The Sad Theory of Andy's Dad In Toy Story

A theory has been shared speculating the whereabouts of Andy’s dad in the ‘Toy Story’ films.

Originally formed by Jess Davis, but has been expanded upon by regular Pixar theorist Jon Negroni, it suggests that Andy’s dad is out of the picture for one of a few possible reasons.

The Theory
The theory is that Andy’s mum and dad are going through a messy divorce and is, subsequently, not featured. Sure, this is the obvious thought pattern, but there’s more. This divorce, rather than his death, for example, is indicated by the complete absence of any mention/image of him in any of the ‘Toy Story’ films.

If his dad were to have passed away, the lack of any photos on the stairs during the opening credits and total erasure of his life within a year or so — remember, Molly is still a toddler here — seems a little odd.
It makes more sense that he’s absconded, and here are the clues suggesting it’s divorce over death:

1. As mentioned, the lack of any pictures and acknowledgement of him suggests he’s walked out rather than died. Possibly done something unforgivable?

2. When Andy’s mum produces the Buzz Lightyear gift box at his birthday party, she’s not wearing a wedding ring — wouldn’t she keep it on if her husband had recently passed away? It’s a debatable, but plausible argument that the marriage ended uncivilly.

3. One counter argument is that the kids could be adopted and their mum was never married to start with. A little farfetched, yet not impossible.

4. In the first film, the family are moving to a small house, which is a common occurrence in the wake of a divorce, with less household income with the lack of a second parental figure.

5. The family, at the end of ‘Toy Story’, get a puppy, which, as Negroni says, is a bit of a cliché thing to do in the aftermath of a parent walking out on vulnerable children — a replacement life to love and bond with.

Bad Dad?

The evidence paints a suggestible picture of Andy’s dad: he’s walked out on his young family; he’s possibly an adulterer; he has no contact with his kids as they’ve grown up. What’s more, Woody has no recollection of his previous owner — can we assume it was Andy’s dad? If so, is it because he has chosen to forget; was the time with him an unpleasant one? After all, Woody has been around for decades, but never mentions his life before Andy…

It’d also explain why Andy is so dependable on spending time with his toys — his favourites being the masculine figures such as Woody and Buzz in order to (subconsciously, at least) compensate for his absent father. They also serve as representations of the old life Andy knew (in terms of Woody) and the new, daunting one conveyed in Buzz.

No Official Word

Pixar have always said they’ve never intended to reveal or clarify the back-story of the family, so it’s really just about reading into it however you want, but it’s still great hearing people’s thought-out theories on characters and their history.

What do you think about this theory regarding Andy’s dad?

Mike indulges in all genres, with a particular affinity for animation — specifically Pixar. His favourite films include ‘Toy Story’, ‘Lost In Translation’, ‘The Shining’ and ‘Jurassic Park’. For more thoughts on movies and other such frivolity, follow him on Twitter.