Coco is officially in theaters everywhere today! With the overall theme of family, this is the perfect movie to see this Thanksgiving weekend. In Coco, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Even though his family has a multi generation ban on music. While trying to follow his heart Miguel finds himself in the absolutely beautiful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Hector, the two become friends and embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
This movie draws a light to Mexican culture and heritage in a beautiful way. We see Miguel and his family celebrating Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead. What I love so much about Coco, was the lessons Miguel and his family learned through this journey.
Family is everything! This is the main theme of the movie. Miguel and his family celebrate being together, remember the loved ones lost, and enjoy a feast together. This is a good reminder to take a step back and remember that no matter what, always make time for your family. Seeing Hector sing his beautiful song to his daughter melted my heart, as well as seeing Miguel meet his relatives on the other side.
Remembering loved ones that we lost. This also struck a cord with me, having lost loved ones myself, I was touched at the image of these loved ones visiting families on Dia de los Muertos. This was a good reminder for me to take time and share about those loved ones with my kids, talk about them, and not let them be forgotten. This was the problem Hector was having, he was in danger of being forgotten.