The history of Pixar is that of a studio making major advances in technology that are aligned with deep, empathetic storytelling at the same time. At the peak of the company’s creative run at the end of the 2000s, they were arguably the most important company making movies anywhere in the world, breaking ground with acclaimed masterpieces like “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-E,” and “Up.” The history of Pixar starts with a cowboy named Woody and an astronaut named Buzz in a little film called “Toy Story,” which Roger Ebert recognized as a major piece of filmmaking immediately, giving it four stars. Over the next quarter-century, Roger and his staff would give a Pixar film the highest possible rating six more times, including Oscar winners like “Inside Out” and “Coco.” The history of Pixar is also the history of modern blockbuster animation, a collection of films that will be inspiring creative voices and those who realize that family entertainment need not talk down to children for generations to come. Some of these movies will be passed down from parents who grew up with them to their own kids over and over again, making the history of Pixar a cultural movement that outlives us all.
