Coco Review

Rating: 9/10 (23 April 2018)

I think that the latest Disney Pixar movie Coco shows a culturally correct representation of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In the movie, 12 year old Miguel Rivera is in love with music. He wants to see his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz but he has to cross from the living to the dead in order to see him. In the movie, people celebrate the day by dancing, decorating their loved one's graves, making altars with decorations to celebrate their passed loved ones, and by celebrating with many family members.
There are many examples of how this correctly corresponds to how people actually celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. Families do a lot of many different things together to celebrate this holiday. Global Issues in Context states, "Families also visit their local cemeteries, usually from the night of Nov. 1 throughout the following day to clean their tombs, place fresh flowers, light candles, and even share a meal with the visiting souls" ("Global Issues in Context, 2017"). The movie portrayed many families doing these traditions. Many families put candles and flowers near their deceased relatives graves, and invited their family member's souls to eat their favorite foods for dinner with them. Many families in the Latino culture have different views on their loved ones' passing, and celebrate instead of mourn their loss. According to the Literature Resource Center, "The Day of the Dead is not a day of mourning but a day of celebration, feasting, and colorful altars built for the memories of loved ones" ("Literature Resource Center, 2008"). This was represented perfectly in the film because every family was hanging out with each other and decorated altars with their loved ones pictures. They weren't sad that their loved ones were gone, but instead celebrated their time in life and death, and gave them gifts that were things that the person liked when they were living. The way that Latinos view heaven and seeing their family members pass is different than how many Americans view heaven. Helene Henderson claims that, "Many Mexicans believe that the spirits of the dead return to enjoy a visit with their friends and relatives on this day" (Henderson, 145). In the movie, the spirits of family members walk across a bridge made of the flower of death to go celebrate with their family and this is also believed by some Latino families in the real world. Also in the movie, many families are seen dancing and singing along to music for their deceased loved ones and to help them find their family. This happens in the real Latino culture as well. According to Tony Johnston, "The people dance, sing, and share memories of their loved ones, welcoming their spirits who are thought to return briefly to take part in the celebration" (Johnston, 1997). In the movie, many families were seen eating, playing games, and talking to each other with the spirits of loved ones. They believe that they can possibly see their loved ones again, and that they are always with them. The families make the ofrendas personal for the deceased by putting up pictures, drawings, and sometimes their favorite foods and drinks to remind them of the things they enjoyed in life. Tribune Business News suggests, "The ofrendas include pictures of the deceased, flowers and plates with meals and drinks they used to love" (Tribune Business News, 2007). Many of the ofrendas shown in the movie also had pictures of the deceased, food, and drinks that the family members onced loved. I rate the way that CoCo culturally showed Dia de los Muertos a 9/10. I rate the movie culturally a 9/10 because it showed families celebrating in ways that families in the Latino culture celebrate the holiday.