From only 2.7% of the scheduled films on the first day of release to the box office breaking 100 million on the 1st of this month, the eight days during the period are the time when the reputation of the animation film "Spiritual Journey" continues to ferment. Without much fanfare, the 23rd animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios is particularly low-key, but just like fans' evaluation of its "strong staying power", the film box office not only climbed steadily, but the network rating of 9.0 was also in the top of the list of studio works. People all over the world have experienced an ever-changing 2020, and the inconspicuous "Journey of the Mind" chose to be released at the end of last year, so the theme of the film is particularly clear and warm: we are all travelers of life, and the scenery along the way is the best award.
What do we forget when we keep chasing life?
If you ask why "Psychic Journey" can resonate so strongly, one of the reasons is that the protagonist is as ordinary as most people. Joe Gardner, a high school music teacher living in New York, was given the coveted opportunity to play at one of New York's best jazz clubs. But a small mistake took him from the streets of New York to the "birthplace", where the unethirected soul was tutored and entered the earth life, and Joe, who struggled to return to the earth, met the world-weary soul 22 who hung up "the earth is not worth my birth". As Joe continues to show 22 the wonders of life, he also realizes the answer to life's ultimate question.
Pixar's "anti-routine" narrative is fully demonstrated in the film, and multiple reversals always firmly hold the audience's heartstrings. 22 accidentally enters Joe's body, and Joe's soul is possessed by a cat. After Joe's guidance, 22 stumbled to walk, dress, take the subway, in the hilarious interaction between the two, 22 bold expressions and behaviors made some unexpected changes gradually emerge: Joe put on a new suit, a new hairstyle, found a side he had never had before; Joe really approached students and barber friends for the first time, learning to listen to their hearts; more importantly, after 22 said Joe's dedication to music, he finally gained his mother's recognition and support for his music career. At the same time, 22 borrowed Joe's body to have the first experience of the world's five senses.
Back on Earth, Joe threw his life's work into the performance, which won a lot of applause, but the expected ecstasy did not arrive as promised. "Is that how it feels to be successful?" Back at home, Joe plays the piano in frustration, but his mind recalls the subtleties of life that he felt through the 22 souls: the rustic singing of street performers, the feathers falling from the sky, the delicious pizza in the corner restaurant, the lollipops in the barbershop... These mundane things violently shake Joe's soul, and the center of the film is revealed: life is not only about having, but also about being complete because of feelings.
We have more or less had joe and 22 troubles, because the harsh reality can not meet the dreams in the heart, or the daily camp is difficult to find the things to love, but each "now" is a unique "spark", as long as you grasp it carefully, they can shine.
The audience grew up, and so did Pixar
The fictional characters composed of lines, the melodious soundtrack of Hongda, and the multi-dimensional examination of reality all make "Psychic Journey" destined not to be an animation film only for children. Coincidentally, film director and screenwriter Pete Doggett had encountered the same troubles as the protagonist, and after winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in "The Mind Agent", he once fell into a creative bottleneck and began to think about the meaning of animation in life, and it was precisely this doubt and hesitation that became the starting point for the creation of "Psychic Journey".
In 2017, Pixar's "Dream Quest" won more than 1.2 billion yuan at the domestic box office, known as the most satisfactory work in the studio after "Brain Agents", and this love letter to Mexico also broadened Pixar's narrative method and observation angle. "Journey of the Mind", which has been reassembled by the "Dream Quest" team, shares the common experience and model with the former, that is, from real life, with a vast world of imagination, to create a unique fantasy spectacle for fans. From focusing on the passion of Mexican culture to Joe Gardner becoming the first African-American protagonist in Pixar's history, the film's diverse perspectives add to the film's more distinctive colors. It is worth mentioning that Terry in "Spiritual Journey" is also from the hands of Chinese designers, and the image of fiddling with the abacus makes many viewers smile.
With the departure of studio elders John Lasseter and Lee Unkridge and the end of the signature IP Series, Pixar inevitably faces a period of transition. The 24th feature film "Lucca," scheduled for release in June this year, brings in Italian director Ericon Casa Rossa, and the poster's beautiful seaside and carefree teenager will undoubtedly blow a fresh breeze, and I don't know what Pixar, who has been "telling a story that adults and children can understand" since birth, looks like in the lens of European directors.
Author: Wang Xiaoli
Editor: Tong Weijing