Over Thanksgiving weekend, my family and I saw the new Pixar movie, Coco. The result of which is now I recall crying watching two animated Pixar films. Up, my all-time favorite Pixar movie, and now Coco. Like so many Pixar films before it, Coco indulges the belief that kids know best, while it’s up to adults to come around. In the case of Coco, a misunderstood child attempts to convince his family of humble shoemakers to allow him to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing the guitar. Only trouble is, the child’s family has forbidden any form of music in their household for the past several generations — ever since his great-great-grandfather was said to have abandoned his loved ones in pursuit of his singing career.
Coco is a story set in Mexico during the celebration of the Day of the Dead. A child meets up with his deceased relatives and learns he can only return to the world of the living with a dead ancestor’s blessing.
Coco teaches kids to preserve and respect the memory of their elders while reminding them that the source of true creativity is so often personal. It also provides an opportunity during the holiday season for parents to talk about departed family members as a way of keeping their memories alive. Coco is about the desire to be remembered and the importance of remembering. So go see Coco during this holiday season. You and your family will be richly rewarded for it.