Tuesdays with Tom: The Top 10 Pixar Films
Anyone who grew up in the 1990s or early 2000s probably has a soft spot in their heart for Pixar films. When Toy Story premiered in 1995, it was an instant phenomenon with breathtaking animation and a heartfelt story. I remember dressing up as Buzz Lightyear for Halloween and my brother Matt was Woody. I think we even did that multiple times. Since that historic moment in movie history, Pixar has become the most trusted and successful animation studio in Hollywood. They’ve released 23 feature films and dozens of shorts that often precede the movie in the theater. The latest is coming out in a few weeks called Luca. In honor of the new release, I am taking on the Herculean task of ranking the top 10 Pixar films. I know this is going to be a contentious topic. Childhood nostalgia is a powerful emotion and linked to several of the Pixar movies. But even as an adult, I find the Pixar movies to be just as impactful to me. Before I go into the list, I’m adding a few disclaimers so that you won’t attack me on the street. Afterwards, you can tell me whether or not you agree with my rankings. Sound fair? To infinity and beyond!
Disclaimers
I haven’t seen any of the Cars franchise. That’s three movies. With respect to Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy, I’m not sure if I’ll get around to the first one, let alone all three. I might be biased but I don’t know too many people who ride hard for these films.
I also have not seen Brave, Ratatouille, The Good Dinosaur or Onward. I’d be willing to give Ratatouille a try, but not sure about the others. I think I’ve missed the boat on those.
There’s almost no way I can remove my nostalgic attachment to some of the ones I saw as a kid. So, that’s being factored into it. After all, these are kids films. I shouldn’t be judging them from a strictly adult perspective.
In total, that means I’ve seen 16 of the 23 Pixar films to date. I think that’s a pretty good base and more than most.
Honorable Mentions: Finding Dory, Toy Story 2
10. Wall-E
Available on Disney+
Pixar has literally made two movies about the concept of death and still, Wall-E is probably the darkest film they’ve ever made. I’m not going to dive into this too much, but there’s a convincing theory that all of the Pixar films occur in the same timeline. You can read about it on your own, but one of the stronger points of evidence is the existence of a company called Buy-N-Large. This company is eerily similar to Amazon in their omnipresence and it shows up in several of the Pixar movies in the background. None more prominently than Wall-E. I remember after I saw this movie in the theater with my extended family, my cousin Dave turned to me and said, “wow Pixar is getting really preachy.” Wall-E is about a robot who collects garbage on a wasteland dystopian version of Earth. He’s entertained himself for hundreds of years compiling scraps and watching old movies. The quirky, lovable Wall-E gets his world rocked when he meets another robot, Eva. She is on a mission to find any signs of life on Earth and Wall-E becomes smitten by her. The commentary might be very on the nose, but it's hard not to love the two robot characters. Once the humans show up, you get the feeling that this reality isn’t all that hard to believe. This came out in 2008 and feels oddly even more prescient now than it did back then. It’s a bold choice, but an underrated movie in my opinion.
9. Inside Out
Available on Disney+
Pixar’s never been afraid of taking bold creative swings. You could argue Inside Out is the biggest one to date. The 2015 film features a stellar voice cast headlined by Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Diane Lane. Most of them play human emotions personified inside of the mind of a young girl named Riley. Trying to tackle the emotions of any human is difficult enough, but to do it with a young, developing mind is even more challenging. Somehow, the movie makes it all seem very easy and funny. It’s one of many tear-jerking endings that pulls it all together. Inside Out is the rare kids movie that gives you existential questions about yourself.
8. Coco
Available on Disney+
Similarly, I’m not sure who pitched this movie at Pixar, but I imagine they said something like this. “Hey, you know what kids are really interested in seeing on screen? Death!” Coco is inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead and stars an all Hispanic voice cast. Day of the Dead is a celebration of the lives of loved ones lost around Halloween. The movie takes that celebration and cranks it up with amazing CGI and original music. This is arguably the best original music written for a Pixar movie (we’ll get to that argument later), highlighted by the various versions of “Remember Me”. The main character Miguel is particularly sweet and his journey into the land of the dead is filled with all ranges of emotion. It’s got a bit of a Footloose feel, but with musicians swapped for dancing (heaven forbid someone wants to become a MUSICIAN?!). The shocking twist in the plot makes it even more memorable. I know plenty of adults who’ve admitted this movie made them cry and I got damn near close a few times. If Coco doesn’t tug on your heartstrings, you probably don’t have any. A very good movie.
7. Up
Available on Disney+
If we’re ranking the tear-jerking scenes in Pixar history, there’s a landslide winner for No. 1. The opening minutes of Up are a devastating gut-punch. It’s quite a way to start a movie, but over the years I think people have forgotten that what happens after is pretty good too. Up tackles the kid-friendly issue of battling loneliness in your senior years. It’s the first Pixar movie whose main character is an old man, Carl Fredericksen. Carl’s made an improbable career out of selling balloons (let that sink in). But now a retired widower, he spends most of his days being grumpy and watching his neighborhood become gentrified. To honor his late wife, he decides to risk it all and travel to Paradise Falls, an exotic vacation spot that they dreamed of visiting but never did. I’m sure he inspired many to see if balloons could lift their house up from the ground. Along the way, he befriends a local boy named Russell and the two become an unlikely pair of friends. I guess my point is this is a very good movie that gets lost over the years because all people want to talk about is the beginning. Stick around for the full experience of Up and you’ll be rewarded.
6. Toy Story 3
Available on Disney+
I am a little surprised at myself that Toy Story 3 ended up so high on the list. But man, that ending. Since the human character Andy and I are roughly the same age, this movie came out at a very critical time for me in 2010. Andy goes off to college at the end. I was in the midst of doing the very same thing when Toy Story 3 came out. Not only did I have to confront the end of my childhood innocence, for a brief moment this movie makes you think THE TOYS ARE GOING TO BURN TO DEATH. But even without that, this is a great return to form for Toy Story, with the characters we loved and new ones worthy of joining the gang. It’s superior to Toy Story 2 and should have been the ending the Toy Story franchise deserved (with disrespect to Toy Story 4).
5. The Incredibles
Available on Disney+
Kudos to Pixar for being several years ahead of the never-ending interest in superhero storytelling. The Incredibles came out in 2004 and it instantly became one of my favorite animated films of all time. It’s the story of a family of superheroes living in secret in a small town. Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl, were public figures in the peak of super heroism. But the government forced them into hiding after the public turned on them. Now they live a banal existence unbeknownst to their community. It’s not good enough for Mr. Incredible, who has a midlife crisis that leads him to a mysterious island where he’s been summoned for a secret mission. Their children have powers of their own and eventually the whole family is called into action. The sequel was solid too, but The Incredibles holds up as a wholesome, fun and entertaining classic. A prescient film indeed.
4. A Bug’s Life
Available on Disney+
I know someone who thinks Flick deserved an Oscar for his performance in the 1998 film A Bug’s Life. This movie had the unenviable task of following up Pixar’s first movie and it managed to deliver on the supersized expectations with ant-sized creatures. A Bug’s Life is a winning movie with some very famous voice actors like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Denis Leary, Richard Kind and a very young Hayden Panettiere. There’s an actual scene in this movie where several bugs eat a piece of shit, but it’s presented in the most kid-friendly way possible. Poor Flick is a well-meaning guy who can’t get out of his own way. It’s a movie about finding yourself and faking it until you make it. Just about the only thing that’s aged poorly is the casting of Kevin Spacey as the villainous grasshopper, but you could say that about any Kevin Spacey movie. It also kicked off Pixar’s short-term interest in creating fake bloopers. These bugs might be the only ones I’ve ever liked in my life.
3. Finding Nemo
Available on Disney+
The next three are close to a three-way tie for me. Finding Nemo is probably the most quotable Pixar movie of all time. “Just keep swimming.” “P Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.” “Touch the butt.” “Fish are friends, not food.” I could keep going, but safe to say that Finding Nemo is still very alive today. After an incredibly harrowing experience with a frightening fish, clownfish Marlin loses his wife and almost all of their unborn children. The sole survivor of the attack is Nemo, his son born with a mutated fin. Marlin becomes an extremely overprotective parent, but can you blame him? Hard to judge the guy for being extra cautious! One day, Nemo gets the courage to leave his class and gets scooped up by an Australian dentist to be part of his fish tank. What transpires next are two completely different journeys across the ocean for Marlin and Nemo. Marlin teams up with Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss, and navigates various aquatic landscapes and characters to get his son back. Nemo meets a group of disillusioned fish in captivity and gets a real education on life. This is a truly spectacular movie buoyed by a brilliant cast. It will make you appreciate your parents and children a lot more.
2. Monsters, Inc.
Available on Disney+
I was very, very tempted to make this the No. 1 pick. I absolutely love this movie. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are a delightful combination as Mike Wazowski and James “Sully” Sullivan, two monsters who make a living scaring children as an energy source for their world. Pixar’s made their bones off asking simple questions and making a fully realized world out of the answer. Every kid grows up thinking they have monsters in their closet or underneath the bed. Pixar somehow makes the monsters very sympathetic and imagines a world where their livelihood is connected to the concept. And what a world it is. There are so many great gags in this movie, but once the child Boo arrives the real fun begins. I can’t say enough about the two main characters. Some of the jokes still make me laugh today. The ending is poignant and bittersweet. It turns out the monsters were more scared of the kids all along and neither of us had to be scared to begin with. As a side note, these are the best Pixar outtakes by far. The fake musical that Mike Wazowski lies about earlier in the film comes to life too. So god damn funny.
1. Toy Story
Available on Disney+
It’s the chalky answer, but the only right one. It’s hard to argue against it being the first thing you think about with Pixar. Toy Story changed everything we thought about kids animated movies. “What if our toys came to life?” is a question we’ve all thought about. The childlike wonder of playing with toys, playing out so vividly in a movie, was something else. The real stakes of being replaced as the favorite toy? That’s in this movie. Wondering if your kid is going to grow too old to play with you? Another highly relatable feeling. Several iconic moments pepper this movie’s taste and stick out in my mind over 26 years later. If you still haven’t seen Toy Story, you’re really missing out and I question your participation in humanity. No matter what Pixar does, it will probably never top Toy Story. It was the first and it set the tone for the entire brand. The Randy Newman songs are timeless, which means it also probably has the best music of any Pixar film. They couldn’t have made a better first impression and clearly, they still have interest in telling more stories with these characters. I can’t totally fault them even if we all know that the original is easily the best. I could spend forever with Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, Hamm, Bo Beep and Andy.
There it is! I’m sure you have your own preferences and I’d be happy to hear them compared to my own. Ultimately, it’s a testament to Pixar that they’ve made so many great animated films over the past 26 years. I hope they can continue to churn out more classics for people of all ages.
Tom’s Thoughts of the Week
In the latest episode of Friday Night Beers, Vince and I try a beer called Gummy Boots. This IPA is a collaboration between Penrose Brewing and Noon Whistle Brewing. We drink it and somehow compare it to things like Avengers: Endgame, Captain America vs. Thor vs. Iron Man, M. Night Shyamalan, The Queen’s Gambit and more pop culture items. Another fantastic Penrose and Noon Whistle product and a great conversation if I don’t say so myself. Please like, subscribe and rate our podcast here and follow our Instagram page for relevant updates!
No spoilers here, but I enjoyed the finale of Mare of Easttown. This show successfully balanced a murder mystery with several other styles of TV and was engaging every single week. It definitely felt like the old days of HBO Sundays had returned. There’s some talk about perhaps doing a second season, but I wouldn’t do it if I were them. This was a very good thing that should be left as it is.
Last week, we discussed the pros and cons of remote working. But what about swearing in the workplace? Could it actually be a benefit to your career? According to this article, the answer is actually yes! To be clear, there’s no acceptable usage of outright hate speech or needlessly foul language. However, there is value to swearing as a means of expressing your real personality and striking the exact context you desire. Timothy Jay is a swearing expert (can I get this job?) and says that “using these explicit words are good for humour, self-denigration, storytelling and coping, too.” He also adds that swearing can help integrate you socially and is viewed as a relatable trait. Jay specifically says occasional swearing amongst co-workers “creates a connection, rather than keeping them at arm’s length.” My favorite line of the story comes shortly after Jay’s analysis. “Perhaps bucking popular belief, research suggests swearing can make you seem more trustworthy or intelligent. One multi-national study showed that people who use profanity are considered to be less deceptive and to have more integrity.” All I have to say about this is FUCK YES!! Come on, swear at your job!
In Silicon Valley, there’s definitely a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” approach to business. Particularly in the world of the social media giants, blatantly copying your competitor’s tactics is the name of the game. The latest company to jump into these waters is Google. They recently announced a feature called YouTube Shorts and with it, a $100 million fund to top creators who make content for the platform. It’s not hard to see what YouTube Shorts is replicating. It’s their version of TikTok, the wildly popular video app that’s become a dominant talking point in culture and tech. Google isn’t even the only company trying to steal TikTok’s game. In fact, they’re one of the last of their peers to do so. Instagram Reels and Snapchat Spotlight are virtually the same experience as TikTok and intentionally so. Ironically, it’s very common for TikTok creators to copy and paste their TikTok videos onto Reels and Spotlight wholesale. I doubt that’s what those companies want from the feature, but that says a lot about their offering to me. I have my reservations about TikTok as a consumer and I’ve even made a few myself. But overall, I think it’s here to say and I’m skeptical that these imposter rip-offs are going to slow their massive growth in the social media space.
I have a question for the ladies (hello ladies!). When did the trend of wearing slightly oversized black band t-shirts begin? I don’t have definitive proof of the timeline, but it seems to have reignited last year and really picked up in 2021. The amount of women I’ve seen wearing random Slayer, AC/DC or Metallica shirts as a fashionable outfit outside of a music festival is really fascinating to me. And no, I’m not going to be one of those guys who aggressively makes you prove you’re a real fan. But I do think it’s more than fair to ask that question and to assume you are a fan. What’s the end goal of wearing a shirt of a band you don’t care about? As someone who frankly owns too many band shirts, I have never bought one for a band or artist I don’t really like. Then again, I’ve never been known as a fashionably trendy guy. But we’ve covered that already. If anyone would indulge in my good intentioned question, I’d love to hear from you!
Completely unrelated, the DMV is a truly terrible experience. I had to go last week to update my driver’s license. I took a train ride downtown only to find out the location is closed. Does it say it’s open online? You bet it does! I was determined to get it done that day, so I went to another location. Let me tell you there are not really any convenient locations for DMVs. Incredulously, they only have one universal phone number, so good luck asking a single fucking question over the phone. Then, I had the pleasure of waiting 45 minutes in line so I could change my address and wait three weeks to get a new license. Believe it or not that’s actually a short wait compared to many locations. Last but not least, they are requiring everyone to switch over to something called “Real ID” by the end of 2022 and the location I went to doesn’t make that change for you. So I get to go back again soon! That entire concept seems like a complete scam to generate more government revenue and they make sure that the process is as inconvenient as possible. Everyone there seems absolutely miserable including the employees. I’ve never been to hell, but I’m going to imagine it as an eternal DMV.