Disney and Pixar’s new movie Soul seems to have it all: representation, music, life, and even death. But despite all that—or perhaps because of it—one can’t help but question their entire existence, as I did, after finishing the film.
Even before watching Soul, I’ve always had a tendency to contemplate my life, question my purpose, yadda yadda; just typical everyday thoughts. Somehow, the movie only made me spiral even more due to its heavy themes, unseemly for a kids’ movie, catching me completely off guard.
First off, it begins with Joe, the main character, dying and going up to the afterlife. While aboard the escalator-to-the-beyond, he tries to get back to his old life, claiming he “[doesn’t] wanna die” and that he’s “not done”—chills. That right there is definitely a fear of many, myself included—going before being finished with this life. That brings me to this quote:
“I’m just afraid that if I died today, that my life would’ve amounted to nothing”
This line from the movie is probably the one that hit me the most. When I first heard it, my jaw just dropped. Not only did I not expect a Disney movie to focus on such a dark concept, but I simply wasn’t anticipating being able to relate to it that immensely.
Like Joe, before I leave this world, I want to leave a mark. I want to leave it better than I found it. As of right now, I don’t think I can say that I have—I haven’t done anything worthwhile. What would have been the point of my life if I didn’t do anything important?
Thanks, Disney, for reminding me of this.
Another intense focus of the movie was on something called ‘the zone,’ a place humans are supposedly transported to when they are so spellbound by something that it feels otherworldly, like while playing an instrument or reading a book.
However, ‘the zone’ is shown to be potentially dangerous by the terrifying ‘lost souls’ who became so enveloped by ‘the zone’ that the thing that had once sparked joy turned into an obsession, completely disconnecting them from reality.
This is something that audiences of the movie can’t help but remember and won’t soon forget. Though it is perfectly acceptable to find happiness in something, to let it pour through you and you through it, to let it take over your entire life is a dangerous road, one from which you may never come back.
“How are you gonna spend your life?” “I’m not sure. But I do know…I’m going to live every minute of it.”
By the end of the movie, one thing becomes fairly clear: enjoy the little things. Give the small, random things meaning. Personally, I sometimes try to find the smallest reason, something to hold on to. The sun seeping through my blinds in the morning. My favourite song. Vanilla bean ice cream. As far as living goes, those seem pretty good to me. Though they’re not the most exciting things in the world, they bring me happiness and help make my life what it is.
Soul shows audiences that life isn’t all about the big things. It isn’t all about the bigger picture. It’s all right here, right now. It’s the simple stuff, the things you tend to overlook. That’s what life is really about.
So if you haven’t yet, go check out Pixar’s Soul. Though it may make you question your existence, by the end, it will change your outlook on living for the better.