Five Times Pixar Broke Our Hearts
Ever since Toy Story, Pixar (with some help from Disney) has revolutionized what it means to watch a kids’ movie. Disney has always been good at making movies both kids and grown-ups can enjoy, but it wasn’t until Pixar came along that animated movies became a true art form. Pixar’s genius lies in that they aren’t afraid to tackle mature topics, especially death and loss, while still remaining bright, funny and full of life.
However, it’s become noticeably harder and harder to get through a Pixar movie without breaking down into tears. Thus, we’ve compiled a list of the top five moments that Pixar broke our hearts, because if there’s one thing they’re great at, it’s reminding us of our own mortality.
5. Finding Nemo – The barracuda attack
Finding Nemo is an adorable movie about the unbreakable bond between a father and son. But how do you get that bond so strong in the first place? You gotta kill the mom (and all the other babies). Preferably in the most brutal way possible for a kids’ movie, via hungry barracuda. Pixar is probably the only company that makes talking animal movies and actually pays attention to the food chain, scarring plenty of us for life. Clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) and baby Nemo’s disfigured little egg sac are the only survivors of the attack, making Marlin the neurotic, anxious worrywart we know and love, which makes his later adventures all the more heartwarming. And sob-worthy.
4. Toy Story 2 – Jessie’s song
Toy Story 2 finds Woody (Tom Hanks) stuck with a collector of Woody’s Roundup memorabilia due to a garage sale mishap, but he soon finds a friend in Jessie (Joan Cusack) a spirited, yodeling cowgirl who serves as one of the movie’s brightest characters. Until we learn her backstory, that is. Jessie tells Woody how she came to be a collectable – in song form.
Sarah McLachlan takes over, telling the story of Jessie’s life with her original owner, Emily, whom she loved more than anything. As Emily grew older, she abandoned Jessie for music and makeup, eventually donating her just when Jessie thought she loved her again. Excuse me, I think I have something in my eye. If you’ve ever felt guilty about giving away your childhood toys, don’t worry, you have Jessie’s song to help you feel ten times worse.
3. Wall-E – Wall-E short circuits
Although this movie serves as one giant tearjerker, the worst moment comes when Wall-E gets hit with a taser during the mutiny to protect Eve’s plant. He short circuits, leaving Eve, who had just grown to love Wall-E, devastated. It gets even more horrible when Eve finds the parts to rebuild him, causing Wall-E to reset and lose all his memories of the wonderful things he’s done for the people (and robots) on the Axiom. Now that’s just pouring salt in the wound, guys. He gets better, but in a movie full of emotional moments, that was just plain mean.
2. Toy Story 3 – Andy says goodbye
For those of us who grew up watching the first two Toy Story films, and were around the same age as Andy, Toy Story 3 was, to put it lightly, hard to watch. Like Wall-E, this movie is full of heart-wrenching moments, but it isn’t until it’s almost over that the tears really start to fall. After making it safely back to Andy’s room, the toys prepare for a happy retirement together in the attic, but Woody, who is going to college with Andy, has other ideas. He leaves a note for Andy to take the toys to Bonnie, a girl he stayed with earlier who was creative and kind to her toys.
Andy drives over and introduces Bonnie to all of his toys, and the audience tries harder and harder to stifle their sobs as they say goodbye to Hamm, Rex, Slinky Dog, Mr. Potato Head, Jessie and Buzz. Finally, Bonnie recognizes Woody as her cowboy, and Andy makes the heartbreaking decision to give him up. The end of Woody and Andy’s time together hits harder than a brick, and if you didn’t at least tear up at this, you’re lying.
1. Up – Carl and Ellie’s life together
When first introduced to Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) in Up‘s trailer, we see a cranky old man who prefers to be alone. But how did he get that way? Don’t worry, the first 20 minutes of the movie are here to explain that, turning you into a wibbly ball of your own tears in the process. A shy, young Carl meets the feisty and adventurous Ellie, who dreams of someday living in Paradise Falls, when they’re just kids, and you could say it was love at first sight. Unsurprisingly, they get married, prepared to have all the adventures they always dreamed of. Do you have your tissues out? You’re going to need them.
The first blow comes when Ellie learns she can’t have children, and the pair grow older and older, never quite saving enough to make it to Paradise Falls until it’s too late. Ellie falls ill, and dies, leaving Carl bitter and alone. Yeah, remember the part where this is a kids’ movie and I didn’t come here to be reminded that we’re all going to die someday? Thanks, Pixar. Don’t turn off the movie in despair, it gets a whole lot better, and Carl gets a whole lot happier, but those opening scenes are harsher than harsh.
What do you think of our top saddest Pixar moments? Think we left anything out? Let us know in the comments, where you can talk about the times Pixar ripped your heart out.
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