'Onward' Has an Ending That Dan Scanlon Planned Out From the StartTheWrap

SPOILER WARNING: This article discusses major plot elements and the ending of “Onward”

There was a point during the making of “Onward” that Pixar director Dan Scanlon was afraid he was oversharing. Maybe he was putting too much of his own memories of growing up without his father into this story about two elven brothers in a magical world dealing with the same loss. But his colleagues at Pixar encouraged him to put more of himself into his work, and he credits that supportive environment at the hallowed animation studio for helping him create a movie that has already gotten him praise from audiences for its emotional resonance.

“I felt very comfortable talking about personal stuff and being vulnerable because that’s what the other artists here wanted to hear and got excited about,” Scanlon said. “My filmmaking partner Kori Rae and my co-writer Keith Bunin told me at one point, ‘You can keep telling us personal stuff. You are letting go too soon.'”

“Onward” was first introduced to the world at the 2017 D23 Expo before it even had a title. Scanlon, who rose through the ranks at Pixar and became director of “Monsters University” in 2013, talked about how the inspiration for his “suburban urban fantasy” came from memories of growing up with his older brother and mother after his father died when he was an infant. Childhood games of Dungeons & Dragons and a cassette tape of his father’s voice became the basis for a tale of two elven brothers, Ian and Barley, who go on a quest to find a gem for their father’s magic staff that they can use to bring him back for one day.

Also Read: 'Onward' Film Review: Pixar's Latest Sticks the Ending, But Not So Much Everything Before It

For anyone familiar with the Pixar canon, hearing such a premise would likely lead to preparation for a tear-jerking, cathartic ending between father and son. But from the beginning, Scanlon knew that he wanted the ending of his film to not be so “saccharine” as to give Ian that reunion with the father he never knew.

“I felt like having such a clean-cut ending would detach it from any human experience of loss, and that ultimately this film is not just about losing a father but also about Ian learning to appreciate the people in his life that filled the hole left behind by his father,” Scanlon said. “And in the end, he sacrifices for those people.”

In the process of building these themes of grief and brotherhood, many members of Scanlon’s team would talk about how the scenes of “Onward” evoked memories of loved ones that had passed on. He says it it led them to become “part therapist and part artist” around each other, helping to express their feelings about tough memories while thinking of ways to transform it into something that could be animated.

“You have to be careful to not get too excited and go, ‘Oooh, use that! That would be great!’ It’s still a human being!” he said. “But we all get really excited by these touchstones to human life and these personal, real stories.”

Also Read: 'Onward': First Pixar Film of 2020 Projected for $45 Million Opening

But there are also some hurdles that come with writing from one’s own past. When building the characterization for Ian, it took several attempts to get his personality to what is seen in the film. Ian’s shy demeanor and social awkwardness is something that Scanlon took from himself when he was 16; but in the initial draft, Ian was a selfish teen who detested others except for Barley, who he viewed with a condescending bemusement.

“When you’re writing a character based on yourself, the first few cracks at him are going to be pretty mean to that character and apologetic to everyone else,” Scanlon said. “If you’re even slightly self-aware, there’s a tendency as a writer to write a character based on you as a jerk because of guilt on how you behaved, and that’s step one to being honest with oneself.”

It took six years for “Onward” to go from pitch to screen, and already Scanlon is reaping the ultimate reward of that work in the reactions he has received from the film’s premiere and advance screenings.

“I’ve talked to so many people who have told me that this is their story or that watching the film reminded them of someone important in their life and they called that person,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a friend or a sibling, but either way they called and told them that they mattered and they loved them. And that was amazing to me, because along with reminding everyone of the importance of those kinds of people in all of our lives, the big message of this film is that you should tell them that now, because there is no guarantee that they will always be there to hear that.”

All 24 Pixar Movies Ranked, Worst to Best (Photos)

TheWrap’s film critic Alonso Duralde rates all of Pixar's features.

Also Read: Top 40 Pixar Characters, From ‘Toy Story’ to ‘Finding Dory’
24. "Cars 2" (2011)

"They should let people see the movie for free," one pundit opined, "since Disney will make all their money back on the bedsheets." Some of Pixar's best movies are sequels, but this follow-up to an already inferior studio entry seemed like nothing but a craven bid for more merchandising money. The results were good for shareholders but middling for moviegoers.
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23. "Cars" (2006)

Never underestimate little boys and their love for automobiles. This brightly colored but dramatically flat tale is most enjoyed by a) male moviegoers who b) saw it before they turned 10 and c) have no idea that it tells virtually the same story as the Michael J. Fox comedy "Doc Hollywood."
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22. "Cars 3" (2017)

It's a movie about middle age and the fear of obsolescence -- you know, for kids! While Lightning (Owen Wilson) tries to soup himself up to take on young, faster rival Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), the veteran racer mentors Cruz (Cristela Alonzo), a trainer who gave up her racing dreams. It's visually sumptuous and has a few good ideas, but the "Cars" series remains Pixar's blandest.
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21. "A Bug's Life" (1998)

Back in 1998, the second Pixar feature was racing to the big screen against the thematically similar "Antz." Neither has achieved iconic status, notwithstanding the "Bug's"-themed kiddie area of Disneyland. The film does provide memorable voice roles for "The Ref" co-stars Denis Leary (as a manly-man ladybug) and Kevin Spacey (scaring the little ones as an ant-exploiting grasshopper).
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20. "Monsters, Inc." (2001)

The things that go bump in the night are just doing their jobs, collecting the screams of boys and girls to power their monstrous alternate dimension. Leave it to Pixar to turn childhood terror into something fuzzy and huggable while also sneaking in a metaphor about over-reliance on fossil fuels.
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19. "Onward" (2020)

Pixar sticks the landing with another memorable you-WILL-cry ending, but most of the movie that leads up to that denouement doesn't really merit that level of investment. Two elvish brothers have 24 hours to find a stone to bring their dead dad momentarily back to life, and while the gags and the action are fun, the character-building and world-building are both a little sketchy.
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18. "Monsters University" (2013)

This colorful prequel, featuring Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) as college freshmen, plays like a G-rated "Revenge of the Nerds," and that's mostly a good thing. Is this the first kids' movie to suggest that higher education isn't necessarily for everyone?
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17. "Up" (2009)

Like "WALL-E," this movie opens with a chunk of filmmaking perfection as we get to know the life, and losses, of our elderly hero. But while there's nowhere for his balloon-festooned house to go but up, there's nowhere for the movie to go but down after such an auspicious beginning.
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16. "Ratatouille" (2007)

Follow your bliss, says this entry, even if you're a sewer rat who wants to be a gourmet chef. It's lovely, and its ending will be forever cited by critics of every medium, but some screenwriting contrivances make it good-but-not-great Pixar.
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15. "The Good Dinosaur" (2015)

Frightened, awkward dino Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) travels home through a savage landscape with the helpful accompaniment of a feral boy named Spot (Jack Bright), who generally behaves like a dog, in a movie where the stakes are slighter but the character bonds are nonetheless rich.
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14. "WALL-E" (2008)

The first half or so of this ecological fable -- a silent comedy about the titular robot tidying up an abandoned earth and longing for love -- is Pixar's greatest achievement. Unfortunately, it gets dragged down by a lot of loud chasing in the second half.
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13. "Brave" (2012)

Despite a rough production, this saga offers us Merida, one of U.S. animation's most self-assured characters, who refuses to be married off by her father as though she were your run-of-the-mill princess. Merida's skill with a bow and arrow made archery look even more appealing than Jennifer Lawrence does in the "Hunger Games" movies.
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12. "Finding Dory" (2016)

What this follow-up lacks in The Feels, it more than makes up for with The Laughs and The Thrills. Ellen DeGeneres returns as the famously forgetful fish who sets off to find the family she forgot she had. Witty, bright, and exciting, even if that tissue in your pocket winds up going unused.
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11. "Inside Out" (2015)

An 11-year-old girl's brain becomes the backdrop for another hair-raising adventure, as her emotions fight to find balance during a rough patch in her life. No shortage of jokes and excitement, and early screenings have seen crusty film critics openly weeping in their seats.
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10. "Soul" (2020)

Pixar's first film with a Black lead features some of the company's finest animation (particularly its evocation of autumn in New York) and memorable music from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, even if the script doesn't quite nail the requisite three-hanky ending.
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9. "Coco" (2017)

The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration brings a young boy face-to-face with his ancestors, teaching him the importance of family and allowing him to settle a generations-old misunderstanding. Colorful, poignant, and loaded with great songs and cultural specificity.
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8. "Incredibles 2" (2018)

Picking up right where the excellent original leaves off, this boisterous sequel sees the super-powered Parrs still dealing with the outlaw status of costumed heroes while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) becomes a stay-at-home dad as Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) shoulders most of the derring-do. And villain Screenslaver is a perfect commentary both for the film's 1960s aesthetic and for the internet age.
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7. "Toy Story 4" (2019)

The world didn't necessarily need a follow-up to the sublime "Toy Story 3," but this sequel is as funny, moving and eye-popping as its predecessors. And with the introduction of the hand-crafted Forky, a "Toy Story" star is born.
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6. "Luca" (2021)

For kids, this tale of two sea monsters assuming human form is a sweet tale of friendship and being true to yourself. For adults, there are plenty of other metaphors and readings beneath the surface that make this lovely summertime tale even more meaningful and heartbreaking.
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5. "Toy Story" (1995)

The one that started it all and kick-started a whole new way of making cartoons. Its characters became instant icons while its gleaming surfaces changed animation more than any other single movie since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
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4. "Finding Nemo" (2003)

Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres have the precision timing of a vaudeville comedy duo as two tiny fish who brave the big, wide ocean to rescue a missing youngster. This parable about the push and pull of parent-child dependency offers some of Pixar's finest blending of adventure and comedy.
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3. "Toy Story 2" (1999)

Wherein we learn that toys need to be taken out of their mint packaging and loved if they're to be truly happy. And that a Sarah McLachlan song about a doll who misses being cared for by her owner can reduce grown men to sobbing.
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2. "The Incredibles" (2004)

Probably the greatest superhero movie ever made that's not based on pre-existing characters from another medium, and better than almost every other superhero movie, period. Brad Bird's attention to character detail and freedom with gravity would serve him well later as the director of the live-action film "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."
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1. "Toy Story 3" (2010)

Andy goes off to college and must leave childhood, and its playthings, behind. An exciting and funny meditation on death and growing up and I'm going to need a handkerchief now.
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