A Story

A Story is of two student films made by Andrew Stanton; the other being Somewhere in the Arctic. The film was made at CalArts and it was completed in 1987. This short film is featured in the Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 2, and the Criterion Collection release of WALL-E.

Plot[]

The short is narrated like a storybook. The story is about a kid named Melvin. Like most storybook children, Melvin had no friends and had neglectful parents, so he spends most of his time in front of the TV, watching his favorite TV show, Ted Land. One day, the main character of Ted Land, the titular giant blue monster, suddenly talks to Melvin to come play. Phasing his arm through the TV screen, Ted pulls Melvin in, knocking him out in the process.

Later, Melvin and Ted walking down a long path. The narrator tells the viewers that they're going on adventures, hoping to find "new friends and do happy cute things." Suddenly, they encounter a group of clown goons, led by their killer clown leader, Randy, who terrorize the nearby village by pelting villagers with pies. When Melvin politely tells Randy to stop, Randy gets highly offended, and orders his goons to capture Melvin and Ted and take them to his lair.

With our two heroes trapped, Randy explains his evil plan: to overthrow the kingdom and become supreme ruler. As Randy and his goons inch closer to their grand plan, Melvin and Ted getting trapped in different death-defying situations. The story ends with Melvin and Ted getting blown up in a room full of dynamite, since "there are no such things as miracles", Randy became king, and died at the age of 108, "a very rich man."

Voice Cast[]

• Nate Kamfer as The Narrator / Goon Squad Member
• Sue Nichols as Melvin
• Jeff Pidgeon as Ted
• Andrew Stanton as Randy the Killer Clown / Goon Squad Member
• Broose Johnson as Goon Squad Member
• Mike Bell's Chair as the Squeaky Cart
• Russ Edmonds's Chair as the Squeaky Cart

Trivia[]

• According to Andrew Stanton, the short is supposed to a commentary on contemporary Saturday morning cartoons. He cites the 1960s kids show H. R. Pufnstuf, as inspiration, stating that the vibe of the cartoon entices its viewers by making them wish they were in that show's world.
• Ted bears a strong resemblance to Sulley from the Monsters, Inc. films; this could also be a prototype design for him.

Video[]