Jamie Foxx believes he and his character Joe Gardner, a passionate jazz pianist and music teacher, in Pixar’s animated dramedy “Soul” are a lot alike — they both like jazz, teaching children…
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Jamie Foxx believes he and his character Joe Gardner, a passionate jazz pianist and music teacher, in Pixar’s animated dramedy “Soul” are a lot alike — they both like jazz, teaching children and chasing dreams.
“Like when Ed Sheeran slept on my couch for six weeks, Nick Cannon and all those other people that have been in my crib — That’s me! That’s Joe Gardner personified,” Foxx told Variety, reflecting on the Disney Plus film’s message about mentorship and listing some of the entertainers he’s helped get their start.
“Soul,” from “Inside Out” director Pete Docter and co-director Kemp Powers, follows a middle school band teacher whose life hasn’t unfolded exactly as he hoped. Just after landing a big break by booking a performance with jazz legend Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett), Joe’s soul is separated from his body after an accident, transporting him to another realm, known as the Great Before. There, he attempts to counsel a cynical personality named 22 (Tina Fey) in order to get back to Earth, ultimately discovering what it means to have soul.
The Great Before, also known as the “You Seminar,” is where young souls develop their personalities before being transported to a newborn on Earth. Foxx said if he were put through the seminar, he would be described as vibrant, optimistic, strong and “funny as hell,” while Fey said she’d be defined as introverted, sarcastic and bossy. Meanwhile, Questlove (who plays Curly, one of Joe’s former students who gives him his big break) admitted he would be pessimistic like 22, but would later grow like a “sponge.”
Just as Joe acts as a mentor to his students, the cast of “Soul” reflected on the influences in their lives: Fey considers creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live” Lorne Michaels as her “most consistent and effective” mentor, while Phylicia Rashad (who voices Joe’s mother Libba), noted actor, director and dancer Billie Allen Henderson as an influential friend. Bassett cited Lloyd Richards, the first Black Broadway play director, as a revered mentor.
Foxx saluted his family and Keenen Ivory Wayans, who gave Foxx his big break on the comedy series “In Living Color,” and legendary record producer Quincy Jones as inspirations.
“When you sit down with Quincy Jones and people like that, how can you fail?” Foxx said. “I appreciate them and what they’ve done for me in my life and I will continue to take what I’ve been taught and teach it to other people.”
