The most emotionally devastating Pixar scenes, ranked.
Pixar movies do two things: They make us laugh, and they make us cry. That’s an odd mix for cartoon movies geared at kids, but that just shows us how amazing Pixar is at telling stories. They’re able to capture us with their character and throw us into a crazy, imaginary world where we feel for everything inside it. And feelings lead to emotions, and then soon we’re holding back sniffles because sometimes it’s just really hard not to cry along with Buzz Lightyear, OK?
If you’re looking at something to majorly tug on your heart-strings today, look no further. Here are eight of the SADDEST Pixar scenes to date. Have some tissues ready.
8. Wall-E loses his memory, Wall-E
Wall-E, as a movie, deserves way more credit than it gets, simply because it’s a love story and the two main character never talk to each other because they’re ROBOTS. The robots FALL IN LOVE, you guys, and their love story is told through beeps and boops to each other. It’s beautiful.
After Wall-E sacrifices himself to save THE HUMAN RACE, his memory is reset and when he wakes up he doesn’t recognize his lady-robot, Eve. She’s devastated, and we know this because all the emotions are contained in her robot face. She begs him desperately to remember, but he can’t.
7. Buzz Lightyear tries to fly, Toy Story
Way before Buzz and Woody were best friends for life, Buzz was under the assumption he was a real, actual space ranger. He didn’t understand the concept of “being a toy” and fought against this idea. Buzz refused to listen to everyone, even though the facts were staring him in the face. It’s only after he hears a commercial for the “Buzz Lightyear Toy” on TV that he comes to grips with his toy reality.
BUT, that’s not going to stop him from proving the haters wrong. The Randy Newman song, “I Will Go Sailing No More” kicks in, and Buzz takes a giant leap from the top of the stairs…. and down, down he falls. He’s not a flying toy.
6. Jessie feels unwanted, Toy Story 2
Know how sometimes those Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercials make you cry? OK, well now take that same kind of Sarah McLachlan song, but put it to a childhood scene instead. And the song? “When Somebody Loved Me.”
Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl, had the BEST life living with her own Emily. That is, until Emily grows up, Jessie gets forgotten about, and is eventually left by the side of the road in a box of donations. Cue the tears.
5. Merida can’t change her mom back, Brave
Moms and daughters are supposed to fight; that’s a fact of life. It’s no surprise that strong and stubborn Merida fights with her mom, Queen Elinor, through the whole movie. Then Merida accidentally changes her mom into a bear and has to reverse the spell. Even though Merida does what she needs to do to bring her mom back, it doesn’t work. She collapses into a hysterical heap in front of her mother (who is still a bear) and cries. For any daughter who’s had one of those fights with their mother, where everyone is crying at the end, this scene hits home.
4. Sulley says goodbye to Boo, Monsters Inc.
Little Boo gets into Monstropolis by accident, and it’s up to Sulley (and Mike Wazowski) to get her home safe. After a few close calls, they save the day, everyone cheers, but Boo’s got to go back home to the human world. Over the course of the movie, the big monster and the little girl bond. When it’s finally time to say goodbye, Sulley isn’t ready to. Boo doesn’t realize it’s happening — because she’s a toddler, after all.
That’s why when Boo opens her closet door, to scare “Kitty” and doesn’t find Sulley there, it’s just ALL THE FEELS.
3. Andy gives away his toys, Toy Story 3
The toys’ story in Toy Story 3 involves all of them desperately trying to get back to their owner, Andy. Andy’s story in Toy Story 3 involves him wrestling with the idea of giving all his toys away because he’s going off to college. What does he need a bunch of toys for, anyway?
In the end, he gives his toys to little Bonnie. This is awesome because Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang will go on to lead a brand new life with a new owner. The REAL kicker of this is that as Andy is handing over his toys, he plays with them one last time. And if you’re not already crying by this point, Andy has a REAL HARD TIME handing over Woody, because this is the last part of his childhood he’s letting go.
Andy whispers, “Thanks guys.” Woody whispers, “so long partner.” We’d whisper something, too, but no one would be able to hear it over the tears.
2. Bing Bong, Inside Out
Inside Out opened a few months ago, but is it still too-soon to talk about Bing Bong? Did you leave the theater desperately trying to figure out if you had ever Bing Bong’ed one of your imaginary friends? Did you feel like an awful person for a little bit, because there were parts of your own childhood that had fallen into the memory dump, and maybe that’s where your Bing Bong friend was hanging out for all of eternity? Are you positive that your imaginary Bing Bong would have sacrificed himself to save you? Are you crying again?
1. The beginning, Up
The beginning of Up is a movie in itself. It tells the whole story of Carl and Ellie, from their first meeting to their last. We see the ups and downs of their life together, through sickness and health. Their story is by no means tragic, because both live very full and wonderful lives. But it’s gut-wrenching to watch Carl lose Ellie before they can take their trip to Paradise Falls, something they’ve been planning their whole lives. This is still the first four minutes into the movie. Some full movies can’t fit this much emotion into two hours! This opening scene is heartbreaking, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
(Image via Pixar/Disney.)
