Final answer:
Establishing Pixar's Piper as the second best film requires criteria for 'best,' which isn't specified. However, Pixar's move to include significant female characters, as with Brave, marks a shift in representation, contrasting with earlier films without strong female leads.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "What is the evidence for the Pixar film Piper being the second best Pixar film?" cannot be definitively answered without establishing the criteria by which 'best' is measured. However, Pixar's reputation for producing highly successful children's movies, such as Toy Story, Cars, The Incredibles, and Up, is well-known. Prior to the release of Brave in 2012, Pixar films typically did not feature female lead roles, which is something their parent company, Disney, is known for with titles like Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan. In assessing Piper's rank among Pixar films, one might consider its critical reception, awards, and cultural impact, alongside the studio's broader history of representing female characters. Unlike in Up, where the only human female character dies early in the film, Pixar's move to include more prominent female leads is significant in terms of representation and the influence this has on its audience, notably young girls.