Pixar has been at the forefront of animation since its inception in the 1980s, continually redefining the form with each new movie. One of the studio’s most recent box-office successes is “Coco,” which made over $670 million at the global box office. In celebration of the movie’s monumental success, we take a look at several aspects of the film’s writing and its place in cinematic history.
Continuity Is Key
“Continuity is key,” says John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and director of “Coco.” The key to keeping audiences engaged however, is through a constant stream of new ideas, stories, and characters. This helps establish a clear link between each movie, helping the audience remain engaged. “The idea is to come up with something that felt unique and new, but that also fit within the larger story and felt right in the environment that you are creating,” Lasseter adds.
Lasseter stresses that this is a mindset the animators and writers must have. “We’ve got a lot of continuity, not just in terms of the characters and the worlds that they come from, but we want to make sure that everything feels cohesive and linked,” he says.
An Unabashed Romantic
While Pixar’s movies are known for their humor and heart, there is also an element of romance in many of these stories, whether it’s Tom Hanks’ playful flirtation with a female co-worker in “A Bug’s Life,” or the blossoming romance between Judy Hopps and Nick Nickleby in “Zootopia.”
Writer Jared Hess, who has penned every single Pixar movie, including “Coco,” says the studio’s approach to romance is unique.
“There is a bit of a romantic comedy vibe to a lot of the stories that we tell. But, in many cases, there is also an element of romance that is more heightened and a little more dramatic,” Hess says. “We like to tell stories about two people who are really attracted to each other but also have obstacles to overcome before their relationship can thrive. That’s something that we think is romantic and charming, but also has a lot of conflict packed in there.”
A Complex Family Saga
One of the distinguishing features of “Coco” is its complex family drama, which the team behind the movie say they drew from their own personal experiences. The story follows the fortunes of the Bennett family, who strive to maintain their status in the ultra-wealthy Latin American community of Santa Mambi. As the family matriarch Carmen (Alma Maria Valdes), struggles with declining health, her three daughters – Chichi, Meg, and Lilo –jockey for position in a game of one-upmanship that pits them against each other and forces the issue of who will succeed the ailing matriarch.
“Carmen is an incredibly complicated character because, at the end of the day, she is a woman who is very aware of her own mortality,” says writer Stephen J. Anderson, who penned the screenplay for “Coco.” “So, for me, when I was writing the character, I was really exploring and trying to find the nuance of a woman who knows that she is near the end, and what that could possibly look like.”
An Ode To Animation
Besides a healthy dose of romance, “Coco” is filled with nostalgia for the golden age of animation, with cameos from legendary animators like Bill Melendez, who taught us how to animate dinosaurs, and Chuck Jones, whose signature “Garfield” voice can be heard throughout.
“I have a lot of feelings about this film,” Jones says in a cameo. “First of all, I love the old cartoons; they were some of the best cartoons with the characters that I ever worked with. So to be in a scene with those cats again, it’s like going back in time.”
The movie’s incredible popularity may also have something to do with the fact that it is such a love letter to the art form. “Coco” features an incredible number of in-jokes and cameos for genre fans, with Easter eggs and references to classic cartoons scattered throughout.
It’s not just limited to pop culture either. One of the film’s most important and touching moments comes when the Bennett children discover that one of their dolls has a broken arm and cannot move independently. So the children make her walk, and the doll finally speaks with emotion, using words that were first spoken to us through animation:
“Esteemed, delightful ladies,” the doll says to the little girls, “you’ve made me walk again.”
These are just some of the things that make “Coco” such a unique and special movie. It’s a film that everyone should see at least once before they die. And for those who love animation, it is an important lesson in the art form’s brilliant history.