A little over a month ago, we were granted an exclusive opportunity to attend the virtual global press conference for Disney/Pixar's Soul, and got to hear from the filmmakers (Pete Docter, Kemp Powers & Dana Murray) behind the soon-to-be instant classic as well as stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Angela Bassett, and Phylicia Rashad, and learn a whole lot more about the wonderful world they've created.
The illustrious voice cast features Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained; Collateral), 3x Golden Globe- and 9x Primetime Emmy-winner Tina Fey (30 Rock; Mean Girls), Questlove (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping; Top Five), 4x Primetime Emmy-nominee Phylicia Rashad (Creed; Empire), Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer; Hamilton), Academy Award-nominee Angela Bassett (Mission: Impossible - Fallout; Black Panther), 2x Primetime Emmy-nominee John Ratzenberger (Toy Story; The Incredibles), and BAFTA Film Award-nominee Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd; The Mandalorian).
Here are our ten biggest takeaways from the press conference that make tomorrow's release an absolute must-watch (mild spoilers may follow):
1. It Tells An Authentic African-American Story
- Acclaimed playwright-turned-screenwriter Kemp Powers, who also penned the upcoming One Night In Miami, was one of the writers on this project and also served as a co-director. He explains that unlike many standard animated features that may opt to amp up the fantasy element, he wanted this film to feel as authentic to the African-American experience as possible. Every little thing Joe Gardner goes through, from getting a suit and subsequent haircut to not being able to hail a cab or experiencing music in the subway had to feel real, had to feel like an experience anyone and everyone could have.
- He explains his rationale, "I think our culture is amazing, and a lot of people, particularly in Hollywood, will tell you that, in order to appeal to a wide audience, you want to get away from that and I feel the opposite. I feel like there is universality by going for hyper-specificity. My number one defense is, do you not enjoy The Sopranos and The Godfather if you're not Italian? That sounds absurd, right?"
2. The Great Before & The Hall of Everything
- Without getting too deep into spoiler territory, the film introduces a pair of very interesting concepts in The Great Before and The Hall of Everything, both of which you will know a whole lot more about tomorrow after you watch the film.
- Speaking on creating these wholly unique ideas and visualizing them to primarily younger audiences unfamiliar with the intricacies of life and death, Academy Award-winning director Pete Docter reveals that they initially looked to ancient Greece, use the large fields seen in paintings as inspiration, but then realized they couldn't use that since they didn't want it to be specific to any one culture.
- They then instead started to look at images from the World's Fair from the '40s and '60s and saw these big buildings and abstract architecture that's mean to inspire people, which is where they found their starting point for The Great Before.
- For The Hall of Everything, they were very obviously inspired by museum exhibits, and people being able to see their greatest hits again, but also saw some comedic potential comparing someone that may have won a Nobel prize to someone average like Joe who may have something more simple fill his exhibit.
3. Jamie Foxx Is Incredible
- With an Oscar and two Grammys to his name, Jamie Foxx is an incomparable talent, and as expected, he delivers the performance of a lifetime in the film as leading man Joe Gardner, filling him with an intense energy and an immeasurable heart that'll have you rooting for him from start-to-finish.
- Director Pete Docter elaborates a bit on what it's like working with the multi-hyphenate star, "So, you're just solid for three, four hours. Jamie never stopped. He just has energy to burn. He was as energetic at the end as he was at the beginning. He's incredible and amazing. And I think, one thing that I was expecting, but for whatever reason, it surprised me. We had a lot of scenes where he talks about-Joe talks about the power of music and the importance of music. And I could-my hair stood on end when I hear Jamie talk about it. Because I know he feels that. He believes it so fully. And it was just so truthful and authentic."
4. Tina Fey Steals The Show
- As incredible as Jamie Foxx is, his co-star Tina Fey is equally as amazing voicing the joyfully mischievous and extremely lovable 22, a soul that's been trapped in the Great Before since nearly the beginning of time.
- While Foxx carries the film on his shoulders, Fey will be pulling at your heartstrings through the entire second half with an unexpectedly emotional turn for the Golden Globe- and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress and their father/daughter dynamic in combination with her overall journey is easily the heart and soul of the film.
5. Enjoy The Little Things (Pizza Is Good)
- With the film set in New York, pizza and music unsurprisingly end up playing an important role in 22's journey throughout the course of the film as she ends up experiencing much of what Earth has to offer for the very first time while an experienced soul like Joe - and many others - have started to take these little magical things for granted.
6. A Message All Families Can Enjoy
- Like with any classic Pixar film, Soul contains many powerful messages that will hopefully inspire a whole new generation of young people.
- Kemp Powers expertly details his favorite message from the film, "We always see films about pursuing your dream, but I really love the fact that... I hope this film shows people that all lives have merit. You know what I mean? It's this idea that you don't have to have it all figure out. We have a society that from the time we're very-very young, we're really, kind of, taught to make a decision, what do you want to be when you grow up? You know, from like the first grade. You're gonna be this. You're gonna be that. You definitely have to do this. And, I love this idea, like, one of my favorite characters in the film is Dez the Barber. Because Dez the Barber is a guy that is a master at his craft. He's a master barber. To the point that Joe was like, obviously, he always wanted to do this. And he's like, nah, man. I wanted to be a vet. But I'm pretty happy with where I landed. I found other dreams. I found other things that allowed me to find fulfillment. And I think that, just the idea that everyone sitting in that audience should be able to see their lives represented up there in the screen. That's something that I really hope for. Because I do feel that all lives are valuable. People don't have more valuable lives based on how famous or how rich they are."
7. An Uplifting Way To End An Extremely Challenging Year
- It's been an extremely difficult year for us all and while Christmas Day will bring an embarrassment of riches in terms of film releases, with the likes of Wonder Woman 1984, News of the World, Promising Young Woman, and One Night in Miami all due out on either streaming or in theaters tomorrow, Soul may be the film with the biggest lasting impact and the one you absolutely need to see as we all try to lift our collective spirits heading into a hopefully brighter 2021. It's a brilliantly made, wonderfully-executed, life-affirming film and deserves all the love it can get. Don't miss it.
What is it that makes you...YOU? This November, Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film “Soul” introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voice of Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”), Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” opens in U.S. theaters on November 20, 2020.