Pixar's 'Soul,' finally gives Black men their fairytale ending

By: Chantal Brown

Pixar’s latest addition to its multiverse, “Soul,” tells the story of a black middle-aged jazz musician who finally gets his break playing in a famous quartet, when an accident leaves him literally hanging in the balance between life and death.

As Joe Gardner gets a glimpse of the afterlife - or the ‘great beyond,’ he meets an unborn soul, and embarks to find out the true meaning behind living your life to the fullest. We live in a world where black men are as vulnerable as ever. There have been a plethora of innocent black men gunned down by law enforcement, as well as a spike in mental health concerns due to COVID-19. 

Although most Pixar films advertise their protagonists as princesses, courageous children, or even talking cars, inside Soul, Black men finally get their fairytale ending. 

Set in New York City amongst a backdrop of crowded streets and greasy pizza, the movie is easy on the eyes as well - intimately lit, the film is filled with positive depictions and beautiful visualizations. Many of the most striking visual details are because of Kemp Powers’ contributions. 

The first African-American co-director in Pixar history, Powers originally began as a screenwriter for the film. At one point, the roles were flipped and the majority of the story was focused on the unborn soul, co-director Peter Docter said in an interview with Insider. 

Then, as Powers’ input was requested more and more often, the heart of the film evolved. If not for him, would Joe’s character have been as complex? Would we have seen his mother running her own dress shop or the collection of hoop earrings and timberland boots inside the barbershop?

Probably not.  

As for acting, Jamie Foxx delivered well as the voice of Joe Gardner. For the younger generation, he maintains the humbling, softer father-like tone while still being able to relate to older audiences.  

"For me, it's definitely about the context in which you tell this character's story,” Powers said in an interview with Insider. “There were a lot of caution cones we had to put up ... [to,] for the first time, [tell] a Black man's story in an animated film, being aware of how easy it is to go off the rails."  

It is evident that much time and effort was put into making this film a meaningful commentary on black culture, and the challenges Joe eventually overcomes earn him a chance for both redemption and a happily ever after.  

Still, the world was absent of explanations for the ‘spark’ Joe received that gave him so many redeeming qualities, and too ripe with micro-aggressions. At the climax of the film, Joe finally gets back into his body on earth, and performs with his jazz quartet.

However, after he doesn’t feel any self-gratification for it, Dorothea Williams, a black female supporting character, shares a maritime anecdote about seeing the forest for the trees. Additionally, there are some events in the film that can be racially discomforting.

While the universe looks for Joe after cheating death, it mistakes another black man for him and removes his soul from his body. Realizing the mistake, it practically spits him back out, leaving him alone to deal with his trauma; a familiar pattern in today’s society.  

Another scene parodies the New York Knicks losing streak, after Soul 22 (Tina Fey), makes one black basketball player miss a winning shot. Although the team has often been made fun of in the past, the team contains a plethora of black talent. 

Even our protagonist spends half of the film as a cat with a white woman parading around in his body. These creative choices made the film dynamic, but overall, this innovative and honest depiction of black culture and the way certain characters are treated, feels like something we’ve seen before.