For several weeks I have been writing about the various artistic merits found within the films we love. Now, however, I wish to write about a film that has emotionally helped me through tough times in my life, "Toy Story 2." This film has acted as a personal anti-depressant and is a prime example of what I call a "feel good movie." These are the movies that hold a personal place in our minds and our hearts. These are the movies that, when we're going through some hard times in our lives, we sit down and watch just to comfort ourselves. These are the films that put a huge grin on your face no matter how bad your day has been. Like many "feel good movies" mine planted its roots in me during my childhood and remained there to this day.
I was 7 years old and I was already a huge fan of the first film. "Toy Story" was the first film I remember seeing in theaters when I was only 3 years old. I had watched the first film several times at home to the point where the VHS tape (for the younger kids who don't know what that is, ask your parents/older siblings) was getting worn out. So when I saw that a second film was being released in 1999 I was overjoyed. I would get to see my favorite characters have another larger than live adventure on the big screen. I would see Buzz and Woody exploring the outside world yet again. I would see Hamm and Mr. Potatohead make funny sarcastic jabs at each other. Most importantly, however, this film came out during the beginning of some really hard times in my life.
This was when I was in the middle of first grade schooling. The simplicity of kindergarten gave way to the complexity early math and history. While I can look back at this and feel like it was a breeze, that was not the case for a very overwhelmed seven year old boy. I struggled to learn the more complex math problems and sentence structures in English. I would be up all night with my parents learning from flash cards but I still struggled. This gave me very little confidence in myself and I would often feel very alone and depressed. It's times like those when you need a colorful and fun film to pull you out of the dumps; which is what "Toy Story 2" was for me.
When I saw the film in theaters, I was with my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and younger cousins. It was when my Thanksgiving break from school began. It was like a great family occasion and that warm feeling stuck with me for the rest of my life. While I still struggle with my school work and self-confidence, I would always watch "Toy Story 2" to lift my spirits if I was too down in the dumps. It even acted as an escape from the frightening world around me. I was nine years old when the 9/11 attacks took place. I just remember being frightened because my parents wouldn't tell me what was going on. Days following the attack we would see news stories talking about people buying gas masks and bunkers. News anchors talked about the possibility of World War III. The years that followed saw two costly wars (in both money and human lives) and a large scale recession that resulted in the loss of our home.
Through all those terrible times, I would just play "Toy Story 2" and it would bring me to the simpler and happier days of my early childhood. This film helped me keep my sanity during these hard times and probably prevented me from spiraling into deep depression. This example underlines why art (such as film) holds a valuable place in all our lives. It enhances our life experience and allows a variety of emotions to flow from whatever piece of art we decide to interpret. However, it's the "feel good movies" that that are some of the most important. The can bring us joy and happiness in the darkest of times. They can relax us and just let us enjoy life for a few hours. They can help us through the hard times by reminding us of the happy times in our past and the possibility for happier times in our future.
