Woody's owner - Andy's Mum?

Pixar's Feature Films Toy Story / Lightyear
#1

We’ve talked about Emily not being Andy’s Mum, [spoil]or how Lassater talked about how Woody was “envisioned” as being a hand me down from Andy’s father (seen in the TSC Woody doll talk with Lassater)[/spoil]Prospector Pete even calls Woody a hand me down cowboy doll.

What if we completely disregard Andy’s father for a moment- he’s never been shown in the series and is merely another character to render.

We’re left with Andy’s mother as the adult role here, and as she notes in TS2, Woody is an old family toy. Might we surmise that Woody originally belonged to Andy’s Mum? -Omar

#2

I suppose it’s possible. But you think that she would ask Andy what he was gonna do with Woody if it was originally hers. Andy’s mom really never shows much intrest in Woody ecpect when she tells Al that it was theres and when his arm rips. Like any other memory Woody could have with another owner, he never tells any he would have with her. But it’s still possible that Andys mom used to be the owner.

#3

That’s a good point. Woody could of originally been Andy’s Ma’s doll, I always just asumed it was his fathers.

This isn’t a definitive reason. But if it was Andy’s Ma’s, and she kept it long enough to give to her kids, why would she of been so go ahead to let Andy choose to 'Attic Woody, Trash Woody, or College Woody"? If Woody was that personal to her as a childhood toy, she might of asked Andy for him to put in the attic for her grandchildren.

#4

Thanks. :smiley: True its not a definitive reason, but then, if Woody was Andy’s father’s toy, why is she so ambivalent about him then too?

I guess it doesn’t really matter. -Omar

#5

Nothished how we all said Mother a diffrent way.

#6

It’s possible that Woody belonged to Andy’s mother rather than his absent for unexplained reasons father. And it could be that Andy’s mom wasn’t particularly looking at or thinking about Woody when she asked him what he intended to do with his old toys. She might have simply assumed that Andy was going to keep Woody, which he would have if things had gone according to the original plan.

But none of this answers the big question: If Woody belonged to someone before - be it Andy’s dad, his mom, or someone else entirely - why his he unfamiliar with the idea that kids outgrown their toys until partway through Toy Story 2? If Woody was already owned, loved, and outgrown by a child, surely he would be more prepared for the same thing happening with Andy.

#7

That IS a big question… I never really thought of it before…

#8

Agreed, the question of why Woody hadn’t been “outgrown” by a previous owner before now is a big one. (Add to that, the fact from TS2 that he didn’t know about “Woody’s Roundup,” or the existence of all these other Roundup-themed products.)

Here’s another issue I have - I can’t get the math to work out very logically for Woody to have originally belonged to either of Andy’s parents, unless Andy’s Dad was somewhat older than average for a first-time father.

Andy’s logical birth year options seem to me to range from 1988 to 1992 (If TS takes place in 1995 and Andy’s turning 7 = 1988; if TS3 takes place in 2010 and Andy’s soon turning 18 = 1992.)

Sputnik was launched in October, 1957, so Woody’s Roundup presumably ended in late '57/first half of '58. Woody is in such good shape for an old toy, his original owner must have been old enough to take decent care of him, so I’m guessing he/she was at least 6 or 7, which would put his/her latest possible birth year as 1952 (1958 minus 6). If 1952 is the latest birth year for the “parent,” and 1988 is the earliest birth year for Andy, the parent would be 36 when Andy was born - which, yeah, OK, his Dad could have been that age. (No way was Andy’s Mom that old, because that would put her in her 50s in TS3, and she doesn’t look that old.)

OK, here’s a silly “making stuff up out of nowhere” theory: First off, this is predicated on the idea that Stinky Pete had been removed from his box and put on display in the dime store (hence he was “alive”), then when they took down the “Woody’s Roundup” display, they packed him back in his box and put him on the shelf for sale, so he was conscious of being overlooked and left behind.

What if… Let’s say one of Andy’s grandparents bought one of the last Woody dolls as a birthday or Christmas gift for - not one of Andy’s parents, but an older sibling, or maybe even a nephew. Between buying Woody, and the gift occasion, the kid has dropped the Woody’s Roundup fad for the new Space fad, or whatever. Andy’s Grandparent decides to buy a different gift - spaceship or whatever - and puts the now-unwanted Woody doll - still in his Never Opened Box - in the attic (hey, maybe it will be worth something someday). YEARS LATER - Andy’s Grandparent dies. Andy is a little boy. Andy’s Mom/Dad are involved in cleaning out the Grandparent’s house, and they find the cowboy doll in his box in the attic. They give him to Andy, who is thrilled, takes him out of the box - and the rest is history! (When you have the “making stuff up out of nowhere” gene, there’s always a way to explain things. :smiley: )

#9

^That might make a good fanfic, and it’s entirely plausible.

#10

It’s a definite possibility, and one that would explain Woody’s ignorance of his origins and of the fact that kids eventually outgrow their toys. And It kind of explains why Andy’s mom would refer to Woody as an old family toy, though to me, the line sounds more like something she would say if Woody was a hand-me-down toy.

It’s tough to pin down a time frame in which the films take place. I suspect they’re generally meant to be viewed as “timeless,” but there are a few clues that suggest a general span of years. The whole “Woody’s Roundup” scenario suggests that enough time has passed since the 1950s for most of the characters, particularly Andy, to be unaware of the show. The console on which Rex is playing the Buzz Lightyear game in Toy Story 2 appears to be a Super Nintendo, which suggests that the movie probably takes place sometime in the 1990s. (The Super Nintendo was released in North American in '91 and discontinued in '99. While it’s certainly possible that it would have been Andy’s primary console for some years after Nintendo stopped producing the system, it’s less likely that a game for the still popular Buzz Lightyear property would have been released for a previous generation console.) You could probably make some educated guesses about when the third move takes place based on the fact that Andy has a cell phone and what that cell phone looks like. And I’m sure there are other hints that I’m forgetting.

I wouldn’t say that Andy’s mom being in her 50s by Toy Story 3 is out of the question. She has definitely aged since the previous film and just because she hasn’t gone grey and sprouted a ton of wrinkles doesn’t mean she can’t possibly be over 50.

#11

His mom did seem kinda protective of Woody in TS2, so there has to be something there.

I can go with the idea of Woody being a last minuet buy from someone on the father’s side. I dont see his mom owning Woody, since most girl’s were’nt into cowboys.
I always thought that the father died of an illness or an accident.

Anyway…where was I…
Oh, so yeah I can see the dad picking up Woody at a store, still in the cowboy phase but the Roundup Gang had been disbanded.
This can lead to why Woody has no recolection of the show. I can see the dad keeping Woody for his kids and thus when Andy was born, he gave up Woody to him.

That can be why Andy’s mom was so protective…cuz it’s a memory of her late husband.

#12

With the filmmakers having it in mind that Woody belonged to Andy’s father, not many hints were given that he could be Andy’s mother’s toy, other than the fact that Woody is a hand me down. Andy’s Woody is said to be one of the older ones from 1958. I’m pretty sure that Woody’s Roundup ran from 1958-1959.

The timeline from Toy Story has been factually messed up since Toy Story 3, so the first 2 are the best references.

#13

You guys are forgetting that it didnt have to be a childhood toy for Andy’s Dad. Mr. Davis could have been a collector of some sort, or maybe even an original fan of the show. I’ve always thought that he found Woody in an antique store and remembered him from the classic Woody’s Roundup, and bought him as a collectable. Some antique stores have items of great value but just don’t know it. He could of then looked it up and found that this Woody doll was extremely expensive. So Mr. Davis then kept it mint in the box and therefore not “alive” (like Buzz came) and put him in storage. But when Andy was approaching Kindergarten and Andy’s dad was going to be soon out of the picture (either from death or divorce) he felt he should give his prize posession to little Andy to show he still loves him. Woody was then opened, brought to life and introduced to the world and his owner Andy.

So that my take on it. May not make so much sense so the short version is:

Andys dad was an original fan of the show. He found Woody at a antique store for a good price. He then realised the worth of the doll and kept it in storage mint in box. When he was on his death bed or leaving for some other reason he gave young Andy the Woody. Woody was then opened and introduced to the world.

This would explain the time difference, why he wasnt aware of Woody’s Roundup etc. And as for Stinky Pete? I concur with who ever said he might of been put on display and opened (bringing him too life) then put back in his box when the space toys came.

#14

That’s a good explanation Pure.

#15

Thanks :slight_smile:

It is what I always thought!

#16

I like it, except Woody mentions to haven’t seen a record player in ages. Still, as for Stinky Pete’s backstory, I think that Buzz Lightyears are the only toys that are frozen in “hypersleep” before they’re opened.

#17

He could be exaggerating. Ages could mean a few years. Who knows he could of saw one on TV and is trying to make himself sound experienced!

And as for the Buzz thing, that could be just how Buzz toy’s describe it. I don’t think toys are really alive until they are out of the packaging completely. Thats why in Al’s Toy Barn only the opened toys are alive (display Buzz, Barbies).

#18

Maybe woody was made a few years after the show went off so he was a late realease like maybe a 10 year anniversary realease so he wouldn’t know where he was from.

#19

Woody as a doll was very much intended to be sold as a TV tie in toy- [spoil]hence the You’ve Got A Friend In Me advertisement - where the boy hugs the Woody marionette in TS2.[/spoil]

Still, I like the idea of Woody being in “hypersleep” as Buzz 2 puts it, until Andy opened him up. -Omar

#20

Do we really need spoiler tags for this it’s not really what there meant for