Paul is the overarching protagonist of the 2016 Disney animated short Inner Workings. During the short film, he is unsure whether to follow his Brain or his Heart.
Background[]
Personality[]
Paul's personality is based around what his insides tell him. He is a self-conscious person who believes that every minor thing in his life will make a big, negative impact on him. It is only through his constant avoidance of pleasures in life that he comes to the realization that he needs to be more outgoing.
Physical appearance[]
Paul is physically based on his creator Leo Matsuda. He is a tall man of Japanese descent with neatly combed black hair and square glasses. He is usually seen wearing a white dress shirt, black tie, grey sweater vest, dark grey pants, and black shoes. He also wears a pin and a name tag.
Appearances[]
Inner Workings[]
Throughout the short, Paul shows his two sides of personality: his pragmatic Brain and his spontaneous Heart. He leaves his house to go to work, but becomes distracted upon seeing a couple eating pancakes at a café, so he becomes unsure of what to do. After passing through a sunglasses vendor on his way to work, Paul's Brain and Heart have an argument.
As Paul goes to his office, he does not feel like going in sync with the other colleagues and even feels more miserable, despite his Brain prompting him to continue working. However, his Brain even feels more miserable just like one of the colleagues sitting next to him. Paul's Brain and Heart suddenly get along during lunch as he decides to become more spontaneous in the things he did not want to do such as eating a café breakfast, trying in a pair of sunglasses from the vendor, and getting into the water, making him relieved.
Feeling satisfied, Paul goes back to his office and feels the rhythm by typing on his keyboard when he and the other colleagues dance together, along with his three elderly bosses.
Once Upon a Studio[]
Paul appeared at the end singing "When You Wish Upon a Star" as he joins other characters in a group photo to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Trivia[]
- Paul's design bears a similar appearance to a younger version of Carl Fredricksen from the film, Up.
- There is a goof where according to Paul’s watch, his heart and his brain get along at 12:00. But then he is seen eating a cafe breakfast despite the fact that most cafes stop serving breakfast specials at 10:00.
- A running gag is when Paul's brain calculates a negative outcome, it ends with Paul in a coffin with a monk chanting "Infinitum Spiritum," which is the only dialogue in the short.
Gallery[]
