Soul (2020 film)
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Soul | |
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![]() Release poster | |
Directed by | |
Written by |
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Produced by | Dana Murray |
Starring | |
Cinematography |
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Edited by | Kevin Nolting |
Music by | |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $150 million |
Box office | $121 million |
Soul is a 2020 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Pete Docter, and written by Docter, Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers. It stars the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, and Angela Bassett. The film centers on a music teacher, Joe Gardner (Foxx), seeking to reunite his soul and his body after they are separated just before his big break as a jazz musician.
Docter conceived Soul in January 2016, working from his contemplations on the origins of human personalities and the concept of determinism. The film's producers consulted various jazz musicians including Herbie Hancock and Terri Lyne Carrington, and animated its musical sequences using the sessions of musician Jon Batiste as a reference. Apart from Batiste's original jazz compositions, musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross also composed the film's score. Production on Soul lasted for four years, on an approximate $150 million budget. It is the first Pixar film to feature a Black lead.
Soul premiered at the London Film Festival on October 11, 2020, and was scheduled to be theatrically released on November 20. However, the feature was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Soul being released direct-to-streaming on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, and in theaters in countries without the streaming service. Soul received positive reviews for its craftsmanship, story, characters, and musical score. Organizations like the National Board of Review and American Film Institute named the film as one of the top 10 films of 2020. Soul was nominated for three awards at the 93rd Academy Awards season, winning two, and received numerous accolades.
Plot[edit]
In New York City, Joe Gardner dreams of playing jazz professionally. When he receives an offer for a full-time teaching position, his mother Libba urges him to accept it. Joe learns Dorothea Williams has an opening in her quartet and auditions at a music club. Impressed with Joe's piano playing, Dorothea hires him for that night's show. As Joe heads off, his excitement distracts him, and he falls down a manhole into the sewers.
Joe finds himself as a soul heading into the "Great Beyond". Unwilling to die, he tries to escape but ends up in the "Great Before", where counselors — all named Jerry — prepare unborn souls for life with the help of mentor souls. Each soul has a badge which grants passage to Earth once it is completely filled out with personality traits. Mistaken for a mentor, Joe is assigned to train a soul named 22, who wants to avoid Earth. Discovering that Joe is in a coma at a hospital, 22 agrees to let him help find her "spark" to complete her badge and then give it to him so that he can return home. After Joe fails to find 22 a passion, they visit "the zone", a place that souls can enter when their passions create a euphoric trance, but which can also become a trap for obsessed lost souls. They meet Moonwind—a galleon captain—to locate Joe's body on Earth.
Joe returns to Earth but accidentally carries 22, entering the respective bodies of a therapy cat and Joe himself. They find Moonwind, who agrees to meet them later at the jazz club to restore Joe to his body. In the meantime, 22 settles into Joe's body and enjoys small moments while interacting with Joe's peers. She holds poignant conversations with Connie, Dez, and Libba. Meanwhile, Terry sends him to it by arriving on Earth after he was lost, restoring the count.
As the day ends, Joe and 22 visit with Moonwind to return Joe to his body. After Joe tells 22 that her experiences were not purposes, 22 refuses and flees to find her spark with Joe tailing behind. As they run through a subway station, Terry traps them both and brings them back to the Great Before. 22 realizes her badge is filled out, yet Joe insists it was because of his traits, and that she has not truly found her spark. Angry, 22 throws the badge at him and disappears into the zone. A Jerry informs Joe that a spark is not a soul's purpose in life, but Joe refuses to believe this and uses 22's badge to return to Earth.
The night's show becomes successful, but Joe is upset at his unchanged life even after fulfilling his dream. Looking at objects that 22 collected while in his body, and recalling the moments they had enjoyed together, he sees that these experiences have given 22 her spark. By playing piano, he enters the zone with the intent to return her badge but discovers that she has become a lost soul. He chases her down, showing her a maple seed she had collected to remind her time spending on Earth. They realize that a spark is not a soul's purpose, but indicates an intention to live. Joe's actions restore 22 to normal, returning her badge and escorting her out of the Great Before for her journey to Earth.
As Joe prepares to enter the Great Beyond, a Jerry stops him and offers another chance at life in gratitude for finally inspiring 22 to live. Joe returns to his body on Earth and starts the next day committed to enjoying his entire life.
Voice cast[edit]
- Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, a jazz pianist and music teacher[1]
- Tina Fey as 22, a soul with a dim view of life living in the Great Before[2][3]
- Graham Norton as Moonwind, a spiritual sign twirler[4]
- Rachel House as Terry, an obsessive soul counter[4][5]
- Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Wes Studi, Fortune Feimster, and Zenobia Shroff as the five soul counselors in the Great Before who are all named Jerry[6]
- Phylicia Rashad as Libba Gardner, Joe's mother, who works as a seamstress[7][8]
- Donnell Rawlings as Dez, Joe's barber[4]
- Questlove as Lamont "Curley" Baker, a drummer in Dorothea Williams' band and a former student of Joe's[7]
- Angela Bassett as Dorothea Williams, a jazz saxophonist[9]
Additionally, Daveed Diggs plays Paul, Joe's neighborhood frenemy;[2][7] Cora Champommier plays Connie, one of Joe's middle school band students; Margo Hall and Rhodessa Jones play Melba and Lulu, Libba's co-workers;[10] June Squibb plays Gerel, a soul who meets Joe before going to the Great Beyond;[4] and Esther Chae plays Miho, a bassist in Williams' band.[11][12] Cody Chesnutt provides his vocals, from his song "Parting Ways", as a street singer with a guitar.[13]
Sakina Jaffrey, Calum Grant, Laura Mooney, Peggy Flood, Ochuwa Oghie, Jeannie Tirado, and Cathy Cavadini provide the voices of Doctor, Hedge Fund Manager, Therapy Cat Lady, Marge, Dancerstar, Principal Arroyo, and Dreamerwind.[10]
Production[edit]
Development and writing[edit]
![Headshot of Pete Docter](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220408203231im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Pete_Docter_cropped_2009.jpg/170px-Pete_Docter_cropped_2009.jpg)
The development of Soul began in January 2016, when director Pete Docter sought new creative directions during the announcement of the 88th Academy Awards,[14][15] before eventually pondering the origins of human personalities with the concept of determinism. In his first meeting with co-writer Mike Jones, Docter pitched an idea set in spacetime involving souls with personalities.[16] The film spent four years in production,[17] with an approximate $150 million budget.[18]
Pixar chose to portray the film's main character as a musician because they wanted an appealing profession for the audience, and settled that after trying for a scientist, which did not feel "so naturally pure". Docter described Soul as "an exploration of" things which focused on it.[19] Docter and Jones worked on the development of the main character for about two years.[16] According to Docter, once they settled on the main character being a jazz musician, the filmmakers chose to make it African-American one due to the race tied to jazz history.[20][21]
With co-writer Kemp Powers's help, he wrote Joe during the film's early development; his 12-week contract was first given and was later extended.[16] He eventually became the film's co-director after his extensive contributions to it, making him Pixar's first African-American co-director.[21] Powers based several elements of Joe on his personal life, but wanted him to "transcend [his] own experience" in order to make the character more accessible.[20] Powers also placed additional emphasis on authentically depicting the black community as well as Joe's relationships with them.[22] In order to portray accurately African-American culture within the film, Pixar created an internal culture trust composed of black Pixar employees, and hired several consultants, among whom were musicians Herbie Hancock, Terri Lyne Carrington, Quincy Jones, and Jon Batiste; educator Johnnetta Cole; and stars Questlove and Diggs. The filmmakers worked closely with them through the film's development.[20][22]
The idea for the therapy cat and Joe landing inside its body came from Jones. Docter and Powers appreciated the idea, as it offered the filmmakers a much needed way for Joe to "be able to look at his own life from a different perspective" and appreciate it.[23] According to Murray, the filmmakers were undecided on Soul's ending before the last screening. Some versions of the ending featured Joe preparing whether to pass on to the Great Beyond, to return to Earth a year later, or to stay in the Great Before as a mentor. Several brief scenes showing 22's life on Earth after her new birth, including one of her reuniting with Joe in New York, were storyboarded. Docter considered it very strong for the audiences' decision and ultimately discarded these scenes.[23]
Casting[edit]
Docter said Jamie Foxx was perfect for Joe, citing his comedy skills and musician background.[18] He stated that Foxx's career drew inspiration from Lionel Richie.[24] Foxx related the film's "bittersweet [feeling] of losing someone but gaining a vision of joy", following the death of his 36-year-old sister in October 2020.[25][26]
Tina Fey, in addition to voicing 22, also contributed to the screenplay, having helped to write her character's lines.[19] She considered the film, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a "helpful reminder that [life] isn't defined by achievement or attainment".[25]
Animation and design[edit]
Soul is Pixar's first film to feature an African-American protagonist.[27] Pixar and Docter were mindful at the history of caricatured depiction of African-Americans in animation. They created black characters[16] and integrated African-American culture into the film's "DNA" to remove their caricature, stereotypes, and tropes.[28] According to Powers, the animators used lighting in emphasizing the ethnic diversity.[29] Pixar sought to capture the fine details of the characters, including the textures of black hair and the way light plays on various tones of black skin.[16] Cinematographer Bradford Young worked as a lighting consultant on the film.[29]
Animators used footage of several music performers, including Batiste, performing as reference for the film's musical sequences. By capturing MIDI data from the sessions, animators were able to retrace the exact key being played on the piano with each note and create the performances authentically. According to Docter, the animators assigned to specific musical instruments often either had experience playing them or a great appreciation for them.[29][30]
The souls were animated by the filmmakers in a "vaporous", "ethereal", and "non-physical" way, based on their designs in definitions about those for various religious and cultural representatives.[19] They differentiated souls from ghosts by adjusting their color palette accordingly.[31] Animating the souls' designs were a challenge by Docter, since the animators had their most substantial work.[19] According to Murray, several artists helped create the souls' designs by giving their suggestions and opinions on how they should look.[32] The designs were also inspired by early drawings made by Docter. Animators created two designs for the souls in the film: one for the new souls in "The Great Before" (described as "very cute, very appealing, with simple, rounded shapes" by supervising animator Jude Brownbill) and one for mentor souls (feature distinctive characteristics since they have been on Earth).[33]
The design of soul counselors ("Jerrys") originated from line drawings made by story artist Aphton Corbin; another one then created wire sculptures of them, upon which it was finalized.[31] Together with the design of "Terry", they were seen by critics as a reference to Osvaldo Cavandoli's 1971 Italian animated series La Linea.[34][35][36]
Soul's main aspect was fantasy, representing its broad difficulty. To address the issue, Docter elaborated on making his film Inside Out (2015), determining its personified emotions with clarity and physicality. He also said that having many "very abstract ideas" to the aspect can "bring [...] to life".[18] For the Great Before, the filmmakers did not want it to be based in any specific culture given its nature of universality. They sought inspiration from the architecture of 1930s–1960s world's fairs, making a "sense of awe and importance".[37] In accordance with the film's plot, production designer Steve Pilcher believed the simplicity of the Great Before, saying that it was complicated and naive.[18] According to Docter, the aim of the design was to "make a grand statement about learning and knowledge."[38] The personality pavilions were designed to be "abstract-looking shapes" as a literal interpretation of the abstract ideas they represent.[37] For the Great Beyond, the filmmakers went with a direct take on the concept of "going toward the light", which they believed that the audience understood it.[31]
The astral plane sequence took months to create, despite having its short duration. Visual effects supervisor Bill Watral compared the sequence to Psycho's (1960) shower one. He said that Alfred Hitchcock and his team's reputation for the sequence was longer, as Pixar's filmmakers made attempts in dealing with Soul's cinematography. Without futuristic camera equipment, they sought the usage of creative techniques to accomplish the film's docility. The filmmakers thought the most part of animating the astral plane was to have sands, liquids, and rocks. In this process, the materials were separated, and then integrate their forms again.[39]
For New York, the filmmakers explored jazz clubs and pizza stops for Soul's inspiration. Powers eventually derived the film's scenes from a barbershop, elaborating the family's relationship.[18] The city was distorted and crooked, since it had photorealistic surfaces. Removing sublime computer-generated imagery that caused distortion to any of the film's surfaces.[40]
Music[edit]
Musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails composed an ambient score for the metaphysical segments of the film, while Batiste composed a number of original jazz songs for the New York City-based segments of the film.[41][42] Batiste sought to create what he referred to as "user-friendly jazz", which felt "authentic" but could still be appreciated by a general audience.[20][43] Ross felt Joe's musical cue as "somewhat ominous", and also considered having the film DNA-based sounds.[18] Reznor and Ross were brought in on the recommendation of sound designer Ren Klyce, who had worked extensively with the duo in David Fincher films.[44]
The score and the original songs from Soul were released in two separate vinyl-exclusive albums, while also both being compiled onto a digital album.[45][46] "It's All Right", the end credits song performed by Batiste, was originally recorded by The Impressions. A second cover of the song, a duet between Batiste and British soul singer Celeste, was released alongside the film.[47]
Release[edit]
The 101-minute[48] Soul premiered on October 11, 2020, at the BFI London Film Festival.[49] It was originally scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on June 19,[50] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Soul was pushed back to November 20,[51] before eventually shifting to a December 25 Disney+ release. Unlike Mulan, Soul did not do so through Disney+ Premier Access, making it free for all subscribers.[52]
In international markets where Disney+ is not available, Soul was released theatrically;[53] these included China,[54] the Philippines[55] (in areas under the modified general community quarantine[56]), Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, among others.[57] The film was included in their lineups of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival[58] and the Rome Film Festival; it opened on October 15.[59] In theaters, Soul was intended to be accompanied by SparkShorts short film Burrow, but it premiered on Disney+ instead.[60] A prequel short to Soul was released in 2021, titled 22 vs. Earth. It focuses on 22 leading a rebellion against her superiors.[61]
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Soul on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on March 23, 2021. Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary, and deleted scenes.[62]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Soul earned $121 million in other territories.[63] The film grossed $7.6 million in its opening weekend in 10 markets, including $5.5 million from China.[64] By February 2021, Soul had become the highest-grossing Pixar release ever in Russia ($18.3 million), Ukraine ($1.9 million), and Saudi Arabia ($5.9 million). Its top international markets at that point were China ($57.9 million), Russia, South Korea ($14.8 million), Taiwan ($6.4 million), and Saudi Arabia.[65]
Streaming viewership[edit]
Following the release of Soul on Disney+, research firm Screen Engine reported that 13 percent of viewers watched the film, and it over-indexed among parents, particularly mothers. The company also said that Soul was among the most-watched straight-to-streaming titles of the year, behind Hamilton and Wonder Woman 1984.[66] On December 21–27, 2020, the film gathered 1.669 billion minutes of watch time making it the number 1 streaming title that week.[67] Nielsen reported that Wonder Woman 1984, with 2.252 billion minutes of streaming on HBO Max, had surpassed Soul, with 1.7 billion minutes on Disney+, in streaming numbers on Christmas weekend.[68] Samba TV later reported that 2.4 million households streamed the film over its opening weekend.[69]
Critical response[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Soul holds an approval rating of 95% based on 342 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A film as beautiful to contemplate as it is to behold, Soul proves Pixar's power to deliver outstanding all-ages entertainment remains undimmed."[70] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned Soul a score of 83 out of 100 based on 55 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[71]
Several journalists praised Soul for its craftsmanship,[72][73] which they saw as an exercise of Docter's expertise,[74][75] as the film was considered a return of Pixar's form by some critics.[76][77] Leslie Felperin (The Hollywood Reporter) and Jason Solomons (TheWrap) described the film as its peak, with Solomons characterized its "colorful visuals and gentle wisdom".[10][78] A. O. Scott of The New York Times expressed its "combination of skill, feeling and inspiration".[79]
The story, characters, and music were sources of praise. Kaleem Aftab of IndieWire felt the narrative "[veered] off in many unexpected directions, so that even the inevitable end point feels just right."[8] USA Today's Brian Truitt commended the performances of Foxx and Fey since they had their humor.[80] For Time Out Dubai, Whelan Barzey believed Joe's generations that was assigned to an interconnected film.[81] Felperin and Peter Travers (ABC News) praised the musical score, calling it as "sublime".[10][82] Truitt and Travers credited Batiste, Reznor, and Ross for their music merits.[80][82]
Reviews were not uniformly positive. Adonis Fryer of the Ohio student newspaper The Post concluded that "beautiful animation, strong voice acting, charming writing and easy-to-digest existential philosophy make Soul a compelling watch but does not make up for Disney's inability to truly center a black hero with agency."[83] The same sentiment was shared by Kirsten Acuna from Insider. She felt that "the studio had taken a few steps backward" in their racial sensitivity as Soul used the same trope of "turning Black characters into creatures".[84] Molly Freeman of Screen Rant acknowledged the film's "message about the meaning of life and finding purpose, but it's messy and only made muddier by the questions the movie sets up then fails to answer. The result is Soul loses much of its emotional impact, with the third act playing out more like a rush to the finish line of the story without giving as much weight to the themes and emotional throughline of the film."[85] Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo wrote that "Soul comes across less like an earnest and casual celebration of everyday Blackness, and more like a twee depiction of it that’s meant for white audiences' consumption."[86]
Soul was included on a number of best-of lists. It was listed on many critics' top ten lists in 2020, ranking sixteenth.[87] Several publications have listed it as one of the best animated films, including: Parade and Complex (all 2021).[88][89]
Accolades[edit]
For the 93rd Academy Awards, Soul received three nominations (including Best Sound); the film won two Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.[90][91] From ten nominations earned at the 48th Annie Awards, the film won seven awards (including Directing in an Animated Feature Production for Docter and Powers, Music in a Feature Production, and Best Animated Feature).[92] At the 78th Golden Globe Awards, it won Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score.[93][94] Among the film's nominations include three Grammy Awards (winning one),[95] one Critics' Choice Award (won),[96][97] and three British Academy Film Awards (winning two).[98] It was named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review (which won Best Animated Film) and the American Film Institute.[99][100]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
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External links[edit]
- Official website
- Soul at IMDb
- Soul on Disney+
- Script Archived January 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- 2020 films
- English-language films
- 2020 comedy-drama films
- 2020 computer-animated films
- 2020 fantasy films
- 2020s American animated films
- 2020s English-language films
- African-American animated films
- African-American films
- American children's animated fantasy films
- American computer-animated films
- American fantasy films
- American films
- American ghost films
- American animated feature films
- Animated drama films
- Animated films about cats
- Animated films about music and musicians
- Animated films set in New York City
- Annie Award winners
- Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners
- Best Animated Feature Annie Award winners
- Best Animated Feature BAFTA winners
- Best Animated Feature Film Golden Globe winners
- Body swapping in films
- Disney+ original films
- Existentialist works
- Films about the afterlife
- Films about educators
- Films about pianos and pianists
- Films directed by Pete Docter
- Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Films scored by Atticus Ross
- Films scored by Trent Reznor
- Films set in hospitals
- Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award
- Films with screenplays by Kemp Powers
- Films with screenplays by Pete Docter
- Jazz films
- Magic realism films
- Pixar animated films
- Walt Disney Pictures films