Author Spotlight
Kelly Murphy
After the latest Pixar movie “Soul” premiered via Disney+ on Dec. 25, my Twitter feed was filled with people claiming that the movie made them question their entire existence, leaving me skeptical. I thought it would be naive of me to believe that a Pixar movie could enlighten me with a new perspective on life — in addition to the mountain of used tissues I’ve come to expect.
Whatever the case, I got the chance to find out for myself when “Soul” became my family’s weekend movie night pick.
Following middle-school band teacher Joe Gardner’s (voiced by Jamie Foxx) big break at a famous jazz club, he falls down an uncovered manhole that inevitably sends him to “The Great Before” — a mystical place where the personality traits of new souls are formed before they’re sent to Earth.
Determined to return to his life which has just begun, Joe teams up with an unruly young soul named 22 (voiced by Tina Fey) who believes living is overrated. By helping 22 find herself, Joe soon discovers the answers to some of life’s most highly contested questions, including “What happens when you die?” and “What makes you who you are?”
After an unexpected and hilarious accident, Joe introduces 22 to some of life’s greatest joys (and some of my personal favorites): pizza and music. Although initially skeptical, 22 takes everything in from free lollipops at the barbershop to helicopter seeds spirling down towards the sidewalk with Buddy-the-Elf amazement. The duo balanced each other out perfectly with Joe acting as the mature, focused one and 22 being the easily distracted, impulsive one.
Normally if you finish a movie with more questions than when you started, it’s a bad sign. But “Soul” proved to be a rare exception. Yes, I left with more questions than answers, but it wasn’t because of a confusing plot. Instead, I was left self-reflecting as I flicked on the lights with questions like, “What am I taking for granted?” and “Am I living my life to the fullest?” — takeaways I never thought I’d get from a Pixar movie.
I found it refreshing to see this level of depth in a movie, especially an animated children’s one. The closest comparable Pixar film is “Inside Out,” which delves into human emotions and the mind. Although both movies are directed by Pete Docter and turn abstract concepts into colorful characters and self-sufficient worlds, “Soul” keeps the animation studio from treading in place by adding additional elements into the mix.
The first element being music; jazz musical themes are interwoven through the story arc — beginning with a middle school jazz backing track for Pixar’s iconic hopping-lamp intro.
The soundtrack integrates and helps shape the story, serving as a divider to differentiate between the physical and the abstract worlds. Upbeat jazz plays during chaotic chase sequences in New York, whereas bright electronic music captures Joe’s sense of wonderment in “The Great Before.”
Music also accompanies the movie’s villain, an accountant named Terry whose job is to count the souls who die and go to “The Great Beyond.” Terry’s screen time is signaled with a Jeopardy-esque electronic tune.
Another element “Soul” highlights is Black culture, with Joe as Pixar’s first Black protagonist and the studio’s first Black co-director Kemp Powers. This progress is both welcomed and essential due to Black stories being continually underrepresented on-screen. Without giving too much away, I was pleased to see that the Black characters in “Soul” didn’t display the all-too-common harmful stereotypes and one-dimensionality.
As much as I was captivated by the story, the only issue I had with “Soul” was its pacing. It felt as though the creative team wanted to include so much in the two-hour runtime that the storyline became rushed in the process. The fast-pace certainly kept my attention and kept me laughing as jokes were fired off, but the dialogue felt rushed at times, making it harder to follow.
If I had some trouble keeping up, I’m sure the target audience of 8-year-olds would get lost. Sure, they might enjoy the butt jokes and eating unhealthy amounts of candy and popcorn, but I feel like the most interesting philosophical themes of the movie would go over their heads — especially at the end when there’s little dialogue.
Luckily, I picked up enough for the film to resonate deeply with me. As a senior making decisions that’ll affect the rest of my life, questioning my existence and purpose is a daily occurrence. “Soul” gave me the much-needed reassurance that life is what you make of it. Despite the pacing issues, this lovable animated comedy ended on an inspirational note.
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