Cat Droppings

  Sid from Toy Story, one of the most frightening villians in movie history and also involved in one of the most frightening scenes ever.  However, I’ve been plagued by the mythical structure from Chris Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey” and who goes where. He sums up the mentor as a representation of God and Man, providing our hero with gifts and the knowledge he needs to complete his journey and obtain his goal.  Famous mentors would be Obi Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, and Q.  They also do not have to be sentient people.  

  Sid is often listed as a teritary antagonist, but upon another viewing with my beloved nephew, it hit me….Sid is fucking Dumbledore!  This realization blew my mind.  Yeah, this kid.

  To apply the mythical and/or traditional movie structure Woody is our protagonist and Buzz is our antagonist.  While most people imagine that the antagonist must be defeated, there is a literary device called the double reversal, where the antagonist comes over to the protagonists side.  In this instance it’s that Buzz is realizing being a toy is the best calling of all and that they have a great kid to take care of.  Sid’s house presents a trial where Buzz comes to a realization that he’s not a Space Ranger, and Woody is reaffirmed that more than ever he and Buzz are Andy’s toys and he needs them, and they must get back.  They also bond and become friends.  Many consider Sid to be a secondary atagonist that brings Buzz and Woody together as allies, but I would argue that he’s an inadverdent mentor.  He teaches them how important it is to have a great kid, or they could end up like Sid’s toys.

Buzz and Woody each come to their personal realizations, escape the jaws of death and reaffirm their goals.  He also provides a rocket strapped to Buzz, shows Woody how to use magnified glass with the sun to create fire and puts a match in Woody’s holster.  This sparks the idea when they need to jump aboard the moving van.

Interesting side notes about Sid:

He is voiced by Erik Von Detten (of So Weird, Princess Diariesand Brink!)

While only briefly mentioned in Toy Story 2, he makes a brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in Toy Story 3 

Yes, the symbolic Skull shirt is there and he is rocking out to Megadork. Also his license plate is a shout out to The Shining.

He also appears in a Monster’s Inc. comic, as an actual protagonist.

And he also inspired a Phineas and Ferb villain Buford Van Stomm

Woody and Sid’s best scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsusakRf7T8

Sid’s bio on Disney Wiki: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Sid_Phillips

Thank you, and don’t worry, this only took an hour of my life.  

because I got my acceptance letter for school today and have been plotting world domination…I mean my spring semester.  Things are looking up!  Now if I can just find a job….