Disney Pixar’s Soul follows the story of Joe Gardner, an aspiring jazz musician/middle school band teacher when he suddenly dies after being offered the opportunity of his dreams and is stranded in the afterlife. There, Joe meets 22, a soul finding her spark to live, who inadvertently teaches Joe what life is truly worth living for along the way.
One of the largest appeals about Disney Pixar is that their movies not only resonate with children, but with their parents as well. Or in my case, a 20-year-old college student struggling to find the point of her existence. While I’m not a Disney fanatic, I heard whispers about Soul. After being sorely disappointed by Mulan, I decided to press play.
If only my lost soul couldn’t have heard these lessons years before.
- It’s the Little Things in Life
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During COVID-19, we’ve been forced to slow down more than ever. Of course, there were days that felt monotonous, but I learned to appreciate the little things in life. In Soul, 22 has never been excited to live. Her first experiences on Earth — eating a slice of pizza, feeling the vent, and watching falling leaves — left her awestruck, and that’s how we should look at life! Once the pandemic is over, we will sort of be experiencing real life for the first time again, but I fear how quickly we will fall back into the habit of being unhappy with regular life. Life can be exciting even without grandeur. While influencers skew this point of view with their all-expenses-paid tropical vacations and million-dollar mansions (yes, these things would be nice), our “regular ol’ livin’” is quite wonderful too.
- “Can’t Crush a Soul Here. That’s What Life on Earth Is For.”
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After Joe arrives in The Great Before, he’s introduced to 22 and other infant souls. When these souls magically survive a building demolition un-pummeled, 22 offers some reassurance. “Don’t worry. You can’t crush a soul here, that’s what life on Earth is for.” Of course, this appeals to my dark sense of humor, but to the average Joe, this quote may seem too bleak. But what is 22 actually saying? It asks the age-old question: are we born good or evil? Disney argues that our souls are born “good,” and it’s the struggles of life, or Earth, that make us depressed, jaded and cynical. Psychology claims that both nature and nurture affect human behavior, and while true, I say that even with all the devastation Earth offers, it means that we can also change our perspectives.
- Plans Change, and That’s Okay
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While the entirety of Soul’s plot is centered around Joe’s plans changing after his sudden death — and what he refuses to accept — it’s Dez’s story that emphasizes this lesson. Dez explains that he initially wanted to pursue veterinary school, but after his daughter got sick he decided to change lanes and attend the more affordable option: barber school. And now? Dez is miserable. Just kidding. Dez is happy.
Incredulous, I know. I think many of us college kids have this daunting fear looming over our heads. And the key thing to remember is that it’s okay if our plans change. Dez is the prime example. While he’s not a vet, he still shares his love for animals and is more than content with his family and career, which allows him to talk with people from all different walks of life in the barbershop. Life isn’t linear, and it’s crazy to think that we expect our lives to follow a certain pattern. While we fantasize about making our lives like a movie, and we want to be the main character, life is more like a sitcom — a series of episodes with no real plot. And that means laughs, a few bad seasons, and some tears here and there, but it doesn’t make change bad. It’s what makes us grow.
- Too Much of a Good Thing Can Become Bad
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For those who have found their passions, I applaud you. Some people never find their spark to live, and you have already “conquered” one of life’s challenges. Here, 22 shows Joe souls in “The Zone,” particularly musicians or athletes, when one loses themselves in their art. However, “The Zone” is also the same place where there are Lost Souls, when you become so consumed that you lose touch with reality. It happens “when we become convinced that we can only derive fulfillment and inspiration from one source. It can disconnect us from those around us and prevent us from being present in our lives.” Even with the things that initially bring so much joy and meaning to our lives, you can become so obsessed and preoccupied that it becomes toxic. This, of course, can have the same occurrence with negative events, but either way, it’s important to remember to not get too caught up with the past or the future, but focus on right now.
- Life Isn’t Defined by Your Achievements
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One of the most inspiring yet heartbreaking moments in Soul was when Joe finally stands up for himself and his dreams to his mom. Mrs. Gardner knew firsthand the struggles of being an aspiring musician as the wife of Joe’s late father. Being a successful tailor and business owner, Mrs. Gardner advises Joe to stray from his father’s footsteps and accept a position with more job security and financial stability. While Joe succeeded in finally making his mom gain a better understanding towards his dreams, it’s when Joe says, “I’m just afraid that if I died today, my life would have amounted to nothing,” that made me rethink things. While society tells us otherwise, we are not our careers, and we are not defined by our roles or our achievements. Unlike Joe, if we all died today, our lives would have amounted to so much and then some to so many different people in ways we can’t even comprehend. Forget the awards, accolades, and achievements. Living is a success in itself.
- Your Spark for Life Is Not Your Purpose
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We become dissatisfied with life when we are constantly telling ourselves that we are not enough. But don’t forget that society also tells us that we’re not enough. Somewhere along the way, we’ve equated our purpose to our careers. Remember being a kid? We were so carefree because we weren’t worried about finding our “purpose.” We were more than happy to simply live, just like 22. And it can still be that way. We don’t have to turn our hobbies into our careers, nor do we have to lose them in pursuit of one. If something brings us happiness, then it has meaning, and it has a purpose.
- Don’t Rush Through Life for Your “Purpose”
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And last but not least, don’t rush through life searching for your “purpose.” You can’t control what’s going to happen next, but you can enjoy the moments that life offers. And while it’s important to chase your dreams, don’t be like Joe and lose sight of what you’re running past – getting to know your barber, strengthening your relationship with your mom, or even listening to a guitarist outside of the subway. I know life is short, and we all want to live it to its fullest, but it’s important not to speed past everything and surrender to cruise control. Living life to its fullest also means savoring each moment we’re given.
COVID-19 pushed a lot of feature films that would’ve theoretically broken the box office onto streaming services, and Disney was no stranger to this. The fate of Soul went back and forth between a theatrical release and exclusive streaming, but was eventually released on Disney+ on Christmas Day. Although Soul was the first feature-length film from Pixar that did not have a wide theatrical release, it was still nominated for two Golden Globe Awards (Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Score – Motion Picture) in February, right in time for Black History Month. Soul not only celebrates black lives with Disney Pixar’s first African American cast, but teaches us what it really means to live.