Toy Story 2 - 1999

Movie Info
Rating: G
Age-appropriateness: involves deceitful and tricky people
Overview: When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends vow to rescue him, but Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting. Like its predecessor, Toy Story 2 hits on deep flaws and fears in the human condition. Topics like identity and life purpose are once again front and center.
Themes: toys, friendship, change, purpose, heaven, tricky people, unconditional love, bitterness, anger, teamwork, family
The Quick 3
Ask these quick questions to hit the major themes of the film.
1. Identity. What do you think makes your life worth living? What do you think your true purpose is?
Buzz describes Woody’s true identity and purpose in life. Buzz says, “life’s only worth living if you’re being loved by a kid.”
2. Tricky People. Have you ever been tricked by someone who turned out to be much different than you originally thought?
Stinky Pete seemed polite at first, but eventually turned out to lack integrity. He pretended to be kind to others just so that he could manipulate them for his own selfish needs
Check out this article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Tricky People.
3.Unconditional Love. What does it mean for God to love you unconditionally?
"When She Loved Me". Jessie experienced the unconditional love of a wonderful owner in Emily, for a time. Eventually, Emily grew up and started liking other things. Unlike owners of toys, God’s love for you NEVER changes. Romans 8:38-39 says, "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
After The Movie Discussion Guide
Follow this 5-10 minute discussion guide to drive an in-depth conversation.
1. Stinky Pete seemed polite at first, but eventually turned out to lack integrity. He pretended to be kind to others just so that he could manipulate them for his own selfish needs. Have you ever been tricked by someone who turned out to be much different than you originally thought?
Check out this article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Tricky People.
2. Al is motivated by one thing: money. He wanted to be rich so badly that he didn’t care what it took to get there. Since money was the most important thing in his life, you could say that Al “worshipped” money. When we worship anything in life besides God, bad things happen. We were created to worship Jesus and nothing or no one else. Is there anything in your life that you worship besides God? What do you consider most important in your life?
3. Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete had a very different experience than Woody had before they all met. Woody was used to being loved by Andy with many friends, whereas the Roundup Gang had been stuck in a box for years without being played with. This changed their perspective and attitude for the worse, which is understandable. Who are some people you know that seem mad, negative, or mean? Have you ever considered the difficult parts of their life that could have influenced their attitude?
4. Woody eventually tells Buzz they’ll be friends “for infinite and beyond”. This is actually true of all of our friends who accept the gift of grace from Jesus! We’ll see everyone who trusts in Jesus together in heaven one day! What do you think heaven will be like in our "infinite and beyond"?
Here's an article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Heaven.
Minute By Minute Guide
Use this break down of the entire movie in addition to the “After the Movie” discussion guide. Great for repeat viewings.
:06 Bo Peep reminds Woody it’s not his hat that makes Andy love him. God loves you unconditionally, no matter what. God loves you so much, even when you make bad choices. Do you ever think you're loved because of the way you look or because of something you wear? What does it mean for God to love you unconditionally?
:09 Woody is first faced with the reality of his mortality: Andy’s mom says “toys don’t last forever” when Woody gets shelved. How do you think this makes Woody feel? How can you enjoy the exact stage of life you are in right now, knowing that it won’t last forever?
:14 Woody rescues Wheezy. Have you ever put your own preferences aside to help out a friend?
:16 The Chicken Man (Al) steals Woody. Have you ever taken something that was not yours? How do you think Andy and his family would feel if they found out someone stole from them?
:22 Like Buzz in the original Toy Story, Woody now finds out the truth about who he really is. The dream of being famous and adored is very enticing for Woody. Do you ever dream about being famous and having everyone like you? Do you think there would be anything negative that would come with being famous?
:35 Woody blames Jessie for turning on the TV. Be very careful when you blame or point out the faults in others – remind yourself that you aren’t perfect either and that you have a lot of growth needed yourself. In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus warns against pointing our finger at other people's bad behavior: "'And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.'" Have you ever blamed someone for something before you had all of the facts?
:37 Buzz and friends walk through a busy intersection in traffic cones. If you blindly walk through life with no regard for others, then it’ll lead to very bad things (for you or for other people). Mr. Potato Head doesn’t even realize the harm he’s caused as he evaluates the street crossing as “that went well.” How often do you look at life through someone else's perspective? Are you ever so wrapped up in your own world that you might miss what's actually happening around you?
:48 "When She Loved Me". Jessie experienced the unconditional love of a wonderful owner in Emily, for a time. Eventually, Emily grew up and started liking other things. Unlike owners of toys, God’s love for you NEVER changes. Romans 8:38-39 says, "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Have you ever felt abandoned or forgotten?
:52 Stinky Pete offers Woody immortality. The thought of being endlessly worshipped forever by people in museum is very tempting for Woody. Our souls will indeed live forever, but only through accepting Jesus’ gift for us on the cross can we spend forever in heaven. Have you ever thought about living forever? What do you think heaven will be like?
Here's an article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Heaven.
1:05 Buzz describes Woody’s true identity and purpose in life. Buzz says, “life’s only worth living if you’re being loved by a kid.” What do you think makes your life worth living? What do you think your true purpose is?
Check out this article on How to Talk to Your Kids About Purpose/Calling.
1:08 Stinky Pete was mistreated and unloved while he was on a toy shelf going unsold, which led him to be selfish and bitter today. Do you know of anyone who is being bullied and doesn’t seem to have any friends? What can you do to love them like Jesus would if he were here on Earth?
1:13 The toys drive the car. This shows incredible teamwork! Slinky had the pedals, Buzz steered, Rex watched the road, Mr. Potato Head provided support, and the aliens provided wisdom. None of the toys would be able to drive a car by themselves, but together they can do something extraordinary. What are your specific gifts, and how can they contribute to God’s Kingdom in a unique way?
1:16 Stinky Pete got what he deserved in that he was punished in the end. That’s not how the story of the Bible ends. It ends with us NOT getting what we deserve. Because of our sin, we deserve to spend eternity apart from God, but because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, God shows us grace. Grace is not getting what we deserve. Instead of punishment for our sins, God gives us righteousness through Jesus – how crazy is that? We only need to put our faith in Jesus, and we are saved and forgiven from our sins. Why do you think God gives us grace through Jesus?
1:22 Jessie celebrates with Bullseye because they are “a part of a family again”. When we trust Jesus in our hearts and give our lives to him, we become part of the family of God. That means the people at church become our “brothers and sisters” and they are there for us. We don’t have to go through life alone, we’ll always have support! Do you currently have friends at your church that support you? How might you be able to get to know people through your church?