· April 5, 2020 Grab some popcorn:
Pixar movies shaped my childhood and have carried major sentimental value into my adulthood. Toy Story taught me to hold on tight to the ones I love. Monsters, Inc. taught me to not be afraid of the unknown. Finding Nemo taught me that it’s important to leave my comfort zone.
Many of us are spending more time at home with friends or family due to COVID-19, meaning it’s the perfect time to re-watch our favorite movies or discover great new ones. We recently read Creativity, Inc., in which Pixar’s Ed Catmull discusses building a supportive and collaborative creative culture at Pixar. After discussing our favorite parts of the book, we decided to compile a list of our favorite Pixar movies.
Take a journey with us through the timeline of Pixar—then let us know your favorite movie and why!
Toy Story (1995)
Brendan Sullivan, Chief of Staff
“Great story, great characters, awesome soundtrack.”
Bridie O’Connell, Strategy Intern
“Nothing brings me back to my childhood quite like Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature film and the first ever entirely computer-animated feature film. As a kid, I always imagined my toys waking up and living their own lives when I was away.”
Jack Mallory, Director of Strategy
“Pure nostalgia. It’s The Parent Trap of animated movies.”
Jason Kirtley, Senior Art Director
“It’s really what put them on the map and really pushed 3D animated feature films.”
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Joey Seales, Art Director
“Great sequel, great story about the rewrite in Creativity, Inc.”
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Ryan McCahan, Chief Technology Officer
“Smart, funny, and the first time I saw the animated fur was mind-blowing at the time.”
Finding Nemo (2003)
Leyla Balimtas, Account Director
“The amount of research that went into making sure it was scientifically accurate, and the love that it gave for the Great Barrier Reef and so many aquatic animals—just absolutely unmatched.”
Cars (2006)
Patrick Sims, Chief Strategy Officer
“Lasseter is the OG of Pixar. While Toy Story gets the notoriety (his first Pixar film), I like Cars because it’s clear he studied the design and engineering of actual cars. He sees the intersection of art and science in ways we can’t, and blends them spectacularly with story to create an animated experience for people of all ages.”
WALL-E (2008)
Hadi Dimachkieh, Creative Director, Video
“I loved the contrast between the dystopian world on earth, and the false utopia in space. And minimal dialogue.”
Jeff Bridgforth, Developer
“I just really liked the characters and how so much was communicated with gestures and non-verbals.”
Mike Aleo, President & Creative Director
“Silence for 35 minutes as character development in a 180 million dollar movie is probably the riskiest creative decision I’ve ever seen—and it’s perfect.”
Up (2009)
Garet Williams, Senior Account Director
“With an emotionally compelling silent film in the first 10 minutes of the movie, Up is visual storytelling at its best. For me, the rest of the movie is icing on the cake, and really good icing at that.”
Haley Rand, Strategy Intern
“I love the lesson: the best adventures in life are always about the people you’re with. And I love watching those characters learn that lesson. The friendship between Carl, Russel, and their puppy Dug gets me every time.”
Coco (2017)
Alana Elston, Head of Employee Success
“It’s definitely our family favorite! The graphics, colors, everything about the movie was top-notch.”
Matt Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer
“It helped me introduce the idea of death to my four-year-old in a beautiful way, and let me explain to my six-year-old that loved ones are always with you in your heart.”
Let us know your favorite Pixar flick, and check out our favorite quotes from Creativity, Inc.
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What’s next?