- Director: Pete Docter
- Year: 2020
Overview
Joe Gardner is a middle school band teacher who finally gets his big break to play at a famous jazz club. Before his performance, he falls down a manhole and ends up as a soul in the Great Beyond. Refusing to die, Joe escapes to the Great Before, where young souls receive their personalities and life passions. He gets assigned to mentor Soul 22, who has refused to go to Earth for centuries. Joe accidentally returns to Earth in the body of a therapy cat, while 22 takes over Joe's body. They learn to appreciate everyday life experiences before Joe returns to his body.
Takeaways
The Great Before is all about preparing new souls for life on Earth by helping them find their unique passion. Joe is so hyper-focused on his jazz career that he ignores all the simple, beautiful parts of everyday life. It isn't until he gets stuck in a cat's body and watches 22 experience Earth for the first time that he starts to get it. He sees how much joy there is in small things like eating pizza or watching a falling leaf. In the end, he learns that life is about enjoying the journey itself, not just reaching one big goal.