Soul Page #2

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They enter the small club --a low-lit New York treasure

filled with mood and history.

Warming up on stage with her sax is DOROTHEA WILLIAMS, the

regal, no-nonsense leader of the Dorothea Williams Quartet.

Joe looks on in amazement as she plays. It’s effortless and

tight. They respectfully wait for an opening.

CURLEY:

Hey Dorothea, this is the cat I was

telling you about. My old middle

school band teacher, Mr. Gardner!

JOE:

Call me Joe, Dorothea. I mean,

um... Ms. Williams. It’s a

pleasure. Wow. This is amazing.

She’s not impressed.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 8.

CURLEY:

Joe is Ray Gardner’s son.

Still not impressed.

DOROTHEA:

So we’re down to middle school band

teachers now.

Joe doesn’t know what to say. Finally, Dorothea rises from

her chair.

DOROTHEA (CONT’D)

Get on up here, Teach. We ain’t got

all day.

Joe barely sits down at the piano when Dorothea starts

playing.

The bassist, MIHO AKAGI, and drummer (Curley) join without

missing a beat.

JOE:

(confused)

What...what are we playing--?

Dorothea doesn’t answer.

Joe misses a few beats but jumps into the music, trying to

keep up and figure out where the music is going.

He finally eases into the tune when Dorothea stops playing

and points to him --a signal for Joe to solo. She looks off

stage and listens.

Joe takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and concentrates on

the keys.

The music flows into an incredible solo. The room slips away

as Joe goes into the zone, a place we’ll come to know as the

Astral Plane.

He finally comes out of his trance, and looks up to see the

band has stopped playing. Everyone is staring at him.

JOE:

Uh, sorry. I zoned out a little

back there. Heh.

Joe thinks he’s doomed. Dorothea just stares. Finally:

DOROTHEA:

Joe Gardner, where have you been?

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 9.

JOE:

I’ve been uh...teaching...middle

school band, but on weekends I-

DOROTHEA:

You got a suit?

JOE:

I...!

DOROTHEA:

Get a suit, Teach. A good suit.

Back here tonight. First show’s at

9. Soundcheck’s at 7. We’ll see how

you do.

She walks offstage.

EXT. THE HALF NOTE.

Joe explodes out of the club.

JOE:

YES! WHOO HOO!

(at the sky)

You see that, Dad! That’s what I’m

talking about!

A MAN passes by with a stroller. Joe runs up to him, pointing

up at the Half Note marquee.

JOE:

Look up, look up! You know what

that’s gonna say? Joe Gardner! HA

HA!

Joe dances around him and heads down the street.

CUT TO:

Joe turns the corner, still on his cell phone:

JOE:

You’re never gonna believe what

just happened! I did it. I got the

gig! Yes!

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS -CONTINUOUS.

Joe is on his phone, spreading the good news, oblivious to

the city around him.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 10.

JOE:

I know! I know! Dorothea Williams!

Can you believe it!?

CUT TO:

CONSTRUCTION SITE.

Joe walks right under a huge pallet of bricks as it’s lifted

into the air. A bunch of bricks fall, just missing him.

CONSTRUCTION WORKER

Hey, pal! You’re gonna get hurt!

But Joe doesn’t hear her.

CUT TO:

BUSY INTERSECTION.

Joe absently steps into traffic.

JOE:

Just don’t tell my mom about this,

okay?

A huge bus misses him by inches. He doesn’t notice.

CUT TO:

OUTSIDE VARIOUS STOREFRONTS.

Still oblivious, Joe walks through a sidewalk littered with

split banana peels, then through a pile of overturned nails.

Amazingly, he avoids disaster while on his phone:

JOE:

Forget class. I’m in a different

class. I’m in a Dorothea Williams

class buddy. You know what I’m

saying?

CUT TO:

STREET CORNER.

Joe turns a corner, phone still to his ear. He nearly runs

into an old man with an ANGRY DOG. The dog lunges at Joe,

BARKING:

JOE:

Whoa, whoa, sorry!

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 11.

Joe turns on his heel to avoid the dog. He starts walking

into the middle of the street. A motorcycle narrowly misses

him. WHEW! That was close. Confident he missed death, he

takes a step forward... and falls right into a manhole.

JOE:

AAHHHHH!

EXT. LIMBO --SLIDEWALK.

OOF! Joe lands with a THUD on a moving slidewalk, akin to

those in airports.

He’s now a LUMINOUS SOUL.

Joe looks into the darkness, then notices his hands and feet

are different, glowing.

JOE:

What the--?

He looks around, confused.

JOE:

Hello? Hello!

He looks to where the slidewalk is headed: A GIANT WHITE

LIGHT in the near distance --THE GREAT BEYOND!

JOE:

What the--?

He turns and walks the other way.

But the sliding walkway counteracts Joe, causing him to walk

in place. He looks behind him.

The Great Beyond is still there.

Joe GASPS, turns and runs.

JOE:

Hey, hey, hey! Hello!

In the distance he sees three figures standing on the

slidewalk. Joe runs to them.

JOE:

Hello!

GEREL:

Oh, what’s your name, honey?

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 12.

JOE:

I’m Joe. Joe Gardner. Look, I’m not

supposed to be here!

The others look at each other.

GEREL:

Ah, it must have been sudden for

you.

(approaching Joe)

You see Joe, I’m 106 years old.

Been waiting a long time for this.

JOE:

For what?

She points ahead.

GEREL:

The Great Beyond.

JOE:

The Great Beyond!? As in, as in

beyond... life!?

AMIR:

Yeah.

JOE:

That’s DEATH right there!

MIALI:

(subtitled)

This beats my dream about the

walrus.

GEREL:

Exciting, isn’t it!?

JOE:

No! No, no, no! Listen, I have a

gig tonight! I can’t die now!

AMIR:

Well, I really don’t think you have

a lot to say about this.

JOE:

Yes! Yes, I do. I’m not dying the

VERY day I got my shot. I’m due!

Heck, I’m OVER-due! Nah ah. I’m

outta here.

Joe walks away from them.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 13.

GEREL:

I don’t think you’re supposed to go

that way.

But Joe keeps walking, against the slidewalk’s flow.

JOE:

(to himself)

This can’t happen. I’m NOT dying

today. Not when my life just

started!

He turns to see where the three other souls went.

The slidewalk climbs up into the distance, into the white maw

of the Great Beyond. The trio of souls ascend into it, then

disappear with a crackle --FLZZZT!

Joe freaks:

JOE:

What was that! Wait!

He bolts, running desperately against the slidewalk’s flow.

JOE:

I’m not finished! I GOTTA GET BACK!

I DON’T WANNA DIE!!! I’M NOT DONE!

I’M NOT DONE!

He comes to another soul, WINSTON, strangely disinterested.

JOE:

RUN!!! WHY AREN’T YOU RUNNING??

WINSTON:

Idonknow...

JOE:

What is wrong with you people?!

WINSTON:

(shrugs)

Idonknow...

Joe keeps running. He passes another soul, JANG-MI:

JANG-MI

(in Korean)

Where are my pants?

Joe runs into a crowd of souls. Some are blissfully aware and

unaware, some freaking out in their own way, and in other

languages.

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