FILM ANALYSIS 1

Toy Story Film Analysis Paper

by

Alizé Bland

Department of Behavioral and Social Science Program

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

for

Dr. Gretchen Sechrist

PSY 3310: Social Psychology

November 22, 2021

FILM ANALYSIS 2

Over the years, Andy has collected many toys during birthdays and over the holidays.

Although, the toys live in harmony and are all equally played with. It seems that every year, his

toys go into a frenzy wondering if they will be replaced by the next new exciting toy. Well, this

year Andy’s birthday has come around again, and the toys are wondering about the outcome of

this year and the experiences that they will have to endure...

In one scene from Toy Story, Woody calls a meeting for all the toys because he has some

shocking news. Woody discloses that they only have one week until they are moving, so they

need to find a moving buddy. Also, that Andy's birthday party has been moved to today's date.

This information causes everyone except Woody to become concerned that they will be replaced

by the new expected toys. As Woody tries to calm down the rowdy toys, there is some back and

forth about why they should trust Woody's judgment on the matter. It is made clear that the toys

go through change every one of Andy's birthdays and Christmases. The toys discuss how Woody

is not concerned because he is Andy's favorite toy and has been since Andy was in kindergarten.

All the toys freak out; questioning will Andy receive a toy that is like me but better?

To ease their nerves, Woody sends toy soldiers on a recon mission to see if Andy has

received a new and exciting toy. Andy does in fact receive a new and exciting toy: Space Ranger

Buzz Lightyear. As time goes by Andy is to be seen playing with Buzz more often than he does

with Woody, causing Woody to question his worth and do unpredictable things like attack Buzz.

The selected scene corresponds to the social-psychological principle of deindividuation.

Deindividuation is the feeling of anonymity and a reduced sense of ourselves as individuals. This

can occur when people are put in situations that affect their status within a group. It can lead to a
FILM ANALYSIS 3

feeling of constraints on behavior and an increase in impulsive and deviant acts. Group roles play

a part in how the toys interact, there is a system in which Andy’s favorite toy, Woody, is the

leader whom everyone listens to, and they have a transactional relationship. This connects to that

scene because Woody is acting out of character because he felt that his role as Andy’s favorite

toy was threatened. In humans, it is normal to become territorial and defensive when something

of yours is threatened or when something undesirable is likely to occur.

In another scene, Woody asks for advice from the Magic 8 ball and does not receive the

answer that he is looking for. Soon after Woody is frustrated and throws the Magic 8 ball and it

falls behind the dresser; giving him the idea that if Buzz is not seen, Andy will forget about him,

and he will go back to being Andy's favorite toy. Therefore, Woody lures Buzz over to the

dresser with the idea that a toy is stuck and hurt. Woody then proceeds to run Buzz over with the

toy car. This then knocks over the bulletin board, having tacks fall, surrounding Buzz. In trying

to escape, Buzz trips on some colored pencils as the globe follows him. The globe smacks the

lamp, swinging in the opposite direction, and knocks Buzz out of the window. The selected scene

corresponds to the social-psychological principle of frustration as a cause of aggression.

However, frustration does not always produce aggression; it produces anger or annoyance and

readiness to aggress if other things about depending on the situation. Frustration as a cause of

aggression is likely to occur when a person is hindered on the way to an expected goal or

gratification. The type of aggression shown is hostile aggression; the act of inflicting pain caused

by feelings of anger. This connects to that scene because Woody has allowed his anger to get the

best of him decided to inflict harm on Buzz to get rid of him, with hopes that it will help to

reclaim his status as Andy’s favorite toy.

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In another scene, after Woody’s plan of ridding Buzz of Andy’s life goes wrong, both

end up in an arcade and are trapped within a claw machine. They are forced to resort to their doll

state before they are taken by the sadistic toy killing neighbor Sid and placed with his terrifying

idea of perfect dolls. Once Woody and Buzz are placed with Sid’s toys, they realize that they are

in danger of losing their lives after Sid burns a toy's head off with a magnifying glass and a lamp.

Both Woody and Buzz begin acting hostile towards Sid’s toys because of the way they look.

Woody calls the toys “monsters and cannibals” and points out how hideous deformed they all

are. Not only this but he acknowledges that Buzz and himself are perfect and in stable condition

and at risk of being eaten. Since this is what Woody believes Buzz also believes it and both of

their attempts to attack Sid’s toys and work together to find an escape route and a way back to

Andy. The selected scene corresponds to the social-psychological principle of ingroup bias and

its subcategory of discrimination. In-group bias is the act of feeling worthy about being a

member of your in-group compared to others who are in out-groups whom your group holds

negative thoughts, feelings, and unfair treatment. Discrimination is an unjustified negative or

harmful action towards a member of a group, simply because of his or her membership in that

group.

In-group bias correlates with the film since Woody and Buzz felt that they were better

than Sid’s toys simply because they are Andy’s toys and are in ideal condition. Although both

toy groups have different moral judgments about one another, mainly because of their distinct

features, it caused Woody and Buzz to form biased perceptions and engage in discriminatory

behavior towards Sid’s toys. The act of discrimination came into play after they intended to harm

Sid’s toys because they were Sid’s toys.

FILM ANALYSIS 5

In a final scene, Buzz watches a commercial of himself on television. This commercial

makes Buzz come to the realization that he is just a toy and that he is not as special as he hoped.

After realizing that all hope is lost and that they will never be rescued and returned back to

Andy, Buzz goes into a depressive state and gives up on trying to escape while taking his palace

among Sid’s toys. Not only this but he beings to refuse to fly after becoming physically

deformed after Sid’s dog tore one of his arms off and damaged his wings and resorts to his doll

state. The selected scene corresponds to the social-psychological principle of social influence

and the subcategory conformity. Conformity is a change in behavior due to the real or imagined

influence of other people. Informational social influence - occurs when we conform because we

see other people as a source of information.

Social influence and conformity correlate with the film since Buzz felt that since he was a

toy he was insignificant and therefore resorted to his doll state. He conformed to the idea that

toys are made to be played with and that because of this he finally knew what he was supposed

to be.