GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Toy Story 3″ — Characters

We continue our analysis of the script Toy Story 3 today by considering the characters in the story. Here is a list of most of the characters in order of appearance in the script:

Mr. Potato Head

Woody

Mrs. Potato Head

Bullseye

Jessie

Aliens

Buzz Lightyear

Hamm

Aliens

Andy

Andy’s Mom

Slinky

Rex

Sarge

Molly

Barbie

Bonnie

Lotso

Ken

Dolly

Trixie

Mr. Pricklepants

Buttercup

Ken

Chuckles

Lifer

That’s a lot of characters, but you can zero in on those key narrative functions provided by these five archetypes: Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster.

An interesting way to approach analyzing the characters in Toy Story 3 is: (1) Cull through the above list, picking out the most important characters. These represent the story’s primary characters. Why do you think they qualify as a primary character? What about who they are and what they do elevate their status to such importance? (2) Look through the lenses of Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Trickster to consider what the respective narrative functions are for each primary character.

If you are uncertain as to a character’s potential archetype, ask yourself this: When all is said and done, what is the most fundamental narrative function this character provides to the story? Strip the character all the way down to that core essence. It is almost always a determining factor in understanding their archetypal role in a story.

Here is an excerpt from the Creative Screenwriting article [May/June 2010] titled “Inside Pixar” featuring comments from Michael Arndt, the screenwriter of Toy Story 3:

Arndt explains Woody’s personal development by comparing his emotional progress in the films with that of a child. “In Toy Story, Woddy is learning to share the spotlight with Buzz,” he explains. “He’s like a child who gets a new sibling and has to realize he doesn’t always have to be the favorite. That tracks emotionally with someone who is 5 or 6 years old.

“In Toy Story 2,” Arndt continues, “Woody has to deal with and accept his mortality. That tracks with a child who is 8 to 10 years old.” With the plot devised for Toy Story 3, Woody needed to progress to a more mature sentiment — that of a teenager — in order for the film to have the correct impact. “Woody learns about the impermanence of things and the necessity for letting go and moving on,” Arndt says. “So there’s an arc to his development across the trilogy. Even though there are common elements in all three films, I do think we’re telling a different story in each of them, as well as one big over-arching story that spans the trilogy.”

See you in comments for a discussion about the characters in Toy Story 3.

For Day 1 of our analysis of Toy Story 3, you can go here.

For Day 2 focusing on structure, go here.

[Remember next week (10/9–10/13), we will be reading Pan’s Labyrinth. You may access the script here.

NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!

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