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Disney’s newest release, Soul, is one of those rare films where you’re not sure whether you just watched a children’s animation or sat in on a life-altering therapy session. But this feeling of stunned awe is becoming more of a trend from the giant studios Walt Disney and Pixar, with Soul serving as the pinnacle of one of our greatest dilemmas: What is the meaning of life?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably asked yourself this question at least six times today. We’re all struggling to find signs that we’re on the right path, seeking some kind of validation that all of our efforts are not in vain. Upon watching this gem twice now, I can’t say that I’m any closer to finding this out for myself — but I’m not beating myself up for it either. With its ground-breaking creativity and existential questions, Soul has finally given my own chaotic soul some peace from the dread of living an unfulfilled life.
Soul Breaks The Barrier Between Earth And Beyond
Soul revolves around the first-ever black, male animated protagonist within the Disney empire, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx). He’s experiencing a bit of a mid-life crisis when faced with the choice between having financial security as a full-time middle school band instructor or his big break of playing piano for the revered Dorothea Williams. Yet as things often go, when there’s shine, there’s rain. Or something like that. Either way, the man falls into a manhole (ironic, no?) and enters a new universe.
Or at least his spiritual form.
Joe finds himself in a metaphysical world, quite literally on a conveyor belt heading toward “The Great Beyond.” Upon realizing his current situation, he sprints the other way, determined to get back to Earth in time to finally make his dreams come true — i.e., he’s not ready to die. As he pulls and tears at the boundary, Joe ends up falling through a supreme limbo until a hole opens up to “The Great Before.”
Okay, okay . . . stay with me now.
Working Together Toward Passion
As Joe maneuvers his way through “The Great Beyond” — the place where souls are “born” and shaped into their personalities before heading to Earth — he comes up with a plan. After a few failed attempts at jumping down to his planet, he poses as a Nobel Prize-winning child psychologist and is assigned to mentor the most-conflicted soul, 22 (Tina Fey).
After exhaustingly coming to terms with the fact that 22 struggles with finding her “spark” (or purpose as Joe mistakenly interprets the concept), he runs into some soul-saving “pirates.” These pirates, of course, only visit the spiritual beyond on Tuesdays — sure, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. By taking the plunge into explaining death, passions, the reason for living, and the cosmos, Soul gets a little weird. Not too weird for an animation — or for one like myself who truly revels in chaos — but it does tend to sway from philosophical joy to existential confoundment.
But after a little stumble, Joe and 22 end up back on Earth, just not exactly how they originally intended. Without giving too much away, the two have to work together — learning how to navigate without the aid of predetermined knowledge — in order to get Joe to his piano gig that very evening. All the while, their adventure inexplicably shows 22 the joys of life and even Joe, too.
An Illuminating Yet Sobering Message
As the film navigates the push and pulls between the different universes that be, overcoming personal dilemmas, and seeing life through another’s eyes, Soul teaches us almost too many things about the meaning of life. Yet, with a message that humans aren’t programmed with a pre-determined path of existence, Disney helps shine a light in the darkness for all of us digging our heels toward the future. This concept is an innovative and unknowingly-desired breakthrough from the stereotypical story arcs that confuse passion and joy with destiny.
However, the film not-so-subtly sprinkles another idea throughout its entirety that won’t bring comfort to all of its viewers. From barbers who tire of hearing all about jazz to Counselor Jerry dismissing the search for life’s meaning as “basic,” Soul just might be teetering on the edge of only letting those who are successful be successful — everyone else is better off reigning in the existential crisis. Walking a thin line, the movie often blurs its messaging and paints a fuzzy reality where if you aren’t already living your dream, then it’s time to throw in the towel and smell the roses.
A Break From Soul Searching, A Look At Life
Despite the complexities and contradictions, Soul’s greatest lesson of all is to simply live life without wasting it away, no longer treating the years as a preface for when some external factor brings you worth. The world needs to start appreciating the little things, caring significantly less about what anyone else thinks about the way we “should” behave or what we “should” invest our time and energy in. Life itself is extraordinary, even magical, but only for those who believe it is. Stop measuring success by the blue, squishy spirits of Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, or Muhammad Ali — “success” is the accomplishment of our very own ideas, ambitions, and goals, no one else’s.
Overall, Soul is an extremely feel-good, warm film that transcends all boundaries and limits. Where the film falters by making the audience believe there’s an all-or-nothing attitude toward how to live your best life, it makes up for in leaps and bounds. Soul is a stunning addition to Disney’s crown with otherworldly animation, intuitive and genuine characters, and a storyline that has never quite been achieved. As you will learn from the film, a soul won’t be crushed while watching because that’s what life on Earth is for — but only if you let it.
