Great Character: Sulley (“Monsters, Inc.”)
This month’s theme: Pixar. Today’s guest post by Jason Cuthbert features Sulley from the 2001 movie Monsters, Inc., screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Daniel Gerson.
In 2001, the fourth Pixar animated feature film, Monsters, Inc., was the first to not be directed by Pixar founding forefather John Lasseter. Peter Docter (Up) guided these amusing monsters with an original story by: himself, Jill Culton, Jeff Pidgeon and Ralph Eggleston. The screenplay was crafted by the likes of Pixar Jedi creatives Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds. The result was an easy-to-like Academy Award winner for Best Music Original Song, a BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Feature Film, a 2013 sequel called Monsters University and one big bright blue and plum purple friendly monster named Sulley, voiced by John Goodman, who can scare, but only for a living. After work, this warm-hearted beast rips off the “s” from scares and — cares.
Monsters, Inc. plot summary from IMDB:
Monsters generate their city’s power by scaring children, but they are terribly afraid themselves of being contaminated by children, so when one enters Monstropolis, top scarer Sulley finds his world disrupted.
Sulley, along with his co-worker/roommate Mike (voiced by Bill Crystal), are introduced to us as a duo of monsters that work at Monsters, Inc., the fantasy version of an electric company in their world. They must capture children’s screams to keep the lights on, and Sulley happens to be at the top of the food chain when it comes to freaking kids out. He is a humble servant with a compassionate soul beneath his turquoise blanket of fur.
His generous personality is in contrast to his high-strung, semi-arrogant pal Mike. Sulley is single with no fuzzy little rug rats to raise. You could say he is sort of in a relationship with his career, while Mike has the woman of his dreams to be concerned about. But Sulley shows no sign of jealousy, sharing his restaurant connections for Mike’s big date and also his “hygiene” products.
MIKE: Can I borrow your odorant?
SULLEY: Yeah, I got, uh, Smelly Garbage or Old Dumpster.
MIKE: You got, uh, Low Tide?
SULLEY: No.
MIKE: How about Wet Dog?
SULLEY: Yep. Stink it up.
The boss at Monsters, Inc. loves Sulley’s productivity, as do his co-workers that don’t find themselves in direct competition with him. But a slimy disappearing/reappearing rapscallion named Randall (voiced by Steve Buscemi) throws plenty of shade over Sulley’s shine and is willing to cheat his way past him. These tests that could create an ego maniac monster out of a more conceded type do not faze Sulley whatsoever.
But how much can a monster that is A-1 at scaring kids actually care about kids, especially when he has been trained to believe that they are deadly? His compassion conquers all of his fears.
SULLEY: Hey, Mike, this might sound crazy but I don’t think that kid’s dangerous.
MIKE: Really? Well, in that case, let’s keep it. I always wanted a pet that could kill me.
As the baby gets christened with the name “Boo” by Sulley, and Sulley get’s the cute title of “Kitty” by Boo, a bond that supersedes rationalization and prejudice emerges. Baby Boo is able to treat a gigantic blue monster with the innocent unbiased affection that a child keeps until it gets ruined by adulthood. And Sulley’s child-like heart is able to reciprocate that love, even at the alarm of his best friend. Until Boo is back safely, Sulley has assumed the role of her caregiver — even if children are supposedly “deadly” in Monsters, Inc. Two friends, that would otherwise be afraid of each other, are now bonding.
SULLEY: [Boo is hopping up and down like she has to use a toilet] Say, that’s a cute little dance you got there. It almost looks like you have to… Oh!
Seven years before the janitorial robot in WALL-E would purge out garbage in the form of cubes, Monsters, Inc. spit out garbage cubes in a more industrial sense, and Sulley fears that Boo has been crushed into one. Just watching his unadulterated concern for this child clarifies the purity of his compassion and the singularity of his journey. He is willing to risk his career for the well being of someone whom he would benefit from putting in fear.
Sulley’s last big moment with Boo is physically articulated so well that it would even retain the same impact in complete silence. Boo is back safe and sound, saved from dangers that she is not equipped to understand. Sulley must now depart from her life, knowing that it is impossible to stay or to bring her back to his domain. Achievement peppered with the sour taste of a tough goodbye.
For his loving compassion, disregard for physical differences and dedication to doing the right thing — Sulley is super GREAT CHARACTER.
A monster as a Protagonist. That counterinituitive instinct is one example why Pixar is such an interesting group of storytellers.
Thanks to Jason for yet another Great Character post. Join us in comments for a discussion of Sulley and why he is such a compelling character.
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