Mindfulness and Meaning in Pixar's SOUL
by Mitch Wiley
Pixar's latest offering may be their most dense delivery yet; and that's saying something given their penchant for mature themes, deep questions, and emotional stories. Pete Docter appears to be the most existential of Pixar's top brass (MONSTERS, INC., UP, INSIDE OUT) and he doubles down on what made his previous works successful and tear-jerking. Is it too much at times? Certainly! I'm not sure how well jokes about Jungian psychology or the New York Knicks will land will the younger audiences, but just about every beat landed with this writer!
The story of SOUL follows middle-school band teacher, Joe Gardner (voiced by Jaime Foxx), who finally may have his breakthrough gig to finally find the jazz music success that has eluded him. Joe falls into limbo---literally. He finds himself in a disembodied (somewhat) state about to go to the great beyond; in other words, he's died unexpectedly. What follows is a comedy of errors, classic Pixar chases, and a funny body-switching fish-out-of-water plot with 22 (Tina Fey). Can Joe get back to his body in time to nail the gig and be a successful jazz musician? Can he avoid his death and remain on earth? Can he help 22 find her spark and desire for living?
One can pick out a myriad of themes to latch onto. When it comes to the film's worldview, Pixar (unsurprisingly) is coming from one of secular humanism. It's secular in that there is no mention of a God, religion, higher power, etc. aside from some comedic use of a Westernized eastern meditation common in New Age pop psychology. The film is humanist in philosophy. In the development of Western philosophy, humanism can be described as a modernist reaction to the supernaturalism of premodern religion. Humanism is the antithesis to theism because humans are now in charge, rather than God or organized religion. I describe SOUL not as humanist in these terms, but in a more positive light in relation to Christian theism. Dictionary.com says, "Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasizing common human needs." At the heart of SOUL is the question, "What makes life worth living." The humanist answer is an example of common grace.
(Spoilers Below)
Joe manages to find his way back to his body in time to find success at his big concert gig with the famed Dorothea Williams, finally achieving the success he's longed for. Yet, after the concert, he states, "I've been waiting for this day for my entire life. I thought I'd feel different." Dorothea responds with a parable about a fish who longed for the ocean, while not realizing he was already in it. Joe missed where meaning and purpose were found. It wasn't in success or fame, but in the little moments and pockets of joy along the way. The climactic scene is filled with emotional resonance and poignancy as Joe finally grasps the miracle of life itself. The response is joy and awe as he thinks about the little things, the seemingly mundane moments that are actually what brings the most joy. Some Christians and other spiritual thinkers have called these moments "thin places" in which the veil between heaven and earth seems to get smaller. What are we all after? What are we searching for? Some call it joy, meaning, happiness, fulfillment. The film's answer is a connection to the transcendent awe of living the miracle of life itself, as we exist in nature and connected to the many other miracles of life around us. This is common grace given to all people, regardless of if they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit or not. This is something we all can easily forget, Christians and otherwise, especially in significantly less thin places and small pleasures. The solution is to be mindful, slow down, contemplate, and exist in the wonders of God's creation.