Lightyear is many things. A tribute to science fiction classics and another that is much more sensitive to the generation of viewers that turned toy story into a generational hit. But especially it is the Pixar’s first concrete attempt to bring its inclusion policy to a broader audience. The studio fought and succeeded in including a scene in the film showing a fleeting kiss between a same-sex couple. The decision has caused immediate controversy and considerable controversy surrounding the film.
For the release date Lightyear had been banned in fourteen different markets. The list included countries from the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and also some Asian countries, such as Malaysia. However, both Pixar and Disney refused to censor the film. The result has been a large-scale discussion about the purpose and manner of showing characters from the LGBTQ+ community in the animated world.
It is a controversy that revives one of the crucial discussions not only regarding production, but also Pixar as a studio. Even further, the discussion includes projects aimed at children as a genre. How should language and symbols be handled amid pressure to censor certain content?
In Lightyearthe decision to include narratives queer in mainstream projects it is clearer than ever. Not only for the fact of showing a kiss between a couple of the same sex. The film reaffirms the fact of their existence and It is given a prominent place in the plot. This, although it may not seem like it, is an unprecedented fact in similar productions. We could be talking about a new stage that perhaps shows a new direction in the way of understanding and deepening inclusion. One that, despite the controversy, stands on the need for new narratives. This is the long-term goal that Pixar seems to have set for years and of which lightyear is the best example.
A long battle for ‘Lightyear’
On March 9 of this year, Pixar’s LGBTQ+ employees sent a statement to the Walt Disney Company. The document stated that executives censored for years any type of inclusion of the collective in studio movies. Although they did not mention which projects they were referring to or give details, one thing was clear. Pixar had to deal with the obligation to debug any of your inclusive content productions. A fact that apparently put considerable and increasingly uncomfortable pressure on the studio workers.
According to Varietyone of the productions that was about to suffer the considerable weight of the restriction of topics within the studio was Lightyear. The film, whose script shows the relationship of a central female character with another woman, it became a sticking point for Disney. In fact, there was considerable controversy at Pixar over the decision to cut the scene of a fleeting kiss between the couple. At the end and after the announcement, the scene was reset. But, much more importantly, the study made it clear that its narrative would include the central idea of a new kind of family in the world of animation.
Until now, the representation of LGBTQ+ families has been limited to animated films aimed mostly at adult audiences. Both the success of 1999 South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut What Persepolis of 2007 showed characters from the community. Last year, the Oscar-nominated flee also showed a gay romance. However, the genus seems to have special care when the films are intended for a much younger audience. It seemed that way last year when The Mitchells vs. the machines made it clear that Katie (Abbi Jacobson), one of its central characters, was a lesbian. It was a step of considerable interest, although also timid, in relation to handling the subject.
Pixar’s long drive to a kiss
Pixar has struggled consistently for the past 27 years to achieve effective inclusion in its films. However, the results have barely begun to be noticed in the last five years.
In Onwards, released in 2020, Lena Waithe’s character mentions that he has a girlfriend. There is also a brief glimpse of an embrace between a pair of two women. Toy Story 4 of 2019. Surely the short Outavailable on Disney +, is the most direct attempt to delve into the subject. The plot tells the story of a gay man trying to tell his parents about their relationship in the midst of all sorts of hilarious inconveniences.
Lightyear finally crystallized what seems like years of effort and dedication. The scene, so fleeting that it barely stands out amidst the flamboyant collection of science fiction references, it is nevertheless a milestone. One that makes clear the studio’s intentions to embrace an entirely new narrative in its analysis of love and romance. Will Pixar achieve its purpose without suffering the shadows of censorship or, as in the case of Lightyear, an adverse public reaction? We can only wait for the answer.
