What This Beloved Kids Movie Teaches Us About Our Identity in Christ
By Movieguide® Contributor
Did you know TOY STORY can teach us about who we are in Christ? Candace Cameron Bure and filmmaker Andy Erwin dove into the faith-based lessons we can take from the movie.
“I think in this journey of TOY STORY, the thing that was so brilliantly…put there is, is Woody begins to realize who he is and the purpose that it’s not about him,” Erwin began. “And the purpose is there. He was ultimately there to serve Andy, and again, we don’t find our theology. You know, we don’t serve people. Right? But ultimately, you know, Andy was who he belonged to. And in our case, it’s who we belong to. God. ”
Bure chimed in with a recap of a sweet moment in the film where both Woody and Buzz struggle with and find their identity.
“Buzz just learned that he’s not a real space ranger,” she said. “He thinks in the whole movie he’s a real space ranger, and then he sees this commercial, and he realizes for the first time he’s just a toy. Like his laser beam doesn’t work. His wings don’t really work. He is karate chop means nothing. And so, he’s really down and out on himself.”
She explained how his friend Woody encouraged him: “He goes, ‘But you’re better than a real space ranger. You’re a toy. Because being a toy means you belong to somewhere and you belong to Andy.’”
Bure explained how this is an example of how we often feel about ourselves, and we need to be reminded of our identity and purpose.
“And yet I can look at that, and I can very easily equate that to God and go that’s who we are towards God, like we belong to God. Just like both Woody and Buzz belong to Andy, and they were made for Andy and his pleasure. We were made for God’s pleasure. We were made to glorify him…We were made in his image. God delights in us,” she said.
The TOY STORY franchises’ biblical themes haven’t gone unnoticed.
Its family focus has earned the franchise a worldwide box office take of over $3 billion.
All four movies have been nominated for Teddy Bear Awards® thanks to their redemptive themes. Part of Movieguide®’s review for TOY STORY 4 reads:
TOY STORY 4 has some incredible pro-family, pro-redemption, pro-self-sacrifice messages, in a very exciting, entertaining story. The importance of toys taking care of children is stressed constantly, but there’s also the importance of maturing and finding real love with good positive, male/female monogamous relationships being the end result. Every character has a great character arc, with a couple characters experiencing an epiphany and being truly transformed. It would be hard to find a better story. TOY STORY 4 will capture your heart. However, there are some pretty scary scenes. So, please be careful about your child’s sensitivity when deciding if TOY STORY 4 is appropriate for them.
