How Is It Possible That This New Pixar Trailer Made Me Reassess My Life? An Investigation

Disney and Pixar movies have the most poignant and particular way of noodling themselves into our hearts for eternity. They just ~nail~ every aspect of life with such unmatched honesty and humour and have the ability to make you question every single decision you’ve ever made.

It’s a stomach-butterfly-tear-jerking feeling that I seriously yearn for daily – which is why I was absolutely flabbergasted after watching the trailer for Soul, Disney and Pixar’s newest addition to their ever-growing world of wonder.

The unrelenting warmth of the characters immediately reels you in, and the laugh-a-minute yet thought-provoking dialogue and breathtakingly beautiful colour scheme propel you into another dimension. It offers a sense of instantaneous familiarity that sweeps you back to being a kid immediately – a quality that’s pretty much only conjured up by watching Disney and Pixar flicks.

Set in the heart of New York, Soul revolves around the main character  Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who’s voiced by none other than Jamie Foxx, who provides endless cool points.

Joe has always dreamed about being a pro jazz musician and has finally been given the opportunity to play at New York’s most esteemed club – literally, everything in his life has to lead up to this moment.

But he’s served a massive curve-ball. On the day of the gig, he falls down a pothole and ends up in the place where ‘new souls’ get their personalities before they get to earth.

Sounds like the perfect location to stir-up some serious philosophical questions, right?

This is Joe, the wholesome man on earth.

Down there, he meets 22, voiced by (drum roll please) Tina Fey. I don’t know about you, but even hearing a syllable uttered from the mouth of Ms Fey sends me into a complete tizzy.

22 and Joe are basically polar opposites of each other  – 22 is quite the pessimist, while Joe manages to find the glory in every element of life. Going by the trailer, they’ll encounter a bunch of challenges together, which ultimately lends itself to the pairing of teaching each other about ~life~.

From the looks of the trailer, Soul culminates together in one glorious, feel-good feast – the setting (who doesn’t love a film based in NYC), the vital role music plays in the film and the themes of life, friendship and gratitude are a glorious combo. It’s a celebration of every little bit of spark life can deliver us, even in the darkest of times – if that all doesn’t immediately send your imagination running wild, I don’t know what will.

How in the name did Disney and Pixar manage to capture all that in a 2-minute trailer? If my emotions were sent into overdrive with that nugget of content, I’m so intrigued as to how the entire movie will move me.

I think it’s because at the crux of Soul lies life’s big questions – what are we doing here? Who am I really? Am I the best version of me I can be?

After the year we’ve had, I think we’re all yearning for some direction – a massive “answer” from someone to tell us that everything will be okay and that we’re going to be fine. Soul grapples with the idea that our lives are riddled with uncertainty, and it’s all about finding the moments of peace, passion and of course, fun in between.

^^Humanity in 2020, spinning scared and directionless

Streaming exclusively on Disney+ from Christmas Night, it was created by the same masters that brought us the cry-fests Inside Out and Up – if you didn’t spend the entirety of those movies clenching the nearest pillow, I’m judging you.

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