Thank you to Disney and Pixar Studios for hosting me during the #PixarCocoEvent.
I am completely and totally and madly in love with the film Coco. I have a feeling you will be, too. Here are five things you need to know before you head to the theater.
It’s a love letter to Mexico.
Coco was a labor of love that began with a pitch back in 2011 to create a movie that took place in Mexico, centered around Día de los Muertos. Although the movie is fairly different from the original pitch idea, it is still rooted deeply in Mexican culture. The team at Pixar did exhaustive research to make sure they got things right. From all accounts, they did.
©2017 Disney•Pixar
Coco is universal.
Although the celebration of Día de los Muertos is a tradition originating from Mexico, the movie’s themes of family and remembrance apply to everyone. Coco managed to strike the perfect balance of explaining Día de los Muertos to the unfamiliar, without slowing down the story for those already well-versed in its customs.
©2017 Disney•Pixar
You won’t be scared.
And more importantly, your kids won’t be scared. The movie prominently features a cast of skeletons who were carefully designed by the animators to not be frightening. The film does deal with death. There is also an alebrije in the film with the face of a tiger who growls a little. You can see all of this in the trailer, which should give you a good feeling for what to expect from the movie. Although all children react to things differently, I think most will enjoy Coco without worry.
©2017 Disney•Pixar
Pack your tissues.
If you’re headed to a theater to see a movie directed by the same guy who brought you Toy Story 3 and Up without tissues, well…you get what’s coming to you. I’ll confess, I made it pretty far into the movie without a single tear. I thought I was golden. I should have known better. I had a complete and total sob fest there towards the end.
Stay until the very end.
Coco doesn’t have a stinger in the traditional sense, but it does have a very powerful moment in the credits that I think is worth sticking around to see. (And I’ll share a bit more about that soon when I post my interview with Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina and Darla K. Anderson on the 28th.) I kind of promised them during the interview that I’d make sure you stayed to see it. Don’t make me a liar.
I have tons more to share from the #PixarCocoEvent, plus plenty of behind the scenes scoop from my trip last August to the Pixar campus. You can find all of my Coco event coverage here.
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”), Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017.