As cliché goes the Lone Ranger rides his trustworthy horse alongside the denigrated portrait of a Native American named Tonto (fool) to unexplored ranch acreage aiming west—hence an American western movie often features the straight white male hero. But what if his sidekick became a black lesbian and trusty robotic cat named Sox? Perhaps going into space compares to going west, and so Buzz Lightyear, in the movie Lightyear, launches his spaceship to conquer yet another exploration. Doing so he hopes will save those who remain on earth. If he discovers another planet on his voyages, a new home is secure. But those on earth are living full lives and one woman doing so exclaims, “We don’t need saving, Buzz. We need you to join us.”

Izzy is this character, and she is the granddaughter to Buzz’s best friend, the Space Ranger black lesbian colleague Alisha Hawthorne, who marries the right woman and our lesbian couple later give birth to a son. When he grows up, finding his partner, this partnership brings their daughter Izzy into the world. All generations prioritize family as the launching goal, the foremost reason to explore relationships—meaning to value home on Earth. In contrast, Buzz remains solo as four-minute space trips (based on outer-space time) equate to a four-year time bubble on earth and since he makes many space excursions, earth life passes him by. He is in space for a few decades.

Over the years, Alisha remains the space station commander on Earth, continuing to support Buzz’s expeditions. She believes in him. The humor they share lends him the humble card. “Are you mocking me,” he asks her and clearly so given her smirk. They salute each next flight by placing a forefinger together, an innovative high five, and declare “to infinity and beyond.” For his space shipping success, Alisha computer programs a helpful ally, Sox, and the cat never leaves Buzz’s side, eventually sashaying four paws and one tail into figuring exact science solutions Buzz needs for the one successful space flight journey. Eventually Alisha’s hologram welcomes Buzz back from yet another mission. She has aged into her senior years, the time before dying, and Buzz has missed her actual death, so he watches the video. Izzy does one spontaneous flip into the frame while her grandmother speaks.

When she grows up, Izzy later forms one ragtag trio of space program trainees (one level below rookie) who Buzz waves off as more nuisance than helpful until he needs them, emotionally speaking. (Yes, the plot-forward action scenes are also a-plenty—no to infinity and beyond of feelings.) Izzy reminds Buzz that her grandmother had such an amazing influence on so many folks while she was alive that that became her mission, the living, breathing earth life. And when Buzz meets his older self, a ruthless mission-driven sci-fi monster, the youthful Buzz decides to ally with unexpected colleagues, instead of going for yet another mission-flight. Diverse adventures are there for the viewing when you go see the movie, which I recommend. Happy voyaging. And take the family if you wish.