SOUL: FILM REVIEW
If you haven’t seen Pixar’s Soul, this is your sign to do so. Recommending Soul might be too obvious of a move for The Q but given that our audience is mostly Gen-Z, I think this movie expertly caters to how many of us are feeling right now. Or maybe I’m just projecting?
Co-directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers (who was brought onto the team later), Pixar’s Soul is the studio’s first film with a Black protagonist. The film follows a middle-aged middle-school band teacher named Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) who longs to become a famous jazz pianist. When a former student approaches him about sitting in with a band led by a famous saxophonist, it seems that Joe finally has the opportunity to get his foot in the door. However, his plans are put on hold when he falls into a manhole heading to the Great Beyond and he is transported to the Great Before — a place where unborn souls pass through before entering real life. The Great Before is also colored with abstract, fluidly transparent figures named Jerry, who serve as counselors in this realm. In order for souls to get to Earth, they must complete their badge filled with traits. Joe is assigned a soul named 22 (Tina Fey, a choice I also don’t really agree with), whose remaining badge to fill is finding her “spark,” or passion. 22 is Joe’s only hope to return to Earth, but so far, no one, not even Gandhi, has been able to find 22’s passion. Soul follows Joe and 22’s journey to get to Earth, as they both unravel unexpected revelations throughout.
When I decided to watch Soul, the only thing I knew about the film was that it stretched themes of existential crises in a way that Pixar never had before. Maybe I’m just slow, but I was pleasantly surprised at the unpredictability of the film’s most precious gems. Needless to say, some major plot points were easy to guess. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to reveal that 22 eventually finds her spark. However, the realizations that Joe and 22 have along the way were fresh. Certainly, I did not expect a parable to David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” after Joe successfully crushes his jazz performance but wonders why he doesn’t feel as euphoric as he expected. 22’s fascination with the little things in life, from the taste of a lollipop to whoosh of street vents were pleasantly adoring to watch.
I also watched Soul at a place when I was feeling very caught up with myself, and the unknowns of the future. It was winter break, and I had just finished finals, which means that there was nothing to distract my mind with anymore. I went through a bit of a career crisis that I was excited about but wasn’t sure if I had the confidence to pursue it. Every morning, I would wake up in a state of panic about my future, as I subconsciously placed the worth and value of my existence on my ability to achieve success. As cheesy as it sounds, watching Soul grounded me back to a place of stillness that I had not felt in a long time. I first tasted this stillness during a scene where a crisp leaf falls into the palm of 22’s hand and she looks at it with heartbreaking awe and admiration. Even though Soul is completely animated, the quietness of the leaf felt very precious to me too.
Soul did not lead me this huge, existential revelation — nor did I expect it to. I’ve always known that life is more than just achieving a defining career, far-reaching goals, or a job you love. However, for a long time, I was neglecting these moments of peace and stillness that ultimately culminate our day-to-day. This whole time I was so busy being caught up in external security, that I lost my love for the present and what I was already doing. While receiving good news or achieving goals is exciting, being grounded by them is dangerous.
My review of Soul is definitely not centered around the film’s cinematic qualities or production. This is definitely more akin to a journal entry than a review, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m hoping this intentional reflection of the Joe and 22’s journey will help me, and others, internalize the film’s message. Following the corny themes of this review, I think it’s appropriate to summarize Soul’s takeaway with the famous Allen Saunder’s quote. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.