#REMEMBER ME COCO LY MOVIE#
#REMEMBER ME COCO LY SERIES#

Hector is saved in the end when Miguel, played by Anthony Gonzalez, plays his great-great-father’s lullaby to Mama Coco – ‘Remember Me.’ Some said it was just old age, but for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one to Alzheimer’s disease, we saw our loved ones. But when Coco is shown, she’s battling a neurodegenerative ailment, even when it isn’t stated.

#REMEMBER ME COCO LY MOVIE#

He is kept alive in the land of the dead by his daughter – the character the movie is named for – Coco. A musician whose family despised him because they didn’t know the truth about why he disappeared. Hector, played by Gael Garcia Bernal, is the forgotten man. But at the end, when one of the characters is being forgotten by his only living relative who remembers him we see that the hardship of forgetting is just as important to the story, or at least for me it is. The through-line of the movie is using the backdrop of Dia de Muertos to highlight the importance of family and ultimately our tradition of remembering those before of us. I didn’t expect this, in fact, after Disney attempted to copyright the phrase “ Dia de los Muertos” at the start of this movie’s production I had written it off. Coco captured this very special moment of remembrance in a way that wasn’t disrespectful like other representations, but instead taught about the traditions and highlighted the important pieces of the celebration. On those days and the ones leading up to them, I cry a lot, I smile a lot, and I share stories of the courageous lives my grandparents lived. Even though the latter part is something I don’t believe in now, I still observe the holiday as a time for me to remember my loved ones who have died, primarily my grandparents. For the religious, the holiday is sacred and they believe their loved ones enter their home to dine and party with them. We grieve for them and we celebrate their lives and pass on their stories and lives to those around us.

#REMEMBER ME COCO LY SERIES#

In reality, it’s a series of days where our loved ones are remembered. Seeing ofrendas during this period of the year was a tradition, and each of them were pieces of those who had set them up.Ĭontrary to what a lot of people who aren’t from Mexican/Mexican American culture think, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) isn’t about painting your face or scaring people like it’s Mexican Halloween. When I was little, some of my family members put up ofrendas (altars) from mid-October until November 2nd, as did a lot of the Mexican-owned businesses in my hometown of San Antonio. However, this isn’t a piece about Mexican culture, it’s an article about a song. I am Mexican American, it’s a vital part of my identity and a piece that this movie touches.

With every watch, I see more of myself in the characters, the setting, and most importantly the main song: ‘Remember Me’. From the day it was added, May 29th, to the day I am writing this, June 7th, I have watched it 3 times. Disney Pixar’s Coco came out in November of 2017 and was recently added to Netflix.

Remember me coco ly