Script Analysis: “Toy Story 4” — Part 4: Themes

Read and analyze the script for the hit Pixar movie.

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:

Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways

Today: Themes.

I have this theory about theme. In two parts. First, a principle: Theme = Meaning. What does the story mean? Second, while there is almost always a Central Theme, there are multiple other Sub-Themes at play in a story. Therefore the question: What does a story mean takes on several layers of meaning?

Time to ponder themes in Toy Story 4. You can download the script here.

Screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Stephany Folsom, original story by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton & Josh Cooley & Valerie LaPointe & Rashida Jones & Will McCormack & Martin Hynes & Stephany Folsom.

Plot summary: When a new toy called Forky joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.

Major kudos to Tara Yarlagadda for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.

To download a PDF of the breakdown for Toy Story 4, click here.

For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here.

For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here.

For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here.

To access over 80 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here.

I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week’s script: Toy Story 4.