Took my 13-year-old son to see Toy Story 3 yesterday afternoon. Kinda HAD to, seeing as how T.S. has been his entire life since he was very tiny, and we've watched 1 and 2 countless times over the years.
We opted to watch it in 2-D, which I'd read properly treats the images and artwork, whereas the 3-D tended to hamper the aforementioned (so said Ebert of 'Siskel & Ebert' fame).
The theatre for the 2-D feature was interestingly crowded. I suspect it was probably more due to the fact of the prohibitive COST of seeing it in 3-D (an extra $3-4 per ticket for the glasses) and less about people actually being concerned about picture quality.
So, Andy's going off to college and the toys wind up being donated to a daycare center, but they're placed in the 'Caterpillar' room (with the VERY young, barely-walking kids) rather than the more awesome 'Butterfly' room (where the older, more toy-experienced children are). This proves to be a problem for Woody & Buzz and co., considering that the reason why they're in the room they're in is due to a very mean stuffed bear that controls all the toys in the daycare.
The gang manages to escape, however.....and face some other trials and dangers in the process.
Once they become 'reunited' with Andy, the tears begin to come down hard (from myself and my son, that is). Andy personally brings his box o' buddies to a little girl who genuinely loves all her toys and plays with them with a great degree of respect. Andy takes the time to explain to her each toy's role in all the little play scenarios he participated in when he was just a boy. The mere describing of how much they've meant to him all these years is just heart-wrenching. (To be honest, I'm blubbering as I write this.)
Andy drives off to college, wishing the little girl (and his former best-buds) adieu...and saves a quiet "Thanks" for the toys.
By this time, my son and I had gone through what amounts to 10 papertowels'-worth of tears....both of us knowing why the other was crying, and more often than not crying for the same reasons.
As we left the theater, my son said to me, "It's like saying goodbye to your childhood". "Yeah," I said, "that's exactly how it feels watching your kids grow up, too". I've had to say goodbye to my children's childhoods, save for all the memories, pictures and boxes of crafts, school papers, awards and such that I've dutifully collected through the years and will keep all the way to infinity......and beyond.
