Toy Story and Messages of Divine Love and Identity

Imagine toys coming to life when you would least expect them. Disney and Pixar made movie-goers think about that possibility with their 1995 film Toy Story.

Toy Story follows a mixed group of toys owned by a boy named Andy. Woody and company meet his new toy, Buzz Lightyear, who becomes Andy’s favorite since receiving it as a gift for his birthday. When Woody gets jealous, he tries to get Buzz removed from being his favorite, yet it backfires as he and Buzz get stolen by Sid.

With the help of misfit toys, Woody and Buzz would escape Sid and reunite with Andy and the group as they move to a new home. In the end, Woody and Buzz helped each other to return to their owner.

The movie has stood the test of time. It was a coming-of-age that it opened the door to three sequels and a fifth installment slated for a spring release in 2026. The movie also teaches us valuable lessons about faith through themes of identity, purpose, loyalty, and divine love.

Identity and Purpose

The film focuses on how Buzz dethrones Woody to become Andy’s favorite toy. Woody becomes jealous of Buzz. His journey teaches us that one's value is not based on status but on love and purpose, a concept that can be applied to faith, where true worth comes from being a loved creation.

Buzz believes that he is a space ranger. It drives Woody nuts as he tries to convince him of his true identity. He comes to terms with the fact that he is a toy after viewing a commercial that features him. After this epiphany, he begins to find a new purpose in accepting his identity as a toy. This teaches us that we find our identity through Christ.  

Divine Love

Pope Benedict XVI said, "Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary". For the toys, each one has Andy's name written on them. It shows that they were claimed by him. Likewise, we are claimed by God as his own. God's love is presented as the foundation for finding value and belonging.

Toy Story is a classic with messages of faith. A solid 5 out of 5. The movie teaches us that God will claim us and that no one is greater than us.