Coco Recommendation

Kersti Rating: 10/10

Worth Seeing In Theaters: Most definitely yes. The movie is amazing and beautiful and deserving of a 10/10 regardless of visuals, but the visuals are pretty darn stunning.

MVP: I cannot recommend this movie enough. I have not enjoyed an animated film this much since Song of the Sea or Finding Nemo. It is radiantly beautiful in sentiment and heart. Coco is a movie about family and ancestry. It is about being proud of the people you come from, and the people who come after you. With a timeless message, gorgeous execution, and brilliantly wonderful story, Coco is one you do not want to miss.

This movie has lessons for adults and children alike. For children, it is about respecting your family and those who love you. Coco reminds children that even though their family may not understand them, they do want what is best for them.

For adults, the lesson is about learning to accept your children for who they are. You cannot punish or forbid someone from being themselves. Doing so will only push them away and make them feel like an outsider. When you have pushed them away, you cannot support them with your love, even if you want to. Children need to have their dreams supported in order to be happy thriving people, regardless of a family’s own biases and opinions.

I saw Coco at a particularly relevant time in my life. My own grandmother, who has had deteriorating Alzheimer’s disease for several years, went to her deathbed this week. The morning before I saw this movie I was booking plane tickets to go to her memorial. Not a very happy time for my family. While Coco is a movie about our deceased loved ones, the correlation to my own life did not make me sad. In fact, it comforted me. Watching Coco reminded me that the memory of my grandmother will live on in her daughters and grand children. That she will not be lost or forgotten. That her life was full of love and family.