Joe (Jamie Foxx) encounters 22 (Tina Fey) in the new animated feature “Soul.” (photo courtesy of Pixar)

One of the oldest ironies of parenting arrives during special events. A present. A big one. Little hands vigorously tearing through wrapping paper. It looks expensive, but the real gem is that oversized box.

“There’s no wrong way to play” became a mantra for half a decade, but I contend such notions of the right or wrong way to conduct oneself remain evergreen. The pandemic proved some things adapt quite well. Perhaps we all don’t need to commute to work, suffer through a meeting easily replaced by an email.

This isn’t always the case. Virtual education stands out as a clear challenge in lieu of in-person learning. So what’s the right or wrong way to watch a film? What if Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” released as a miniseries, not a 209-minute film?

The director himself championed a specific mode of consumption – bigger screen and one viewing – but streaming obliges no one to do so (I certainly didn’t).

Streaming changes what can happen. Suddenly, I can pause a film to make a drink or see a guy about an electoral recount. And for better or worse, depending on the critic, I can watch “Soul,” streaming now on Disney+, with my 3-year-old twins when it premieres for the masses, unconcerned about wrangling them in a theater.

Certainly, this is making do. I adore the darkened space. I even miss the green glow between trailers signaling one more to experience before the feature begins. But some younglings, to borrow a term from Obi-Wan, can’t handle a couple hours seated in silence. I need not concern myself with that at home.

Mind you, moviegoing at home means a lot of pausing, even rewinding. For that matter, unbroken viewing goes away entirely. That means I’ve seen most, if not all, of “Soul” across days, once twice a day.

If there’s no wrong way to play, does this mean there’s no wrong to watch a film? A childless me would likely balk at this, demand a redo unfettered by distractions. But once kids go down, mommy and daddy need their own special time with a vodka soda add lime and some “Jeopardy!”

Disney animation – even the more adult-catering Pixar – doesn’t fit in.

When I say “Soul” is a delightful exploration of life before and after death – and what that should mean for how we live – I say so based on an alternate mode of engagement.

Jazz musician Joe’s (Jamie Foxx) out-of-body encounter with pre-life being 22 (Tina Fey) doesn’t quite reach Pixar’s top tier (“Up,” “Wall-E,” “Inside Out,” “Ratatouille”), but it vastly improves upon “Onward” from earlier in 2020.

On this front, I let my kids choose the winner, so “Soul” takes “Onward” by a landslide. The latest Pixar film basks in beautiful CGI and clever depictions of a non-corporeal world existing alongside the physical one.

Thank director Peter Docter (his last hurrah at the helm now that he replaced John Lasseter as chief creative officer). And look to co-director and writer Kemp Powers (“Star Trek: Discovery”) for more promising projects to come.

Jamie Foxx does a wonderful job voicing Joe, a jazz musician who has an out-of-body experience, in Pixar’s “Soul.” (photo courtesy of Pixar)

Another high point for both the boys and myself: the music. I elate at a good jazz song, revisiting my high school and early college days fine tuning my jazz guitar chops. Songs by Jon Batiste, bandleader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” work some incredible magic. Those moments, all too brief as they are, capture the pure joy or improvisation, the bliss of getting lost in a song.

Not a fan? That’s OK (no it’s not, broaden your horizons), Trent Reznor (yes, that Trent Reznor) and Atticus Ross take a break from scoring David Fincher’s flicks (“The Social Network,” “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl”) for a transcendent composition here so effective two active boys remained transfixed during key scenes.

Would I prefer viewing a film at home free of distractions? Nope, that means I wouldn’t see firsthand how something delightful like “Soul” captures them, pauses that flailing and screaming, piquing their interest.

They might not understand mortality, but they definitely have no trouble living in the moment. The splendid juxtaposition of a character contemplating life’s purpose and the beautiful examples of children who already solved life’s mystery in my living room enhances “Soul” that much more.