“Ever since Pixar released the masterful Toy Story on an unsuspecting public, animated films have taken on a new kind of life in the American cinematic landscape. No longer content to be opiates for masses of children worldwide, animated films are lauded for their intelligence and emotional impact—and their impact on parents in particular. There was a time adults wouldn’t be caught dead seeing a Disney film without a child in tow, but these days Pixar and their competitors attract adults to evening shows with the promise of subtle humor, clever plotting, and scenes that would make any parent with a soul shed a lake’s worth of tears.”

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