Pixar

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            If you know me, you know that you don’t have to look very far before you see that I am a person who likes to reminisce in the past. I remember feelings I had from conversations that took place years ago, anniversaries of significant dates years later, and I still really like 90s music (The Backstreet Boys in particular). But most importantly (at least for this blog), my favorite things from my years growing up that still have a tug on my heart are Pixar movies.

            I love Pixar movies so much. I have every single one that has been released sitting on my shelf. I even have pillows and blankets with characters from these movies. I think these movies are so cute, funny, and they actually keep my attention; but I think the biggest reason why these movies are my favorite is the feeling they give me. They make me feel like a carefree kid again, just like the first time I saw a Pixar movie. It brings me back to my past and reminds me of how sweet growing up really was.

            I remember the very first one I saw, A Bug’s Life. I went with my sister and dad for someone’s birthday party when I was five years old. I remember sitting in the movie theater seats with all of my little friends and just thinking that this movie was the best thing ever. It is such a great memory that I obviously still remember it enough today to tell you about it.  I can also remember the first times I saw some of the other Pixar movies, like Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and Cars. Each time I see these movies now, I can remember the feelings of lighthearted childhood I felt before.

 

             Either Pixar has this effect on tons of people or they are marketing just to me, but Pixar has definitely used this to their advantage in recent years. Think about Toy Story 3. Pixar waited fifteen years after the release of the original Toy Story before making this sequel about Andy growing up and going to college without any need for his former toys. This movie was totally banking on a nostalgic response from the audience. When the first movie was released, I was about the same age as Andy; so when the third came out, I was just getting ready to go to college. I normally don’t cry while watching movies, but I definitely cried during this one. The movie did have emotional parts that could have made me cry, but I cried more reflecting on my own childhood as I watched Andy move on from his. 

I don’t think that it was a coincidence that the creators of this movie waited that period of time. They knew exactly how the audience would react. They banked on the audience having an emotional connection because of their own childhood. Viewers were able to relate on a personal level because they felt like they grew up with these characters.

Pixar knew exactly what they were doing, and it was an excellent marketing strategy and a great movie.

            So it turns out that marketers can trick us into liking their products by reminding us of sweet memories in our past, but how much reminiscing is too much? I think that there can be a fine line between living in the past and remembering how great it was.  Philippians 3:13 says, “I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and pressing on toward what is ahead.” Maybe by going back to things that we loved in the past we are hoping that they will determine our future and help us attain a happy place we use to have. Maybe this verse is telling us that relying on past memories isn’t the key to our future happiness; but instead, “pressing on toward what is ahead” can determine the direction of our futures. Marketing movies towards our future selves probably brings too much uncertainty along with it, but as Christians, we can look forward to our futures and press on knowing that God is with us always. This tops any amount of happiness I could have had in my childhood.