The Philosophy of Pixar: Coco (Spoilers)
Over Thanksgiving break, I saw the new movie Coco with my family. In a fun twist of fate, it actually happened to come out on my birthday! For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I highly encourage you to go see it. It was the clever, amazing Pixar we all know and love. Also, this analysis will be spoiler heavy so avert your eyes if you plan on seeing it!
Coco takes place in Mexico on Dias de Los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. This movie dealt very heavily with the importance of family and why we have an inherent need to be remembered. In the movie, a person can actually die two times. First, the physical death but the second death occurs when no living person remembers them. This is why family is so important in Mexican culture. On the Day of the Dead, they lay out an offrenda with all the portraits of their family. In order for the dead to pass to the living's realm, their family needs to place their picture on the offrenda. Miguel longs to be a musician but is forced to stop because his family has always had bad luck surrounding musicians. Miguel's great-great-grandfather has his face torn off of a picture in the offrenda as he had abandoned his family in order to pursue music. Throughout the movie, Miguel feels a strong bond with his unknown great-great-grandfather because he was a musician and followed his dream. He eventually is thrown into the spirit world when he takes Ernesto de la Cruz's guitar. De la Cruz was a very famous musician when he was alive. His most famous song was "Remember Me", which he actually died singing.
Miguel renounces his family in search of music, mirroring his great-great-grandfather. Eventually, he discovers that de la Cruz is not his great-great-grandfather as he originally thought. Instead, Hector the skeleton that had been helping him was his family. He discovers that Ernesto killed Hector to steal the songs he wrote, including "Remember Me". All Hector wants though is to go back to his daughter Coco, who is extremely old and starting to lose her memory of him. Miguel realizes that family is what is most important as they are the ones who remember you and pass down your legacy.
This movie's title song "Remember Me" perfectly encapsulates the feeling and meaning of the movie. Everyone wants to be remembered. Our legacy is our life after our death. Perhaps that is a reason why so many people chase after fame and glory. However, your family is who support and remember you after you are gone. That is why you need to leave a legacy that would make your family proud. Fame is fleeting, but family is forever.
Coco takes place in Mexico on Dias de Los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. This movie dealt very heavily with the importance of family and why we have an inherent need to be remembered. In the movie, a person can actually die two times. First, the physical death but the second death occurs when no living person remembers them. This is why family is so important in Mexican culture. On the Day of the Dead, they lay out an offrenda with all the portraits of their family. In order for the dead to pass to the living's realm, their family needs to place their picture on the offrenda. Miguel longs to be a musician but is forced to stop because his family has always had bad luck surrounding musicians. Miguel's great-great-grandfather has his face torn off of a picture in the offrenda as he had abandoned his family in order to pursue music. Throughout the movie, Miguel feels a strong bond with his unknown great-great-grandfather because he was a musician and followed his dream. He eventually is thrown into the spirit world when he takes Ernesto de la Cruz's guitar. De la Cruz was a very famous musician when he was alive. His most famous song was "Remember Me", which he actually died singing.
Miguel renounces his family in search of music, mirroring his great-great-grandfather. Eventually, he discovers that de la Cruz is not his great-great-grandfather as he originally thought. Instead, Hector the skeleton that had been helping him was his family. He discovers that Ernesto killed Hector to steal the songs he wrote, including "Remember Me". All Hector wants though is to go back to his daughter Coco, who is extremely old and starting to lose her memory of him. Miguel realizes that family is what is most important as they are the ones who remember you and pass down your legacy.
This movie's title song "Remember Me" perfectly encapsulates the feeling and meaning of the movie. Everyone wants to be remembered. Our legacy is our life after our death. Perhaps that is a reason why so many people chase after fame and glory. However, your family is who support and remember you after you are gone. That is why you need to leave a legacy that would make your family proud. Fame is fleeting, but family is forever.
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