When it comes to every Pixar movie that’s been produced in the past 30 years, there are plenty of great titles. Yes, I like the newer films, and I’m looking forward to upcoming flicks, including Elio, which hits theaters this summer. However, there’s just something about the classics that just really hit for me. Monsters, Inc. is one of those films of my childhood that will always have a special place in my heart. I think the 2001 movie is pretty much perfect and, apparently, its ending was originally a bit different. Let’s get into it.
I Had No Idea The Monsters Inc. Ending Could Have Changed
Pete Docter currently serves as the chief creative officer of Pixar and has held that post since 2018. Aside from his career as an exec, Docter has also directed some of the company’s best films, including Monsters. When the filmmaker spoke on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast about his history with the animation company, he shared this detail about the making of his 2001 movie:
We screened Monsters, Inc. for an audience, and one of the questions that they asked was, ‘How’d you feel about the ending?’ And, you know, kind of a third of the people raised their hand and said they liked it. And [to] other people [they] said, ‘Why didn’t you like it?’ And they’re like, we wanna see Sulley get back together with Boo at the very end.
Of course, it’s hard to forget the moment in the Pixar film when Mike surprises his best friend, Sulley, with a reconstructed version of Boo’s door, allowing him to visit the adorable little, human girl he formed a father daughter-like bond with. However, as the ending was in the screening and remain in the theatrical version, the movie concludes with Sulley smiling as he walks into her room, before a fade to black. As Docter continued on the podcast:
I just knew in my head that if I did a scene, where he runs in and he sees Boo, that it would never be as cool as it is in your own head. So I had to fight for that for quite a bit, of ‘I’m just not gonna be able to do that.’ … Plus, I was trying to leave them wanting more.
Now, the director could have listened to the audience and crafted a longer ending where Sulley and Boo get to reunite and we see them together in the final frame. And, after the audience screening, it sounds like the studio may have preferred he change the ending. However, Pete Docter stood his ground and kept the final scene how he wanted it, which is admirable.
I Think The Movie Ended Perfectly, So I’m So Happy The ‘Fight’ Was Won
Of course, when I was a kid, I remember wishing I could see the reunion myself as well. But, through my multiple rewatches of the movie, I think it’s one of the best Pixar endings ever. There’s a bittersweet quality to the scene that allows the audience to imagine Sulley and Boo’s reunion in a way that activates our imagination. That kind of filmmaking like that doesn’t spoon feed its audience is rather rare, and it’s really beautiful when pulled off.
It’s especially lovely to reflect on the Oscar-nominated film’s ending following our first look at the Monsters, Inc. ride opening in Walt Disney World soon. Even though it’s sadly replacing another beloved attraction, imagineers are set to break ground on the ride this summer. Now, I want to watch the movie all over again and have a good cry over its powerful ending.