The Velveteen Rabbit 2023

When seven-year-old William receives a new favorite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic.

Review

What is it about playthings coming to life that tugs so hard on the heartstrings? If you’re not wearing a mask of hot tears by the end of The Snowman or Toy Story 3, you’re made of stronger stuff than me. It’s partly the depiction of childhood innocence – that heart-wrenching purity of toy-based joy – but it is also because these stories tend to be about loss: the Snowman melts, the stars of the toybox are discarded. To be alive is to feel rejected, ignored, passed over, and to ultimately die and be forgotten. This is already humanity’s sorry fate – can we at least spare the teddies?