'Soul' exclusive deleted scene: Mentor Orientation
This deleted scene introduces a tour guide of sorts from “The Great Before,” the metaphysical plane where Joe (Jamie Foxx) schemes his way from certain death to becoming mentor to the unborn soul 22 (Tina Fey).
Video Transcript
MIKE JONES: The sequence is called mentor orientation. You know, when you work on a story set beyond space and time, you are always wrestling with, not only the rules of the world, but also how to communicate those rules to the audience. And we had a ton of stuff we had to communicate. Getting it across was usually kind of messy, and not very funny. In this sequence, we tried to find a more entertaining way to get those rules across. Pete and I had the idea that there was this, kind of, larger than life figure who talked in a headset. And it was, kind of, this motivational Speaker. It was funny, but, you know, ultimately, just kind of didn't work for the movie.
- You're going to think I say this every time, that I've never, ever seen a more accomplished group of mentors in one room. I've been in rooms with Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Marie Curie. Now, were they good mentors? Yes. But let me tell you a secret. Come on close. Come in. That's right. Come on. They weren't you, or you, or you.
They weren't Ramesh, the pedicab driver from Mumbai who fostered three children, or Maria who started her own Guatemalan wallet company. The You Seminar Mentor Program isn't looking for a room full of Lincolns. We're looking for a room full of you. What we're asking you to do is inspire souls that may need a little help. Every new soul has one of these. Once all the boxes have been filled, the card becomes their ticket to earth.
- A ticket to earth? Oh, I have a question. Right here, please.
- I know you have a lot of questions.
- No. Just one. Can anyone use the--
- Questions like, what can I do.
- No. The ticket.
- How can I be the best mentor I can be?
- No. That's not my question.
- You are here only to help us plant a seed deep inside them.
- Oh, what?
- Good question. Whom of you here has said at one point in your life, wow? Wow, I love this. Wow, I'm inspired by this. Wow, I can do this. Guess where you got that. Right here. That's what the You Seminar does. We plant the seed of wow. Let me hear you say it. We plant the wow.
- We plant the wow.
- The best way to plant the wow is with your inspiring life. After your mentee is inspired, they're ready for earth. Now, let's meet our special new soul. Shall we?
