Behind the Doors of Pixar’s Secret Archives

Toy Story 2

No one was surprised when Pixar announced that it would create a sequel to Toy Story, its groundbreaking film about a group of humanoid toys. And fans were delighted when the company promised that Toy Story 2 would look to engage adults as well as children by addressing current events in a series of montages. Though it was eventually left on the cutting room floor, one such montage gained notoriety among animation’s elite puppetmasters as one of Pixar’s most relevant pieces…

The film is brimming with Pixar magic when sparks fly between Woody and his female counterpart, Jessie. But that’s before Woody and his pals learn that Jessie’s shiny exterior is actually coated with paint containing high concentrations of lead; her flavored lasso and Stetsons are dangerously tempting to young palates. In the subsequent five-minute montage, Woody lapses into inconsolable grief as he learns that Jessie has been recalled to a factory in a quaint Chinese village. Following protocol that is never fully explained in either version of Toy Story, Woody freezes when the reclaimers arrive, preventing him from saving Jessie as she is disemboweled, her parts violently distributed into hazmat receptacles. After a slow and moving crossfade, we see Woody’s doting preteen owner, Andy, as he goes into toxic shock from lead exposure.