Pixar’s Saddest Movie Story Yet

Finding Nemo made you cry? Then don’t read on about what Pixar’s done now.

The movie company got a call recently – a ten-year-old with terminal cancer wanted to see new movie Up. Only Colby Curtin was too sick to be taken to a movie theater for a screening.

So the company did the unheard of. They let go one DVD of the only-in-theatres movie, sending it with a Pixar employee (on hand to keep the movie off the streets) to Huntington Beach, California for a private in-home screening at Colby’s house.

Seven hours after she watched the movie, little Colby died. She got what she wanted – she’d promised her mom she’d hang on long enough to see the movie.

It’s such a sad story, I almost didn’t write about it here on Babble. But what prompted me to was the news that this wasn’t some Make a Wish Foundation gig. The Curtins were going to take Colby to the theatre themselves, only the wheelchair they ordered didn’t show up, and she got progressively weaker. So they called Pixar themselves.

They got an automated messaging system with no way to get through. But Colby’s mum guessed a random name… and got lucky. The person who answered put her through to someone who could help. The movie arrived the next day.

Is there anyone a sick child story won’t affect? I’ve noticed they hit me slightly lower in the gut since my daughter was born, but even before that, there was something about knowing a child needed help that turned me into an automated robot… must, help… And with the notorious red tape in Hollywood, to have something this big happen this fast, you know that feeling has no bounds.

Pixar just got another big fan. So maybe I can forgive them for holding their DVD prices up so high while all the others drop? Well, I don’t know if I’ll go that far. They did make me cry at Finding Nemo.

Image: Slashfilm