What better way to start the new year than with a little animation-filled procrastination?
While many have busied themselves these first few days of January with their newfound, but likely short-lived, penchant for productivity, I adopted a a different stance. Recently, in the middle of the day, I decided to slow down. In fact, that’s the exact mantra I’ve adopted for the most recent calendar flip. I’m always going, so I just need to slow down. And I did by watching Pixar’s Soul for the second time.
I’m a huge Pixar fan.
Yes, I’m a grown-ass man who may or may not have watched Toy Story 3 over 15+ times and possibly shed a tear each time. But you can’t forget about Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Up, The Incredibles and the rest of the Toy Story treasures. So, a second helping of Soul was well within my wheelhouse.
The second viewing came with a few more outside opinions swirling in my head than usual. I went in well aware of the well-documented critiques that many Black folks had with the film.
I would put a *spoiler alert* disclaimer here, but if you haven’t seen this by now, your bad.
In the film, Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a jazz musician/middle school band teacher. Before we get to the opening credits, Joe’s dream gig is snatched away when he steps into an open man hole and kinda sorta dies. So, yeah, before the movie really gets started, right when we’re becoming invested in this character’s journey, he’s turned into a blue spirit. And a few minutes later, he’s transported into a cat while a rebellious, unattached soul voiced by Tina Fey occupies his body and walks around New York as a Black man.
There are a few more questionable scenarios that I probably changed up in the film, but they kinda made sense to me the first time I watched it. I got what the filmmakers might have been thinking and why they made certain choices.
Not to say that I didn’t take issue with some of those same points after my first viewing, but I wanted to give it another go before passing final judgement.
And I loved it even more.
I connected to the story in a few ways. I’m a Black man. With a few gray hairs in my beard. I’m artist who has spent time teaching that art to middle and high school students while dreaming of walking fully in what I felt was my purpose. So, I felt Joe…in my soul. (pun absolutely intended)
Also, I enjoyed the premise of finding your purpose, or spark. I’ve had multiple conversations with people who can’t seem to figure out what their purpose or passion is. This films questions if we are born with our purpose and passion or find it/them as we intentionally live our lives. It is a course in gratitude and slowing down.
And the film put some specifics of my personal Black experience on the screen in animated form. The barbershop, complete with the old head at the end who no one wants to have touch their hair, the mother with the cookie can turned whatnot case at Joe’s mother’s shop. And Jazz. The fact that Jazz, a Black musical form, was such a large part of this film made me feel like I was watching a cartoon version of Mo’ Better Blues without Bleek’s busted mouth.
Mainly, Soul just felt good to me.
The final shot in the movie is Joe stepping outside, taking a deep breath and smiling broadly. When asks what he’s going to do with his life, we hear Jamie Foxx say, “I’m not sure, but I do know…I’m going live every minute of it,” and exhaling. That is what the movie is for me. A moment to exhale. To smile.
For most of the movie, the Black man wasn’t a Black man, but at the very end he was, and he wins. He is smiling. Let a Black man smile. Especially, after he’s had to fight so hard to stay alive.
Oh, and if you want to check out some animated content from a Black creative that is streaming on a Black-owned service, my homie, JaFleu, has Reppin’ Matterz streaming on Kweli TV.
