Disney/Pixar’s Coco is a vibrant tale of family, fun and adventure, aspiring young musician named Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on an extraordinary journey to the magical land of his ancestors. There, the charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael Garcia Bernal) becomes an unexpected friend who helps Miguel uncover the mysteries behind his family’s stories and traditions.

 

Coco is vibrant celebration of Mexico’s annual remembrance festival Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos and offers an interesting way to deal with death.  Coco also tells a story of tradition, curses, redemption, and most importantly dreams.  Miguel in pursuit of his dream to be a musician discovered the importance of family.

I remember the very moment I pictured myself acting. I was in the bathroom at Sherman Oaks Elementary trying on my new tidied t-shirt that Melissa’s mom made me. It was perfect! I began dancing around as if I was in a Madonna “Material Girl” video. I was 10.

There was something so very special about that moment. I mean, I wanted to be an actress before but I never really saw myself doing it. I went home that day and shared my moment with my grandmother. She supported me verbally saying “you can be whatever you put your mind to be.”  There’s something extremely special about the age 10…well it was for me and Coco’s Miguel.  We both found a desire of our heart and believed in the power of our dreams.

 

I realize you may not have had a chance to experience the movie, so I don’t want to spoil it.  Instead, I will share the lessons my family and I learned from the movie, the biggest one being “believe in your dreams.”  To “dream” means to have a deep aspiration of hope or achievement that is longed for.  Throughout the movie and even the songs depicted the need to dream. 

 

Three Themes From Miguel

 

Believing in your dreams takes faith.  It’s one thing to follow your dreams but first you have to believe in them enough to pursue them.  Not only do you have to go through self-doubt, perhaps lack of support from family, but you will also deal with the idea of failing.  It takes faith to believe in yourself enough that it propels you to pursue those dreams.

“I am not like the rest of my family. There’s something that makes me different.” – Miguel

 

 

Following your dreams takes courage.  Finding the courage to follow your dreams can be tough.  Following your dreams could mean disappointing others and taking a chance on yourself.  Courage is being able to identify what scares you the most and follow your dreams anyway.

“Never underestimate the power of music. No one was going to hand me my future, it was up to me to reach for my dream, grab it tight and make it come true.” – Ernesto de la Cruz

 

Living your dreams takes persistence.  Success does not happen overnight.   It takes hard work and determination.  To live your dreams, you have to link up with people that will encourage and support you.  You will encounter resistance and struggle to get where you want to be, but keep going. 

“We may have our differences, but nothing’s more important than family.” – Miguel

 

Believing in, following, or living your dreams are not easy.  Yet I have heard countless stories like Miguel’s of people who overcame incredible odds to live the life they once dreamed.  I often think about what my life would be like if I truly pursued my dream of being an actress.  It’s hard to think about it as a missed opportunity now that I have a family. 

 

 

As a mom, I am always teaching my son that no matter where we find ourselves it is a result of the choices we’ve made.  I tell him that his decisions will determine his destination.  Miguel taught us about believing in our dreams.  There are so many other amazing lessons so this is why you must snag a copy of the Coco Multi-Screen Edition: Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital available today, February 27^th.  It includes commentary, bonus features, and deleted scenes.  A few of my favorite bonus features are:

 

• The Music of Coco: Collaborating with musicians of Mexico and some unique instrumentation, this documentary explores the beautiful fusion of music essential to the story of “Coco.”
• The Real Guitar – The majestic guitar that spurs Miguel on his journey through the Land of the Dead is a unique creation. Watch as it is initially designed by a Pixar artist and ultimately realized as a real instrument by a master luthier in this poetic ode to craftsmanship.
• Land of Our Ancestors – Watch Pixar artists lovingly construct layer upon layer of architecture from many eras of Mexican history, bringing the Land of the Dead to life.
• Paths to Pixar: “Coco” – Explore how the film crew’s personal stories resonate with the themes of the movie itself.
• 8 Deleted Scenes: There’s an explanation for every deleted scene. The deleted scenes are: “Introductions,” “Día de los Muertos,” “The Way of the Riveras,” “Celebrity Tour,” “The Bus Escape,” “Alebrije Attack,” “The Family Fix,” and “To the Bridge”

 

Do you believe in your dreams? Are you teaching your children to believe in the power of their dreams?  If not, start today! I would love to hear about your thoughts of Coco (if you’ve seen it), or my lessons from Miguel.

 

 

[latoyia]

P.S. Thanks Disney for hosting me at Olivera Street and dinner at El Paseo Inn to celebrate the in-home release of Coco on digital and Blu-ray.

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