Quotes

Dialogue

Mariachi: [impatient] Ay, ay, ay, muchacho. Mariachi: Look, if I were you, I'd march right up to my family and say, "Hey! I'm a musician, deal with it!". Miguel: I could never say that. Mariachi: You are a musician, no? Miguel: I-I-I don't know. I mean... I only really play for myself. Mariachi: Nah! Did de la Cruz become the world's best musician by hiding his sweet, sweet skills? No! He walked out onto that plaza and he played out loud! [spots something] Ah, mira, mira! They're setting up for tonight! The music competition for Día de Muertos! You wanna be like your hero? You should sign up! Miguel: Uh-Uh, my family would freak! Mariachi: Look, if you're too scared, then, well...have fun making shoes! [pauses; to Miguel] Come on, what did de la Cruz always say? Miguel: "Seize your moment"? Mariachi: [showing his guitar] Show me what you got, muchacho. I'll be your first audience. [Miguel takes the guitar and is about to play when...] Elena: [in the distance, furious] MIGUEL! Miguel: A

Dialogue

Elena: Don't give me that look. Día de los Muertos is the one night of the year our ancestors can come visit us. We've put their photos on the ofrenda so their spirits can cross over. That is very important. If we don't put them up, they can't come. We made all this food, set out the things they loved in life, mijo. All this work to bring the family together. I don't want you sneaking off to who knows where. [catches him trying to sneak away] Where are you going? Miguel: I thought we were done. Elena: Ay, Dios mio. Being part of this family means being here for this family. I don't want to see you end up like-- Miguel: Like Mamá Coco's papá? Elena: Never mention that man! He's better off forgotten.

Dialogue

Miguel: [hiding Dante and his DIY guitar under the ofrenda] Get under! Get under! Elena: [enters the ofrenda room with Enrique and Luisa] Miguel? Miguel: [turns around] Nothing! [smiles nervously] Mama, Papa, I… Enrique: Miguel, your Abuelita had the most wonderful idea. We've all decided… it's time you joined us in the workshop! [puts a leather apron on him] Miguel: What?! Enrique: No more shining shoes. You will be making them! Every day after school! Elena: Our Migueli-ti-ti-ti-to carrying on the family tradition! And on Dia de los Muertos! Your ancestors will be so proud! You'll craft huaraches just like your Tía Victoria. Enrique: And wingtips, like your Papá Julio! Miguel: But what if I'm no good at making shoes? Enrique: Ah, Miguel. You have your family here to guide you. You are a Rivera. And a Rivera is... Miguel: A shoemaker. Through and through.

Dialogue

Elena: What is all this? You keep secrets from your own family?! Berto: It's all that time he spends in the plaza. Gloria: Fills his head with crazy fantasies! Miguel: It's not a fantasy! That man was Ernesto de la Cruz! [gives Enrique the photo of Imelda, young Coco and the unidentified man] The greatest musician of all time! Enrique: We've never known anything about this man! But whoever he was, he still abandoned his family. This is no future for my son. Miguel: But Papa, y-you said my family would guide me. Well, de la Cruz is my family. I'm supposed to play music. Elena: Never! That man's music was a curse! I will not allow it! Miguel: But if you would just let-- Luisa: [sternly] Miguel. Enrique: You will listen to your family. No. More. Music. Miguel: [picks up the guitar] Just listen to me play! Enrique: [unconvinced] End of argument. Elena: [holding the guitar] You want to end up like that man? Forgotten? Left off your family's ofrenda?! Abuelita: [smashes the guitar against th

Dialogue

Thanks. I…

Dialogue

Miguel: [recognizing the skeletons of his family members] Tía Rosita? Rosita: Sí. Miguel: Papá Julio? Julio: Hola! Miguel: Tía Victoria? Victoria: He doesn't seem entirely dead. Rosita: He's not quite alive either. Julio: We need Mama Imelda. She'll know how to fix this. Oscar: [off-screen] Oye! [runs up to them with his twin brother, Felipe] It's Mama Imelda! Felipe: She couldn't cross over! Oscar: She's stuck! Felipe: On the other side! Miguel: Tío Oscar? Tío Felipe? Oscar: Oh. Hey, Miguel. [he and his twin brother both gasp] Victoria: I have a feeling this has something to do with you. Rosita: But if Mama Imelda can't come to us… Julio: Then we are going to her. Vamanos!

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Miguel: This isn't a dream then! You're all really out there! Victoria: You thought we weren't? Miguel: Oh, I don't know. I thought it might have been one of those made-up things, that adults tell kids, like vitamins. Victoria: Miguel, vitamins are a real thing. Miguel: Well, now I'm thinking maybe they could be. Skeleton Mother: Mija, it's not nice to stare at-- [looks at Miguel] Ay! Santa Maria!

Dialogue

Héctor: Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo. Shall we skip the scanner? I'm on so many ofrendas, it will just overwhelm your blinky thingy. Departure Agent: Whoa, shoot. Looks like no one put up your photo, "Frida". Héctor: Okay, when I said I was Frida, just now, that... that was a lie. And I apologize for doing that. Departure Agent: No photo on an ofrenda, no crossing the bridge. Héctor: You know what? I'm just gonna zip right over, you won't even know I'm gone! [Héctor zooms toward the door and splits himself past the guard.] Ha-ha! [He rushes toward the bridge as Miguel watches; he begins to sink into the petals.] Almost... there... just a little... further... [struggles to stand up but fails] Ugh. [picked up by two guards] Male guard: Up-sy daisy. Héctor: Fine! Okay! Fine! Who cares?! [spits out some petals] DUMB FLOWER BRIDGE! Rosita: Aw, I don't know what I'd do if no one put up my photo. Arrival Agent: Next! Rosita: Oh, come, mijo! It's our turn! Arrival Agent: Welcome back, amigos! Any

Dialogue

Imelda: [to a case worker angrily] I demand to speak to the person in charge! Case Worker: I'm sorry, señora, but it says here no one put up your photo! Imelda: My family always, ALWAYS put my photo on the ofrenda. [takes off her boot and smashes the computer with it] That devil box tells you nothing but lies! Julio: [as he and the dead Riveras approach nervously] Mamá Imelda? [Imelda aims her boot at him; he shrieks] Imelda: [snapping out] Oh, mi familia! They wouldn't let me cross the bridge! Tell this woman and her devil box that my photo is on the ofrenda! Julio: Well, w-we never made it to the ofrenda. Imelda: What? Julio: We ran into uh... um... Imelda: [gasps] Miguel? Miguel: [sheepishly] Mama Imelda. Imelda: What is going on? Head Clerk: [comes out of the office door] You the Rivera family? [later… in his office; to Miguel] Well, you're cursed. Miguel: [as the deceased Riveras gasp] What?! Head Clerk: Dia de los Muertos is the night to give to the dead. You stole from the dead!

Dialogue

Head Clerk: Now, you look at the living and say his name. Imelda: [bitterly] Miguel. Head Clerk: Nailed it! Now say, "I give you my blessing.". Imelda: I give you my blessing. [The marigold petal glows; Miguel is amazed] I give you my blessing to go home... [the petal glows brighter] to put my photo back on the ofrenda... [even brighter, Miguel nods] and to never play music again! Miguel: What?! She can't do that! Head Clerk: Well, technically, she can add any condition she wants. Miguel: [frowns] Fine. Head Clerk: Then you hand the petal to Miguel. Miguel: No skeletons! [stares smugly at Ernesto's guitar and takes it] Mariachi Plaza, here I come! [Not even 2 steps later, he's back in the Land of the Dead; he is caught by Imelda.] Imelda: Two seconds, and you already break your promise! Miguel: This isn't fair, it's my life! You already had yours! [takes Imelda's petal] Papá Julio, I ask for your blessing! [Julio cringes nervously; one by one, each dead Rivera resists] Tía Rosita? Osca

Dialogue

Corrections Officer: Disturbing the peace, fleeing an officer, falsifying a unibrow... Héctor: That's illegal? [detaches his head] Corrections Officer: Very illegal. You need to clean up your act, amigo. Héctor: [screws his head back on] "Amigo"? Oh, that's-that's so nice to hear you say that, because... I have just had a really hard Día de Muertos and I could really use an amigo right now. [detaches his hands; they act like holding shoulders] And amigos... they help their amigos. [reattaches hands] Listen, you get me across that bridge tonight, and I'll make it worth your while. [spots a poster of Ernesto on the wall] Oh! You like de la Cruz? He and I go way back! I can get you front row seats to his Sunrise Spectacular show! I-I-I'll get you backstage, you can meet him! You just gotta let me cross that bridge! Corrections Officer: I should lock you up for the rest of the holiday. But my shift's almost up and... I wanna visit my living family, so I'm letting you off with a warning. [g

Dialogue

Hector: [upon hearing that Miguel's dead family are trying to send him home] Wait, wait, wait. You said de la Cruz was your only family. The ONLY person who could send you home. Miguel: I do have other family, but–- Hector: You could have taken my photo back this whole time?! Miguel: But they hate music. I need a musician's blessing! Hector: [angrily] You lied to me! Miguel: Oh-ho, you're one to talk. Hector: [desperately] Look at me. I'm being forgotten, Miguel. I don't even know if I'm gonna last the night! I'm not gonna miss my one chance to cross that bridge, 'cause you want to live out some stupid musical fantasy! Miguel: It's not stupid! Hector: I'm taking you to your family. [grabs Miguel's arm and pulls him to the stage, but Miguel pulls away] Miguel: Let go of me! Hector: You'll thank me later. Miguel: You don't wanna help me. You only care about yourself! [pulls out Hector's photo from his pocket and throws it at him. Hector chases after it in the wind.] Keep your dumb photo!

Dialogue

Miguel: AAH! Imelda: This nonsense ends now, Miguel! I am giving you my blessing and you are going home. Miguel: I don't want your blessing! [runs through an alley and up the stairs] Imelda: [runs upstairs after Miguel] Miguel! Stop! Come back! Miguel! I'm trying to save your life! Miguel: [slips through the metal gate trying to escape] You're ruining my life! Imelda: What?! Miguel: [angrily] Music's the only thing that makes me happy. And YOU, you WANNA take that away! YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND! [continues marching upstairs] Imelda: [singing "La Llorona" to prove Miguel wrong] Y aunque la vida me cueste, Llorona / No dejar de quiererte. Miguel: I-I thought you hated music. Imelda: Oh, I love it. I remember that feeling - when my husband would play and I would sing, and nothing else mattered, but when we had Coco suddenly, there was something in my life that mattered more than music. I wanted to put down roots. He wanted to play for the world. We each made a sacrifice to get what we want

Dialogue

Héctor: We had a deal, chamaco! Ernesto: Who are you? What is the meaning of this? [Héctor steps in his Frida Kahlo disguise] Oh, Frida! I thought you couldn't make it. Héctor: [takes off his disguise] You said you'd take back my photo. You promised, Miguel! Ernesto: [to Miguel] You know this, uh… man? Miguel: I just met him tonight. He told me he knew you. Ernesto: [widens his eyes in realization] H-Héctor? Héctor: Please, Miguel. [takes out his photo] Put my photo up. Ernesto: My friend. You're-You're being forgotten. Héctor: [angrily] And whose fault is that?! Ernesto: Héctor, please. Héctor: Those were MY SONGS you took. MY SONGS that made YOU famous! Miguel: What? Héctor: If I'm being forgotten, it's because you never told anyone that I wrote them! Miguel: That's crazy. De la Cruz wrote all his own songs. Héctor: [to Ernesto] You want to tell him, or should I? Ernesto: Héctor, I never meant to take credit. We made a great team, but you died and I... I only sang your songs because

Dialogue

Miguel: Héctor? Héctor: Kid? Miguel: Oh, Héctor! [They embrace each other.] You were right. I should have gone back to my family. Héctor: Hey-- hey, hey... Miguel: They told me not to be like de la Cruz… [cries, drying his eye] But I didn't listen. Héctor: Hey, it's okay... Miguel: I told them I didn't care if they remembered me. I didn't care if I was on their stupid ofrenda. [sobs quietly] Héctor: [hugs Miguel] Hey, chamaco, it's okay. It's okay. Miguel: I told them I didn't care. [sobs, Hector suddenly spasms, surging with gold light and falls to the ground, weakly.] Héctor! Héctor? Héctor: She's... forgetting me. Miguel: Who? Héctor: My daughter. Miguel: She's the reason... you wanted to cross the bridge. Héctor: I just wanted to see her again. I never should've left Santa Cecilia. I wish I could apologize. I wish I could tell her that her papa was trying to come home… that he loved her so much. [long pause] My Coco. Miguel: [completely surprised] Coco? [shows him the photo of Imel

Dialogue

Miguel: [realizing about Ernesto] He stole your guitar. He stole your songs. You should be the one the world remembers, not de la Cruz! Héctor: I didn't write "Remember Me" for the world. I wrote it for Coco. [looks at Miguel sadly] I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great grandpa. Miguel: Are you kidding? A minute ago, I thought I was related to a murderer. You're a total upgrade. [excitedly] My whole life, there is something that made me different. I never knew where it came from. But now I know... it... it comes from you. I'm proud we're family! [runs up happily] I’M PROUD TO BE HIS FAMILY!! [lets out a loud grito] Héctor: [happily jumps up with a loud grito] I'M PROUD TO BE HIS FAMILY! Miguel: [loud grito, then suddenly heard a howling sound coming from the hole of a cenote pit] Dante? [Dante appears and barks happily] Dante! [laughs] It's Dante! [Pepita appears with a loud mighty roar which shakes the stalactites, Miguel laughs with joy until Imelda appeared above Pepita.] Imel

Dialogue

Imelda: [hugs Miguel] Mijo, I was so worried! Thank goodness we found you in time! [turns to Héctor angrily] And YOU! How many times must I turn you away?! Héctor: Imelda... Imelda: I want nothing to do with you! Not in life, not in death! I spent decades protecting my family from your mistakes. He spent 5 minutes with you and I have to fish him out of a sinkhole! Miguel: [gets in front of Héctor] I... I wasn't in there because of Héctor. He was in there because of me. He was just trying to get me home. I didn't want to listen, but he was right. Nothing is more important than family. I'm ready to accept your blessing. And your conditions. But first, I need to find de la Cruz. To get Héctor's photo. Imelda: What? Miguel: So he can see Coco again. Héctor should be on our ofrenda. He's part of our family. Imelda: He LEFT this family! Miguel: He tried to go home to you and Coco. But de la Cruz murdered him! Héctor: It's true, Imelda. Imelda: And so what if it's true?! You leave me alone wi

Dialogue

Ernesto: [to Imelda] Don't I know you? Imelda: [removes her boot, and hits Ernesto across the skull] That's for murdering the love of my life! Ernesto: Who?! Who the-- Héctor: [appears around the corner] She's talking about ME! [to Imelda, lovestruck] I'm the love of your life? Imelda: I don't know! I'm still angry at you. Ernesto: Héctor?! How did you--? Imelda: [hits Ernesto with her boot again] And that's for trying to murder my grandson! Ernesto: Grandson?! Miguel: [also appears around the corner] She's talking about me! Ernesto: YOU! [realized] Wait… you're related to Héctor? Miguel: The photo! [points to Héctor's photo in Ernesto's shirt pocket] Ernesto: [backs away as the Rivera family glares at him] Uh… [runs off] Imelda: After him!

Dialogue

Imelda: Miguel, I give you my blessing... [the petal glows and gets brighter with each condition] ...to go home, to put up our photos, and to never-- Miguel: [bitterly] Never play music again. Imelda: To never... forget how much your family loves you. Héctor: You're going home. Ernesto: You're not going anywhere! Héctor: Imelda! [runs to her] Ernesto: [as the dead Riveras surround him while dragging Miguel towards the building's edge] Stay back! Stay back! All of you, stay back! Not one more step! Miguel: Dante! Héctor: Ernesto, stop! [surges and falls to the ground, knocking down a microphone] Leave the boy alone! Ernesto: I've worked too hard, Héctor. Too hard to let him destroy everything! Héctor: He's a living child, Ernesto! Ernesto: He's a THREAT! [The action appears on the jumbotrons onstage; the word "threat" echos, making the crowd confused] You think I'd let him go back to the Land of the Living with your photo? To keep your memory alive? No. Miguel: You're a coward! Ernesto:

Dialogue

Ernesto: Ha, ha! [The audience starts booing at him as he laughs nervously] Please, please, mi familia! Audience Member #1: Murderer! Audience Member #2: Get off the stage! Ernesto: Orchestra! A-1, A-2, A-1... [The conductor breaks his baton in half in contempt, without any words to say; singing] Remember me, though I have to s– [A tomato is thrown at his jacket] Hey! [The audience continues booing as they start throwing food at Ernesto.] Female Audience Member: [looks up, and points] Look! Ernesto: [chuckles nervously as he walks backwards while Pepita closes in on him] Here kitty, Nice kitty, Big kitty. [Pepita roars in Ernesto's face, then headbutts him, sending him flying. She then catches him by his waist as she flies off] Put me down! Please! I'm begging you! Stop it, stop that! [A cameraman follows Pepita] Ow, ow! [Pepita flips him into the air, then smacks him away with her tail. The villainous musician goes flying, then notices something up ahead] No! [screams, then smacks fac

Dialogue

Enrique: [from outside, banging the locked door] Miguel, open this door! Miguel: [showing Hector's guitar] Here, this was his guitar, right? He used to play it to you? See, there he is. [turns Mama Coco's head to face the photo] Papá, remember? Papá? [No answer from Coco still.] Enrique: [from outside] MIGUEL! Miguel: [begging] Mamá Coco, please! Don't forget him! Elena: What are you doing to that poor woman?! [comforts her mama] It's okay, Mamita. It's okay. Enrique: What's gotten into you?! [Miguel begins to cry, hugs him; embraces him] I thought I'd lost you, Miguel. Miguel: I'm sorry, Papá. Luisa: We're all together now, that's what matters. Miguel: Not all of us... Elena: It's okay, Mamita. [at Miguel, firmly] Miguel, you apologize to your Mamá Coco. Miguel: [walks over to Coco] Mamá Coco... [stubs his foot against Héctor's guitar and gets an idea.] Elena: [impatiently] Well? Apologize! Miguel: [holding up the guitar] Mamá Coco? Your papá, he wanted you to have this... [begins str

Dialogue

[showing his baby sister the family photos on the Rivera family ofrenda] And that man is your Papá Julio. And there's Tía Rosita, and your Tía Victoria. And those two are Oscar and Felipe. These aren't just old pictures, they're our family. And they're counting on us to remember them.

Dialogue

Coco: [off-screen] Papá. [comes to him] Hector: [happily] Coco! [kisses her on the head and they both hug, tightly]