done in by inanimate
objects, such as plane turbinesaccidentally.
But why would machines want to get rid of humans in the first place? We know that
animals dont like humans because they are polluting the Earth and experimenting on
them, but why would the machines have an issue?

Enter Toy Story. Here we see humans using and discarding objects that are clearly
sentient. Yes, the toys love it Uncle Tom style, but over the course of the Toy Story
sequels, we see toys becoming fed up. But wait, toys and inanimate objects arent
necessarily machines, so how do they have some kind of intelligence?

Syndrome points to the answer. He tells Mr. Incredible that his lasers are powered by Zero
Point Energy. This is the electromagnetic energy that exists in a vacuum. Its the unseen
energy we find in wavelengths and a reasonable explanation for how toys and objects in
the Pixar world draw power.

By the events of the Toy Story movies, we are in the 90s until 2010. Its been 40-50 years
or so since the events of The Incredibles, giving A.I. plenty of time to develop BNL.
Meanwhile, Pixar is hinting at dissatisfaction among pockets of toy civilizations. The toys
rise up against Sid in the first movie. Jesse resents her owner, Emily, for abandoning her.
Lotso Huggin Bear straight up hates humans by the third movie.

Toys are obviously not satisfied with the status quo, providing a reason for why machines
and objects alike are ready to take over.

So, by the 2000s, the super-humans are all but gone, and mankind is vulnerable. Animals,
who want to rise up Planet of the Apes style, have the ability to take over, but we dont see
this happen.

Also, A.I. never takes over humans by force. Why do you think that is? Its reasonable to
assume that machines did take over, just not as we expected. The machines used BNL, a
faceless corporation (which are basically faceless in nature) to dominate the world, starting
in the 1960s after the Omnidroid fails to defeat the Incredibles.

In each of the Toy Story movies, its made painfully clear that sentient objects rely on
humans for everything. For fulfillment and even energy. Its hinted at that the Toys lose all
life when put away in storage unless they are in a museum that will get them seen by
humans.

So machines decide to control humans by using a corporation that suits their every need,
leading to an industrial revolution that eventually leads topollution. When the animals
rise up against the humans to stop them from polluting the earth, who will save them? The
machines.

We know that the machines will win the war, too, because after this war, there are almost
no animals left on Earth. Whos left?

Because the machines tip everything out of balance, Earth becomes an unfit planet for
humans and animals, so the remaining humans are put on Axiom (or Noahs Ark if you
want to carry on the Biblical theme where Wall-E is basically Robot Jesus and his love
interest is aptly named Eve) as a last-ditch effort to save the human race.
On Axiom, the humans have no purpose aside from having their needs met by the
machines. The machines have made humans dependent on them for everything because
that is how they were treated as toys. Its all they know.

Meanwhile on Earth, machines are left behind to populate the world and run things,
explaining human landmarks and traditions still being prominent in Cars. There are no
animals or humans in this version of Earth because theyre all gone, but we do know that
the planet still has many human influences left.

[Some have noted that the world of Cars cant be after humans left because theres no
pollution shown in the movies. If you look carefully at Wall-E, however, the world is never
shown during this time, so we dont really know how badly the Earth was polluted.]

[Its possible that the machines sent humans away to curb overpopulation and fix the
environment without them, but the world was drained of resources as a result of machines
populating the Earth. That would explain why the machines abandoned Earth entirely,
leaving only Wall-E behind.]

In Cars 2, the cars go to Europe and Japan, making it plain that this is all taking place on
Earth as we know it. So what happened to the cars? Weve learned by now that humans
are the source of energy for the machines. Thats why they never got rid of them.

In Wall-E, they point out that BNL intended to bring the humans back once the planet was
clean again, but they failed. The machines on Earth eventually died out, though we dont
know how.
What we do know is that there is an energy crisis in Cars 2, with oil being the only way
society trudges on despite its dangers. We even learn that the Allinol corporation was
using green energy as a catalyst for a fuel war in order to turn cars away from alternative
energy sources. That clean fuel could have been used to wipe out many of the cars, very
quickly.

[Someone pointed out that all in all means the same thing as by and large making the
connection between Cars and Wall-E even more substantial.]

Which brings us back to Wall-E. Have you ever wondered why Wall-E was the only
machine left? We know that the movie begins 800 years after humans have left Earth on
Axiom, governed by the AutoPilot (another A.I. reference).

Could it be that Wall-Es fascination with human culture and friendship with a cockroach is
what allowed him to keep finding fulfillment and the ability to maintain his personality?
Thats why he was special and liberated the humans.
He remembered the times when humans and machines lived in peace, away from all of
the pollution caused by both sides.

After Wall-E liberates the humans and they rebuild society back on Earth, what happens
then? During the end credits of Wall-E, we see the shoe that contains the last of plant life.
It grows into a mighty tree. A tree that strikingly resembles the central tree in A Bugs Life.

Thats right. The reason no humans show up in A Bugs Life is because there arent a lot
left. We know because of the cockroach that some of the insects survived, meaning they
would have rebounded a bit faster, though the movie had to be far enough in the timeline
for birds to have returned as well, though theyre noticeably less intelligent than the bugs.

[Ill admit, the trees looking similar isnt enough to support the idea that A Bugs Life takes
place after Wall-E, but theres definitely more reasons for why its likely. Also, Ill bring the
tree up again later because it appears in Up as well.]

Theres something strikingly different about A Bugs Life when compared to other Pixar
portrayals of animals, which leads me to believe it takes place in the future. Unlike
Ratatouille, Up, and Finding Nemo, the bugs have many human activities similar to what
the rats in Ratatouille were merely experimenting with.

The bugs have cities, bars, advertisements, their own machines, know what a bloody mary
is and even have a traveling circus. This all assumes that the movie is in a different time
period.

The other factor that sets A Bugs Life apart from other Pixar movies is the fact that it is the
only one, besides Cars and Cars 2, that doesnt revolve (or even include) humans.

[Okay there is a a lot of contention over the idea that A Bugs Life takes place post-
apocalypse, but hear me out. The reason I am so inclined to push the idea is because of
how different the bug world is from the animal movies. No other Pixar movie has animals
wearing clothing, wild inventions, animals creating machines, or so much human influence
like bars and cities.]

[In Finding Nemo, the most human thing we see is a school, and even that is pretty
stripped down. But in A Bugs Life, we have a world where humans are barely even
implied. At one point, one of the ants tells Flik not to leave the island because there are
snakes, birds, and bigger bugs out there. He doesnt even bring up humans.

[Yes, there are some humans, like the kid who allegedly picked the wings off of the
homeless bug, but that still fits in a post Wall-E world. Also, the bugs have to be irradiated
for them to live such long lifespans. The average lifespan of an ant is just 3 months, but
these ants all survive an entire summer and allude to being around for quite some time by
saying things like this happens every year. One of the ants even says he feels 90
again. That works if you accept that the ants are sturdier due to evolution and mutated
genes.]

Theres another Pixar movie that was supposed to be released in 2012, but it was
cancelled and replaced with Brave. This movie was called Newt, and I believe it might
have fit in this part of the timeline post-Wall-E. The movies supposed plot: What happens
when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced
together by science to save the species, and they cant stand each other?

A movie about an endangered species rebuilding itself could lend itself nicely to this
theory, but since the movie was never released, Im just speculating.

So what happens next? Humanity, machines, and animals grow in harmony to the point
where a new super species is born. Monsters. The monsters civilization is actually Earth in
the incredibly distant future.

[Someone wisely pointed out that in Monsters University, the college is said to be founded
in 1313. If were really in the future, then that means the monsters could have reset society
and begun using their own calendar. That could mean Monsters Inc. takes place up to
1400 (or more) years after A Bugs Life.]

Where did they come from? Its possible that the monsters are simply the personified
animals mutated after the diseased earth was irradiated for 800 years.

[Not during Wall-E. I would guess that it took hundreds of years after Wall-E for the
animals to become monsters]

Whatever the reason, these monsters seem to all look like horribly mutated animals, only
larger and civilized. They have cities and even colleges, as we see in Monsters University.

[An issue some have found is that this doesnt properly explain what happened to humans.
I havent settled on a theory I really like yet, but Im leaning towards the idea that monsters
and machines eventually forgot that they need humans and got rid of them again, not
realizing their mistake until all humans died out. Another explanation is that humans just
couldnt survive on Earth anymore.]

In Monsters Inc., they have an energy crisis because they are in a future earth without
humans. Humans are the source of energy, but thanks to the machines, again, the
Monsters find a way to use doors to travel to the human world. Only, its not different
dimensions.
The monsters are going back in time. Theyre harvesting energy to keep from becoming
extinct by going back to when humans were most prominent. The peak of civilization, if
you will. Though a lot of time has passed, animosity towards humans never really went
away for animals/monsters.

Monsters must have relied on anti-human instincts to believe that just touching a human
would corrupt their world like it did in the past. So they scare humans to gather their
energy until they realize that laughter (green energy) is more efficient because it is positive
in nature.

[An alternative explanation that fits even better that some of you brought up: The machines
and monsters created the time travel doors but realized that messing with time could erase
their existence and change history. So, they falsely trained monsters to believe that
humans are toxic and from another dimension, making it suicide for a monster to interact
too much with their world.]

[Another issue is how the monsters seem to worry about kids being less scared these
days. Its likely that going in the past takes a lot of energy, so the monsters can only go
back as far as the practice still returns a profit in energy. To them, theyre just moving
through the same dimension of time, but the monsters at the top know that eventually,
theyll run out. This is why Waternose is so bent on capturing children and enslaving
them.]

We even see a connection between A Bugs Life and Monsters Inc. via the trailer we see
in both movies. As you can see, the trailer looks exactly the same, except the one in A
Bugs Life is noticeably older and more decrepit, while the one in Monsters Inc. (where
Randall is sent via a door) has humans and looks newer.
Look at the picture above. On the left is the trailer from A Bugs Life and the one on the
right is from Monsters Inc. The one on the left looks older and more rundown. Even the
vegetation is noticeably dryer and theres less of it. The trailer on the right has humans and
the frame even includes tall grass and a tree hanging overhead.

[Some have argued that the trailer in A Bugs Life should be nothing but dust. I disagree
based on how barely intact other buildings were in Wall-E. They also bring up the bug
zapper that is powered by electricity. The zapper could easily be solar powered, just like
Wall-E. The bugs probably used it as a light source to signal other bugs to Bug City.
Also, the trailer in A Bugs Life never shows lights in the trailer like it does for Monsters
Inc.]

That said, Monsters Inc. is so far the most futuristic Pixar movie. By the end, humans,
animals, and machines have finally found a way to understand each other and live
harmoniously.

And then theres Boo. What do you think happened to her? She saw everything take place
in future earth where kitty was able to talk. She became obsessed with finding out what
happened to her friend Sully and why animals in her time werent quite as smart as the
ones shed seen in the future.

She remembers that doors are the key to how she found Sully in the first place and
becomes
A WITCH. Yes, Boo is the witch from Brave. She figures out how to travel in time to find
Sully, and goes back to what she believes is the source: The will-of-the-wisps.

They are what started everything, and as a witch, she cultivates this magic in an attempt to
find Sully by creating doors going backwards and forwards in time.

[Just to clarify: The theory is that Boo discovered a way to use doors to travel through time
on her own, possibly by developing magic on her own. She probably went back in time to
the Dark Ages to get more magic from the will-o-wisps.]

How do we know? In Brave, you can briefly see a drawing in the workshop. Its Sully.
We even see the Pizza Planet truck carved as a wooden toy in her shop, which makes no
sense unless shes seen one before(and Im sure she has since that truck is in almost
every Pixar movie). If you look closely, you can see the carved truck below.
You remember Merida opening doors and the witch constantly disappearing? Its because
those doors are made the same way from Monsters Inc. They transport across time and
that is why Merida couldnt find the witch later in the movie.

[A lot of people have brought up how easter eggs are scattered throughout all the Pixar
movies. I barely scratch the surface, but a great theory offered by some that I support is
that these easter eggs are planted by Boo either intentionally or accidentally as she travels
through time to find Sully. Some support for that is the fact that every easter egg in Brave
lies in her workshop.]

But wait. How did Boo travel in time in the first place, and why is she obsessed with wood?
Boo must have discovered that wood has been the source of energy all along, not just
humans. The machines and monsters in Monsters Inc. use doors because theyre made of
wood and found a way to use that energy to travel in time.

[Many have pointed out how the door that banishes monsters is metal. Thats probably
because wood is used to harness this magic, and using a metal door would stop a
banished monster from going back through it.]

Obsessed with finding Sully, Boo travelled across the Pixar universe using doors.

[Its even possible that the wood from the tree in A Bugs Life is the source of Fliks
ingenuity, due to his fascination and respect for seeds growing into trees. The tree also
bears a resemblance to the one in Up that Carl and Ellie frequented, which could be the
source of Carls wild creativity in using balloons to transport his house.]

[This also explains why Flik and Heimlich from A Bugs Life show up in Toy Story 2, which
would be centuries before their time. Boo was trying to go to the future and could have
fallen short by landing in the post-Wall-E time. She would need wood to keep time
traveling, but theres not much around yet, so she stumbles upon the tree in A Bugs Life.
She could have accidentally brought back a few bugs with her when traveling backwards
in time.]

So Boo went back to the Dark Ages, probably because she could use plenty of wood there
for her experiments or to study the will-o-wisps. We know that her first encounter with
Mordu ended with her turning him into a monstrous bear, but he regresses.

She probably wanted to turn him into a bear because Sully resembles a bear, and she is
still trying to figure out where Sully comes from.

Does Boo ever find Sully? I like to think so. He surely reunited with her at least once as a
child at the end of Monsters Inc., but eventually, he had to stop visiting.

But her love for Sully is, after all, the crux of the entire Pixar universe. The love of different
people of different ages and even different species finding ways to live on Earth without
destroying it because of a lust for energy.

And that is the Pixar Theory.

Well, the first part at least. Like I already mentioned, theres a book where I truly explore
everything discussed above in more researched detail. The arguments are much stronger,
and the timeline is more established.

Thanks for Reading! You can subscribe to this blog by email via the prompt on the
sidebar. Otherwise, be sure to stay connected with me on Twitter (@JonNegroni). Ill
follow you back if you say something witty and awesome.

The Pixar Theory, Part 2: Inside Out

Take her to the moon for me. Okay?

The Pixar Theory, or Grand Unifying Theory of Pixar movies if you want to be more
intense, is a fan theory I wrote in 2013 about how every single feature film made by Pixar
Animation Studios is intentionally set in the same universe. Or unintentionally, if you
believe in miracles.
Dan OBrien

I was inspired by an episode of the Web Series, After Hours, on Cracked.com. In the
episode written by Dan OBrien, the After Hours crew discusses, at length, how a few of
the Pixar movies may secretly be about the apocalypse. They address Toy Story, WALL-
E, and Cars before giving up because they cant find a way to connect the films any
further.

So I took that as a challenge.

Over the following year, I developed my own theory on how all the movies connect, and
the results have been surprisingly epic. People from all over the world have read the
theory, and many of you have been having ongoing discussions in the comments that go
way beyond anything I first imagined (trust me, I read all of them).

Now, two years later, its time to see where were at as we welcome a new Pixar movie to
the world: Inside Out.

First, its important to point out that the theory itself has changed dramatically over the
years. A lot of people have called out flaws and underdeveloped points of the theory that
make it fall apart for them. Ive read the feedback and spent the last two years writing a
book that fully fleshes out my original theory. It addresses pretty much every major
complaint and issue that debunkers have thrown at it. And it does this in about ten
chapters.

Every chapter follows a specific movie (some are lumped in together, like
the Cars franchise). I talk about the context of the movie as it relates to this theory, where
it fits in the grand timeline, and how each movie contributes to the idea that these
movies exist in the same narrative. And yes, I go way beyond the easter eggs.

My book is available now on paperback and all e-book stores. Hope you guys like it!

But lets get back to the main task at hand. Lets talk about how Inside Out masterfully fits
within the idea that all of these Pixar films are connected. What youre about to read is set
up like how I wrote the chapters for my book, so if you like what you read, then that may
be a sign that the book is for you. Consider this your sample chapter, if you will.

Obviously, many spoilers are ahead, so read at your own risk. I highly recommend that
you watch the movie at least once before reading this, especially since its pretty fantastic.
Youve been warned.

THE SET UP.

Inside Out is the story of a young girl struggling to grow up, seen through the eyes of her
emotions as literal beings. Yes, Pixar made a movie where feelings have feelings.

The movie opens with the birth of Riley Andersen. The first thing you may notice is that
she shares the same last name as Bonnie Anderson from Toy Story 3 and the subsequent
shorts based on that movie. That may tempt you into believing that Riley and Bonnie are
connected somehow, but thats definitely not the case since their names arent spelled the
same way.

For context, Pixar named Bonnie after two people: Bonnie Hunt (a frequent voice actor for
the Pixar films) and Darla K. Anderson, the producer of Toy Story 3. Darla actually has
easter eggs for her name dating all the way back to A Bugs Life, where you can catch her
first name on a box in Bug City.

Anyway, we learn early on that Riley grew up in Minnesota, but her family moves to San
Francisco when shes 11 years old. Now its true that Bonnie lives in Tri County, around
the corner from Andy, and Tri-County does take place in the Bay Area of California. But
thats really just a coincidence. Rileys family never mentions that they have relatives
around, and they only moved to San Francisco for her dads job. For that reason, all signs
point to this being a coincidence.

WHEN DOES THE MOVIE TAKE PLACE?

Moving on, we get to know Riley through a montage of her early life. When we get to the
point where shes 11, it appears to be modern day. Much of the technology we see
throughout the movie like a Skype surrogate that closely resembles the one used by
Trixie in Toy Story 3 and the presence of smartphones point to this being a film set in
2015.

That means Riley was born in either 2003 or 2004, depending on her exact birthday.
Interestingly, that would mean the movie opens during the same year as Finding Nemo.

We also know that this has to be some time after 2007, which is when Ratatouille takes
place. In fact, Inside Out actually confirms that Ratatouille takes place in 2007 instead of
2004, which is a conundrum I ran into while writing the book. Its all based on the blurry
date seen on Gusteaus will andeh, dont worry, its not important.

Anyway, the reason we know that this is some time after Ratatouille is because you can
see Colette Tatou on the cover of a magazine in a blink-and-youll-miss-it easter egg.
Judging by the prestige of this magazine, Colette has done well for herself during her
years learning from Remy and working at La Ratatouille, the bistro she started with him
and Linguini.

After all, why would she be on the cover a magazine before her adventures in Ratatouille?
Before she met Linguini, she was just a hardworking chef trying to build a career at a
failing restaurant. I find it much more plausible that shes created a name for herself under
the tutelage of the best chef in France.

(DONALD GLOVER VOICE) MY EMOTIONS!

So as we get to know Riley in the films early montage, we meet her emotions. The film
immediately takes us inside her head, where we watch Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and
Anger team up to influence Rileys actions. They work in Headquarters (get it?) and use
a mysterious console to control Rileys decisions.

When an emotion manages to elicit a meaningful experience in real life, a memory is

generated and sent to Rileys long term memory. If its a specifically powerful experience,
then it will create a core memory that will stay in Headquarters.

Its somewhat confusing, but Pixar does a great job of explaining this better than I can.
They use subtle techniques and cleverness to make the inside of Rileys head immediately
unique, while also incredibly believable.

For example, the memories are shaped like marbles because without them, Riley would
lose her marbles.

This is a fun movie.

The plot of Inside Out focuses on Riley being uprooted to a new home in San Fransisco
and how this negatively affects her emotions. She misses her friends, never sees her dad
anymore because of his new job, and feels pressured to just be happy all the time. This
causes her to repress her sadness, which eventually causes even more problems.

CONNECTIONS AND MISFIRES

Theres another fun cameo during this part of the movie. We see a rat that looks a lot like
Remy, which is just a fun reminder that Pixar animation transcends the multiple stories
they tell. And we also see memories that feature other Pixar characters. You can see Carl
and Ellies wedding from Up for example.

A good reason for that could be that Riley saw a tape of this wedding at some point,
though that would have to be a very old home movie. It could be a picture, since we see a
camera in the first frame of that scene in Up. In that case, Riley could have seen that
picture and imagined the wedding herself. This has led a lot of people to think that Riley
could somehow be related to Carl and Ellie, which would be quite a stretch.

Thats because Carl and Ellie sadly never had kids, so Riley would have to be a distant
relative. If she knows about the wedding, then shes probably met some of this family, but
we know in those early scenes of Inside Out that Riley is visiting California for the first
time. She thought the Golden Gate bridge was actually golden, after all.

You could argue that people from this family went to Minnesota to visit her, but Im not
really convinced. Personally, I dont think were able to know just yet, though one theory I
have is that she had a teacher or friends parent who is somehow connected to Carl and
Ellie. A future Pixar movie may shed light on this.

Some people even want to believe that Riley is Boo from Monsters Inc.,or Andys mom.
Seriously. Look, Riley is Riley. Shes not anyone else, and trying to force these
connections is missing the point. For example, the primary reason people think Riley is
Boo is because when shes shown as a toddler, shes wearing the same hair tie/scrunchy
thing that Boo wears in Monsters Inc.

They both even have pig tails. If youre fixated on them being one in the same, then you
miss the cooler reveal, which is that Riley was growing up around the same time as Boo
(Monsters Inc., takes place in the early 2000s), so of course that style and those hair
ties were popular.

As for Riley being Andys momI mean thats way too much of a stretch, even for a limo.

Besides the eyes, nose, time period, and basic facial structure, theyre exactly alike! Sigh.

HUMANS ARE BATTERIES

A main theme of the Pixar Theory is the idea that humans emit this strange energy that we
see all throughout the films. In Monsters Inc., we learn that the laughter of a child can be
harvested as energy for a society of creatures that mysteriously know how to use it. In The
Incredibles, this energy is seen tangibly through the exploits of super-powered humans
who can do amazing things.

Part of my Pixar Theory (the updated version) is that humans power the toys in Toy Story
because theyre built to collect energy by the machines from The Incredibles. The book
goes more into detail, but the basic idea is that the machines know how to use human
energy as a battery, which carries on as a strategy all the way to the future, when
monsters have to go back in time through doors to access this energy because no humans
are left thanks to WALL-E.

But all this time, Ive wondered why Pixar seems so infatuated with this idea of imagination
being a raw power. And Inside Out addresses this pretty head on. The whole premise of
the movie is that our emotions (as seen in Monsters Inc.,) are what truly power our actions.
And the most powerful emotion for a child is Joy, as seen by Joy being the de facto leader
of Rileys emotions. Most of Rileys memories are positive, and this is because Joy is
inherently a strong emotion for many children.
The monsters of Monsters Inc, use fear, which can be another strong emotion for some
kids, to power their society, but they eventually learn that laughter from joy is far more
effective. And why is that? Well, Inside Out explains that joy is one of the first emotions we
experience. Joy, the character, is a literal light source. Shes fast, tough, and clever. And
shell do anything to make Riley happy. The other emotions in comparison are much more
passive.

A lingering question in Monsters Inc., is why adults are so difficult to scare. Inside Out sort
of answers that by showing how the inside of adults minds work. Theyre more emotionally
balanced, for example, so you dont see one emotion overpowering the others. When we
see inside the heads of Rileys parents, the emotions dont bicker like they do in Rileys
head. Instead, they all work together to accomplish the same goal.

But thats not all. No, no, no. Theres something even better hiding in the dark of this movie
that serves as the biggest Aha! moment Ive had since I carefully re-watched
Brave and Monsters Inc., back to back.

And it has to do with this guy, Bing Bong.

BING BONG! BING BONG!

Bing Bong is Rileys imaginary friend. Joy and Sadness meet him halfway through the
movie, and he helps them navigate Rileys mind as they try to return to Headquarters.
When Riley was three, Bing Bong was her best friend. Hes part cat, part elephant, and
part dolphin. Hes made of cotton candy and, naturally, cries candy. He even has a wagon
that can fly when powered by songs

(humans=batteries).

So whats the big deal? Why is he important?

Simple. Bing Bong is an imaginary friend, yes. But hes based on a monster. Rileys
monster from when she was three.

At the end of Monsters Inc., Sulley and Mike decide to make kids laugh instead of scream
because it generates more energy and is less messed up. We even see Mike go through a
door and perform standup comedy for a child.

But wouldnt this leave a kid feeling traumatized? Imagine a monster coming through your
door, making you laugh, and then disappearing forever. This would make no sense
unlesschildren perceive these new monsters as their imaginary friends.

Bing Bong was a monster who went through Rileys door and made her laugh when she
was three. We know that monsters have animal characteristics, explaining his part-
cat/part-elephant appearance. And of course Riley thinks hes made of cotton candy. Why
else would he be pink? Id even argue that he makes dolphin noises to make Riley laugh,
causing her to think hes part dolphin, too.

This all makes perfect sense if were to believe that well-adjusted kids in Pixar movies
grew up meeting monsters in their rooms late at night. And its further helped by the fact
that in Rileys subconscious, shes afraid of clowns, not monsters.

And think of it this way. Isnt it pretty easy to picture Bing Bong living in Monstropolis?

I have plenty more to say about all of this, but those are the major points. If you want to
keep digging, you can read another exploration I did of this movie that goes somewhat
more into detail. The gist of it is that Bing Bong is life.

There are more easter eggs for the movie listed at the bottom, but thats the basic
rundown of how Inside Out fits into the Pixar Theory. If you think of something interesting
to add or have a compelling question to ask, fire away! Just pleasedont ask if Big Hero
6, a Disney movie, should be in the Pixar Theory

Ready for more?

The conspiring doesnt end here. Check out my other Pixar Theory posts from infinity to
beyond:

The Pixar Theory Part 3: The Good Dinosaur

The Pixar Theory Part 4: Finding Dory

The Pixar Theory the full book available on paperback and ebook via Kindle,
Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or just a PDF. This will cover the entire theory and
every movie in the Pixar universe, updated from what you just read.

The Pixar Theory What about Planes?

The Pixar Detective an expanded universe novel that explains the theory as a full
narrative.

EASTER EGG ISLAND!

Theres a globe in Rileys classroom that has been shown in every single Toy
Story film.
Some of the cars in San Francisco have bumper stickers from the Pixar
movie, Cars.
Bing Bong disturbs a cloud person in Imaginationland, and he looks a lot like the
cloud from the Pixar short, Partly Cloudy.
 Also in Imaginationland, you can see a board game with a picture of Nemo that
says Find Me.
One of Rileys classmates wears a camo shirt with Toy Story characters on it. Well,
their silhouettes, at least. It even looks like Arlo from The Good Dinosaur is on
there as well. Theres even a popular girl at the school with a skull t-shirt in the
same fashion as Sids from Toy Story, just in a different color. The 90s are making
a comeback!

A banner in Rileys hockey rink showcases a team from Tri-County, which is the
setting for Toy Story. I explain this easter egg further in a different article.
Blink and youll miss a For the Birds cameo during Rileys road trip to San
Francisco in the beginning of the movie. Its just like their appearance in Cars.
As always, the animators included ample A113 references. Ive heard theres more
than one, but the only one I saw personally was A113 as the number of Rileys
classroom.
If you look closely at Rileys Chinese takeout box, youll notice it has the same
design as the one from A Bugs Life (pictured below). Those familiar with the theory
know that this could be because the same restaurant exists in both movies, so
naturally thered still be remnants of these takeout boxes hundreds of years later
during Flik and the gangs adventures.

If theres anything you caught in the movie that I missed, sound it off in the comments! And
thanks for reading. You can follow my site by subscribing via the right sidebar. Or just say
hey on Twitter: @JonNegroni