Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.
- Released: 2020-12-25
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Family, Music
- Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashād, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett, Cora Champommier, Margo Hall, Daveed Diggs, Rhodessa Jones, Wes Studi, Sakina Jaffrey, Fortune Feimster, Calum Grant, Laura Mooney, Peggy Flood, Zenobia Shroff, June Squibb, Ochuwa Oghie, Jeannie Tirado, Cathy Cavadini, Dorian Lockett, Doris Burke, Ronnie del Carmen, Esther K. Chae, Élisapie, Marcus Shelby
- Director: Pete Docter
Comments
- kjeldstipsen - 11 May 2024
Its about music, and its not about music
Really well made movie about the greater purpose in life. I found the characters beautifully crafted and story so well made - loved it till the end. Its one of those movies where somehow i had little expectations beforehand, but it was charming, emotional and surprising, and makes you feel inspired after watching.
Graphics were nice - didn't really like the ethereal people but on hindsight they fit the story very well like this
And somehow the combination of a good story with good music is always good. Jamie Foxx fills the role of the main character with the right vibe and when we were watching we had laughs, cries, smile... and after its done we sit there smiling silently. - hakapes - 28 February 2024
Who is this movie for? Not for kids, nor for adults.
Children in the cinema were anxious, and tired after about an hour, not really understanding what is going on.
While for adults, this movie was a bit childish, the jokes, the characters, the general approach.
I wish there would have been more music, to enjoy the jazz, an easier to understand story, and much shorter. I think 1h15min would have been completely enough, just editing out the less good parts, and keeping only the best.
Of course, the animaitons, colours, sound were great, but not such a visual experience that it would justify the complex story.
The message in general is nice, a lesson about how to live, the importance of music, but it was a confusing mix between children and adults.
If you are with kids, I would rather skip it, too complex and abstract to follow. If you are with adults, I would only watch it if you are an absolute fan of animation movies, otherwise you will find the 2h really too long. - malmevik77 - 15 January 2024
A personal reflection on a 3 year old film
Soul
This is a deeply personal, emotional film for me. I originally saw it in the fall of 2020 when I was at the beginning of a very dark time in my life. It was a scary time for me mentally, depression wasn't under control yet and I was struggling to figure out where my life was going after some bad decisions.
Before that, I lived life with gusto but by always looking toward a future event. Nothing mattered but the happiness I anticipated at this point, whether vacation, or a visit from friends, or even a movie.
I watched this with tears in my eyes as I saw both Joe and 22 exhibiting the same feelings. Disney has been gracious enough to give this film the theatrical release it very much should have had if it were not for the pandemic.
I have reached 100 days since I put the bad times behind me and began a long road of forgiveness. Forgiveness not just to others but mostly to myself. I have learned from my mistakes and I work every day to let it go. In addition the future, while brighter, is a concept that can only be experienced or realized by fully embracing the present.
Joe and 22 are also on this same journey, though for different reasons. I wanted to jump through the screen and hug them. The therapeutic benefits of this film, for those that feel despair and darkness, there is a purpose, a spark, to remind you that life is a glorious thing. The ups and the downs are vital to be felt every day.
I kept a lot of details of the film short because, as a mental health advocate, I want to speak out that living in the present, in community, or through solo mindfulness, are tools to jump start an appreciation of life. You are not alone in this journey. Eat a pizza, let music sweep you away, talk to your friends and loved ones, and embrace your soul. - kseniaten - 18 September 2022
A really gripping story
This is a weird but inspiring animation about Joe Gardner, a middle-aged jazz pianist, who undergoes a transformation through an out-of-body journey.
At first sight, it looks like a typical 'Voyage and Return' from Booker's basic plots. But the story develops unconventionally, and Joe goes through a series of out-of-body experiences, which reveals different sides of his personality and helps to understand what is important to him.
In the beginning, Joe receives an offer for a full-time teaching position in a middle school, which his mother urges him to accept. But he is much more excited about the unexpected opportunity to play with the famous saxophonist Dorothea Williams. Being with his head in the clouds, he falls into a manhole down a sewer drain and finds himself as a 'soul' in the 'Great Before' world. He is expected to be a mentor for an errant not-yet-born soul named 22. Joe is really determined to go back to Earth as he is afraid to miss his chance of a lifetime - to play with Dorothea. At some point, Joe and 22 manage to escape back to Earth, where 22 accidentally invades Joe's body and Joe enters the body of a hospital's therapy cat. Together they chase Joe's dream to play with Dorothea.
As the story progresses, Joe's character is revealed more fully. He learns to cherish ordinary moments by watching how 22 enjoys life in his body. He appears to be a talented mentor, who cares about 22 and saves her from "the zone", a place for obsessed lost souls.
In the end, it becomes obvious that life is not a straightforward path where a person should make the only right choice in order to achieve success. For Joe, it wasn't the choice of either teaching or trying to succeed in jazz performances. It could be both or neither.
The story is animated beautifully. It leaves a warm and uplifting feeling after watching it. - mountainriver-15765 - 19 July 2022
Great Animated Movie that feels real
I really enjoyed this movie. Creative, well written script, and fun. The voices and actors behind them were all very good. The animation felt like New York City. It's got a lot of emotion and life lessons incorporated without being preachy like so many movies today. It felt like adults and children alike could really like it (eg. It wasn't dumbed down for the kiddies).
