New Disney-Pixar film has some Hamilton ‘Soul’
The message from the new Disney/Pixar film Soul" hits home for Hamilton-native Trevor Jimenez.
The animated film - coming out on Disney Plus on Christmas Day - deals with a character who chases his dream of being a jazz pianist but through an unexpected journey, realizes there is much more to life.
Jimenez has liked to draw since he was a kid and took lessons at the Dundas Valley School of Art and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He graduated from the animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville in 2007 and within five years found himself working at Pixar Animation Studios near San Francisco, working on such films as Finding Dory" (2016) and Coco" (2017). He worked as story lead and a story supervisor on Soul."
Jimenez was nominated for a 2018 Oscar for his 15-minute animated short Weekends."
He was pleased the film got nominated - it was beaten by Pixar short Bao" - but he said the best part was making the film and working with, and sharing it, with people in his life.
There's chasing your dreams but there is more to life than that," says Jimenez, who lives in California with his wife, Janine, and daughter.
Even after the film got nominated for an Oscar, I was thinking when I got there the best part of it all was making the film and the people. There were the unexpected elements of the journey. The message (of Soul") resonates with me deeply."
Jimenez's job on Soul" was part writing, part picking shots, but he worked on the scene where the main character has his epiphany."
Soul" tells the story of middle-school music teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) whose journey begins through a funny accident, just after he wins the gig of his dreams. He winds up in The Great Before" that helps souls find their personalities, helps souls find their spark, and is paired with Soul 22 (Tina Fey) who has no interest in living on Earth.
The film has its cute moments, and it is funny. You can't crush a soul here," Joe is told at one point. That's what life on Earth is for."
But it is a thinking person's cartoon. It deals with existentialism, mysticism and asks about finding meaning in your life, how do we find happiness and how do we figure out what that is.
It appears pretty heady for children but Jimenez has found children get it.
It's interesting," he says, recalling screenings of Soul" for children. I feel that kids are so smart. They were able to understand a lot in this film. What makes life worth living and these little details in life."
Jimenez, 37, attended Central Public School in downtown Hamilton before moving to Ancaster. He attended C.H. Bray Elementary School and Ancaster High School and spent four years at Sheridan starting in 2003.
His parents split up when he was young. He spent weekdays with his mother in Hamilton and weekends with his father in Toronto. From that experience, he came up with the idea for Weekends," a charming and tender film that won film awards all over the place. (His mom still lives in Hamilton).
Jimenez has fond memories of the cartoon class taught by Jerry Hish at the Dundas Valley School of Art, as well as the animation course at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. His favourite cartoons growing up were Disney films like Pinochio," The Sword in the Stone" and Robin Hood" but he was also influenced by such cartoons from the National Film Board like The Cat Came Back." And he also liked Japanese Anime.
Soul" had its own journey. It was originally intended to be released in theatres and had its premiere in London in October. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney switched it to its new streaming service for Dec. 25.
Jimenez is interested in becoming a director of animated films like Peter Docter, the director of Soul." He also helmed Inside Out" and Up." The film is co-directed by Kemp Powers who helmed One Night in Miami."
That would be amazing, but who knows," Jimenez says. I would be happy to do something like this again."
Daniel Nolan is a freelance writer who writes about film for The Hamilton Spectator. He can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com