Coco and Ratatouille - Dreams vs. Family

(This post contains Spoilers)

When I saw Coco in theaters, I immediately noticed similarities to Ratatouille. Set in foreign lands, they both posted impressive box office numbers in those countries, each features a Michael Giacchino score, as well as songs entirely in their native language (“La Llorona” in Coco and “Le Festin” in Ratatouille), and even the font employed in each film’s opening and closing credits is virtually the same, with the backgrounds of the end credits bearing close similarity to each other. But after closer examination, I realized that they are much more similar than I originally observed. At the core of each story, the protagonist is torn between their personal dreams and familial expectations.

In keeping with Mexican tradition, Coco’s narrative is deeply rooted in the context of the family. As Miguel explains in the cleverly-animated opening credits, after Hector abandoned his family, his bitter wife, Imelda, banned music from the family and pursued shoemaking for financial support. Miguel, a talented guitarist and singer, wishes his loved ones could understand him, his forbidden talent causing a rift between them. They label Miguel a troublemaker whom they fear will follow in his great-great grandfather’s footsteps. A mariachi musician counsels the child to stand up to his family and declare himself a musician, but Miguel fears retaliation. Yet when Miguel thinks Ernesto de la Cruz is his great-great grandfather, he garners the courage to do just that, but it backfires. When his family discovers his secret musical hideout, his furious grandmother (Abuelita) Renee breaks his guitar, the symbol of his rebellion. Miguel, rejecting his family’s traditions and expectations, runs off to find a guitar to perform in the local talent show. However, stealing de la Cruz’s guitar from his mausoleum transports him to the land of the dead where his unsympathetic deceased family shares the same hatred for music as his live one. The boy’s great-great-grandmother Imelda imposes a ban on music as one of the conditions of his return to the land of the living. However, Miguel soon finds himself back in the Land of the Dead after mere seconds, for her harsh restrictions didn’t thwart his desire. In seeking the required familial blessing from another source, Ernesto de la Cruz, the only family member he believes will understand him, the boy meets Hector, his actual great-great grandfather. Miguel’s family become the story’s antagonists, their attitudes being the obstacle to overcome, for him to receive the proper blessing which will send him back home.

In an effort to win a ticket to Ernesto’s party, Miguel performs in the Land of the Dead’s talent show, his first opportunity to perform in public. While searching, his ancestors fail to recognize him at the concert, not just because he’s wearing a disguise, but because they don’t even consider the possibility that he might be performing. As Miguel flees once more, he discovers Mama Imelda actually used to love music, but felt family was more important. Miguel says he shouldn’t have to pick between his family and music. Ultimately, their harsh insistence pushes Miguel even further away from them.

When they finally meet, de la Cruz convinces Miguel that since he is meant to be a musician, chasing his dream is worth the sacrifice of leaving his family. However, once de la Cruz’s deception, theft and murder are exposed, the darker side of his “seize the moment” motto leaves his win-at-all-costs selfishness clearly exposed, his unbridled ambition swallowing up any moral values. De la Cruz’s unquenched ego is foiled by Hector, whose success was less important to him that reuniting with his wife and child. Seeing the high price that Hector paid, Miguel is then willing to forsake his dreams, choosing to put family first. However, it is only after Mama Imelda performs in de la Cruz’s show, shocking the rest of her family, that her love for music is rekindled and she capitulates, surrendering her demand that Miguel deny his musical talent. While still holding a grudge against Hector, after discovering that he was murdered, Mama Imelda comes face-to-face with the dark side of music - greed, fame and ego, embodied in de la Cruz, and directs her anger at the right source. Once he’s crossed back in the Land of the Living, Miguel has to confront his living family’s attitudes, which remain as deeply entrenched as ever. His Abuelita Renee’s, first instinct is to stop his supposed nonsense, until Miguel’s performance of “Remember Me” sparks Coco’s memories back to life. A revived Coco then sets things right. This miracle, along with the true history of their family, finally lifts the ban on music. It’s no coincidence that the film is named after Coco, since she’s the main link between the lost past and the present. In the end, Miguel and his family find a balance between his dreams and familial duties. They even frame the guitar and letters for tourists to see, showcasing how proud they are that Hector is a restored member of their family. The final song, “Proud Corazon,” unites the family, both living and dead, closer than before. Miguel plays on Hector’s old guitar, which initially brought him to the Land of the Dead to begin with, and Hector takes it as an offering, returning it its rightful place.

While considered Pixar’s first musical, Coco diverges from most of those in the traditional genre, in that all of the music is diegetic. In addition, most musicals, especially Disney products, tend to have most of their songs in the first half of the film. Even several traditional Broadway musicals tend to have fewer songs in the second act, with many as reprises. Coco breaks this tradition with most of its songs in the second act, reflecting Miguel’s newfound freedom to perform while no longer upsetting his loved ones.

Meanwhile, in Ratatouille, Remy faces similar familial pressure. He doesn’t agree with his dad about stealing food or interacting with humans. He spends his free time hanging out in the kitchen and watching the famous chef, Gusteau, on TV. As Remy states in the opening narration, he describes his dad, Django, as “never impressed,” at least until he realizes his son’s his highly refined sense of taste can benefit the colony, assigning him the boring task of poison checker, seeing this as his gift’s only advantage. Eventually, Remy is separated from the group, and, lost in the sewer, he mourns the loss of his clan, proving that he loves them despite their differences. An imaginary Gusteau appears, however, and encourages him to explore his new surroundings. When he does, he finds Gusteau’s Restaurant, eventually meeting Linguini and forming the friendly partnership at the center of the film. This unlikely team-up provides the unorthodox avenue through which Remy fulfills his dream of working in a kitchen. This friendship is one major difference from Coco, since in that film, no non-familial friendships are shown.

Through a chance encounter, Remy is reunited with his big brother, Emile, and visits his kin in their new accommodations. Remy apologizes to his father about his earlier attitude, but his refusal to permanently rejoin the colony erupts into an argument, with his father, strongly disapproving of his interaction with humans. Before a store window displaying dead rats and rat poison, Django makes the case that things can never change for their species; his son should accept that and give up his dreams. Remy, however, rejecting this, continues to cook. However, life gets more complicated when Linguini starts dating fellow-chef Colette and takes over Gusteau’s from previous manager, chef Skinner, while Remy’s family demand that he steal food for them. Following a heated argument with Linguini, Remy impulsively steals with his clan, taking the lead that his father approves of, which leads to disaster. Remy is eventually captured by Skinner, who, after eavesdropping, learned that the rat was the real cook.

Alone in a cage, Remy argues with the imaginary Gusteau, claiming that he’s been pretending to be a rat or human for different people, then says that he knows who he is. Creating a paradox for himself, he asks why he needs to pretend. Remy doesn’t think it’s possible that he can be both a cook and a rat, Linguini’s friend and his father’s son. It isn’t until the imaginary Gusteau’s tells him “he never did” have to pretend that he realizes that his different behaviors around different people weren’t a facade. Like most of us, different parts of his personality emerged at different points, but it was all him, and it was all authentic. After this revelation, he’s promptly rescued and returns to assist a helpless Linguini. However, by coming to Remy’s aid, Linguini confesses the truth, losing his entire staff in the process. Django, observing Linguini’s honesty and the price he paid for it, puts aside his prior prejudices when Remy reaffirms his desire to cook. He rounds up the entire clan to assist, supporting Remy’s dream, while helping his son’s friend. In the end, a contented Remy’s dream is fulfilled, as he gets to be both - a rat and a cook. He’s allowed to stay with his relatives, who were willing to help him in his time of need, and is allowed to be a chef with his friend.

Both protagonists in Coco and Ratatouille have gifts which make them feel different from and cause friction with the rest of their loved ones, they both watch their idols on TV, but ultimately face disappointment – Miguel when he discovers that Ernesto is a murderer and Remy when he learns Gusteau is dead. Both films deal with the balance between familial love and expectations and the individual’s pursuit of dreams. Miguel and Remy find that balance, primarily through a friendship of chance. They come to terms with their own identity while accepting the universal truth that we can’t change our family. Both families seem, at first, stubbornly resistant to change because of their past, but their children pave the way for the future, breaking down preconceived notions about what their offspring can or cannot do while learning to accept them. Only through this balance and acceptance from both sides is a happy ending achieved.

Links Referenced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSmcGuPQi0A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiz9oRQDDe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfE_MUCpPKE