海角大神

In 2016, Pete Docter bounded on to the stage at the Academy Awards to accept an Oscar. Holding his gleaming statuette for the top animated film, the director of Pixar鈥檚 鈥淚nside Out鈥� proclaimed that everyone in the room was fortunate, 鈥渂ecause, regardless of a gold man or not, we get to make stuff!鈥�

But during his descent from that artistic Everest, the animator behind 鈥淢onsters, Inc.鈥� and 鈥淯p鈥� was surprised to find that he didn鈥檛 feel any different. The win hadn鈥檛 fulfilled him. And the prospect of returning to work left him dejected. In an interview with the Monitor, Mr. Docter recalls wondering, 鈥淗ow many more of these do I have in me? And really, is this the best use of the time that I have on Earth? Could I be doing something more either for myself or for the world?鈥�

The search for meaning

The turmoil within Mr. Docter sparked the idea for Pixar鈥檚 latest, 鈥淪oul鈥� (premiering on Disney+ on Dec. 25). It鈥檚 a metaphysical adventure in which the protagonist faces the same question that Mr. Docter had to answer for himself: What is the meaning of life?

鈥淪oul鈥� features Pixar鈥檚 first Black lead character and is co-directed by Kemp Powers, who is also Black. It is Mr. Docter鈥檚 first directorial effort since he became the studio鈥檚 chief creative officer. The movie is imbued with his signature traits as a storyteller: offbeat whimsy anchored by a deeply felt wisdom.聽

鈥淭here鈥檚 a real sophisticated gentleness to those movies,鈥� says Derrick Clements, a fan who interviewed key figures at the studio, including Mr. Docter, for 鈥淭he Pixar Podcast.鈥� 鈥淭hey have a lot of really big ideas that they鈥檙e wrestling with.鈥�

The story follows a New York City jazz pianist, Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who feels as if his life has amounted to nothing. But on the eve of what promises to be a major career break, he is fatally injured. Joe鈥檚 soul enters a realm that iconic Pixar character Buzz Lightyear might describe as 鈥渋nfinity and beyond.鈥澛�

鈥淲e鈥檙e more than just the physical stuff of our bones and skin,鈥� says Mr. Docter, musing on the meaning of the film鈥檚 title. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something at the heart of each of us that is the essence of who we are ... that goes on after we die.鈥�

In a bid to return to his body, Joe finds his way to The Great Before, an onboarding center for souls preparing to go to Earth for the first time. Joe鈥檚 ticket back is mentoring another soul, known as 22 (Tina Fey), who has spent all eternity trying to figure out her life鈥檚 purpose.

Early inspiration

Like Joe, Mr. Docter knew from an early age what he wanted to do in life. When his fourth grade teacher observed him drawing 鈥淧eanuts鈥� cartoon characters, she said, 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you make some of your own?鈥� Mr. Docter鈥檚 first job after college was helping Pixar develop its breakout hit, 鈥淭oy Story.鈥澛�

He won his first Oscar for 鈥淯p,鈥� which features a cantankerous older gentleman who ties so many helium-filled balloons to his home that it floats away.聽

But even with all of his success, Mr. Docter could not shake doubts about his self-worth, which made him feel as untethered as that house. 鈥淪oul鈥� grapples with that age-old philosophical dilemma of whether there鈥檚 any purpose to life. 鈥淲e try to make it fun and approachable by dramatizing that in the form of these two characters,鈥� says Mr. Docter. 鈥淥ne who鈥檚 basically an essentialist. He believes, 鈥業 was given this thing of music and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 meant to do.鈥� And then we have this soul who refuses to go down and be born on Earth. She is kind of a nihilist. You know, there鈥檚 no point to anything.鈥�

A lifelong 海角大神, Mr. Docter addressed his anxiety by turning to prayer. Sometimes, he says, just sitting down with his sketchbook to draw something as simple as the front door of a house is a moment of holy communion 鈥� a reminder to be present in life rather than mired in one鈥檚 negative thoughts. 鈥淪oul鈥� doesn鈥檛 have any 海角大神 overtones, but its characters have to reframe preexisting ideas of what gives life meaning.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e all looking for is this idea that we鈥檙e not just a lone speck floating around, that we鈥檙e somehow connected to something bigger than just us,鈥� says Mr. Docter. 鈥淭here is an understanding in faith that everyone is worthy and everyone is loved. And that kind of breaks your heart wide open when you can really let that in.鈥�