On Screen

December 19 - 25, 2020—3 The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, TN The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, TN December 19 - 25, 2020 — 3 2 x 3.5" ad a) greene cnty farmers b) swango's 2 x 4" ad williams electric 2 x 1.5" ad ymca 2 x 1.5" ad doughty stevens 2 x 1.5" ad midway const. By George Dickie We've all imagined what a human soul might look like. But Disney+ makes it the centerpiece of a storyline in an animated film that begins stream - ing Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25. In "Soul," we are introduced to Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx, "Ray"), a middle-school band teacher with a pas- sion for jazz, who falls through a man- hole in the middle of New York City and into The Great Before, a fantastical place where new souls get their quirks, personalities and interests before they head off to their human incarnations. There he meets up with 22 (voice of Tina Fey, "30 Rock"), a precocious soul who never understood the allure of the human experience. As Joe tries to show 22 that life as a living, breathing person has its upsides, he sets off on a journey that may help him answer some of life's more important questions. The film was directed by Oscar win - ner Pete Docter ("Up," "Inside Out"), who years ago became fascinated with his own infant son's apparent personal- ity and soul at birth. More than 23 years later, he turned that into a story when he began questioning his own life path. "(It) just inspired him to think about his kids," explains Dana Murray, the film's producer, "like his son when he was born, just (how) he showed up with so much personality on day one. And how is that? Where does that come from? And so really just those two things really inspired the spark, re - ally, for the idea." As for portraying the soul itself, Mur- ray and the team at Pixar Animation Studios did plenty of research, talking to a wide range of spiritual people, including priests, pastors, Buddhists and Shamans to get their take on how a soul might appear. "And across the board," Murray says, "it was very, very similar in how people described it: ethereal, vaporous, no form. And so we were like, 'Oh, well how are we going to portray that on a screen? We need something.' But we didn't want it to be ghostlike, like Casper the ghost. "So from that research, we just start- ed our character artists down a path of exploring and they went down all kinds of crazy routes and we went back to a drawing that Pete had done at the very beginning. Super simple, of just like that light bulb shape." Indeed, this is prime Christmas Day viewing for the family. Murray thinks it has something for everyone. "I feel like after 2020 and just the year I think the world has had ... often the holidays can be a time of reflec - tion," she says. "And so I'm hoping people can walk away from the film wanting to just take a look at their own lives and think about: Are they spending the limited time they have on Earth wisely and what would they change? And just to be kind of grateful for what they have around them. But I feel like there are a lot of themes in the movie that it's just interesting, I hope everyone walks away feeling something different." Celebrity Scoop Celebrity Scoop Animated Disney+ feature considers how a soul becomes a 'Soul' Cover Story Cover Story By George Dickie Go online and one can find communities of enthusiasts that run the gamut from the conven- tional (quilting, coin collecting) and the unconventional (free cos- metic surgery, step counting) to the downright weird (airport carpeting, zombie preparedness). And then there are those who like to put their all into their out - door holiday displays. Carter Oosterhouse knows these folks well. As a judge (alongside Taniya Nayak) on "The Great Christmas Light Fight," which has its Season 8 finale Wednesday, Dec. 23, on ABC, he sees them as a savvy group whose members often turn up on the show. And they know what he's looking for in a display design. "You know, there's this whole world that exists," Oosterhouse explains, "this subculture that ex - ists of these people who talk online and they know whose light show Checking in with Carter Oosterhouse and what they're doing and what type of light elements that they're using that they're bringing to their display, and what are the new products. "And that's really kind of interest - ing," he continues, "because I'll be at a display one year and they will have referenced a display that we did two years ago and how they're still friends and they talk online. There's this whole group that exists as light fighters that are trying to create the biggest, best light show ever." As for what blows him away, the 44-year-old native Michi- gander says it's all about the DIY aspect. "I'm a carpenter originally ...," he says, "so when I can see people create stuff that otherwise would be tossed out or thrown away or wouldn't be used in a light display and it's seamlessly integrated within the space and then you dive into it and you see all the mechanics of it, I love seeing that. "I love seeing items that are not store-bought that are custom- made." Full name: Carter Nicholas Oosterhouse Birth date: Sept. 19, 1976 Birthplace: Traverse City, Mich. Alma mater: Central Michigan University, B.A. in nutrition Family ties: With his wife, ac- tress Amy Smart, has a three- year-old daughter, Flora TV credits include: "Three Wish- es," "The Inside Job," "HGTV Green Home 2008," "HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2009," "Change the World: American Heroes," "Surprise Vacations: Disney Parks Edition," "Carter Can," "Celebrity Motor Homes," "Million Dollar Rooms," "Hot in Cleveland," "The Doctors," "Rowhouse Showdown," "Trad - ing Spaces," "Rachael Ray" Did you know?: Oosterhouse played rugby in college and is also an expert sailer and kay - aker Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home 423-638-4141 www.doughty-stevens.com 1125 Tusculum Blvd. Greeneville, Tennessee Established 1892 Serving the community for 127 years! One Y. One Community. Greene County YMCA 423-639-6107 www.greenecounty-ymca.org "Serving Your Complete Lighting Needs Since 1960" 3195 E. 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