History Heartwarming / Coco

** Meta-heartwarming: the mariachi is played by Lombardo Boyar, who previously played [[BigBrotherBully Lars Rodriguez]] from ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower''. It's nice to imagine this as Lars's PetTheDog moment.

!!Meta
* This message in the post-credits, surrounded by an ofrenda for the animators' relatives: "To the people across time who supported and inspired us."
** A few fans have noticed that the ofrenda also contains Creator/DonRickles[[note]]the voice of [[Franchise/ToyStory Mr. Potato Head]], who died in 2017[[/note]], UsefulNotes/SteveJobs [[note]]the president of Apple who also was a founder of Pixar, who died in 2011[[/note]], and Creator/WaltDisney himself.
* In a promo reel, Miguel is setting up the camera for a group photo with the Riveras. When the flash goes off, the dead Riveras appear behind them, and he giggles happily, as though aware his family is together as a whole.
* Even after John Lasseter's unsavory deeds at Pixar went public, the movie was ''not'' OvershadowedByControversy. Many people still came to this beautiful movie, thus making the other animators' hard work worthwhile.
* Anthony González's utterly adorable [[http://a-place-called-slaughter-race.tumblr.com/post/168044565549/anthony-gonzalez-getting-the-role-of-miguel reaction]] to being cast as Miguel.
* The Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in a Feature Film was presented by Jorge Gutierrez, the director of ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife''. When he opened the card, he announced the winner as "Future legend Anthony González," and gave González a big hug when he came to accept it.
* From the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s:
** Even though co-directors and voice actors can't get nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, Adrian Molina and Anthony González joined in the acceptance speech. Creator/GaelGarciaBernal and Creator/BenjaminBratt (voices of Héctor and Ernesto de la Cruz) also joined them on stage, and Garcia Bernal was doling out hugs like candy. He also hugged Robert Lopez on his way to accept the award for "Remember Me".
** When Robert Lopez ended his speech by thanking his deceased mother, the overtime music fell silent so that everyone could still hear him.
* In the deleted scene "Tour Guide", Miguel, [[NiceGuy true to character]], asks Héctor to finish his tour guide speech, understanding that it's a rare treat he gets a captivated audience.
** Earlier, although he's coldly reluctant to help Miguel on the basis that the boy's allegedly a "grave robber", he's [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold convinced]] when the bus driver points out it would be wrong to abandon a living child. So he caves in (out of frustration) and decides to help Miguel.
* In "Alebrije Attack", Héctor and Miguel bond over what it was like for the former to know Ernesto. Then later they bond over having saved each other during Pepita's attack.
%%(ZCE)* Héctor's speech in "Bus Escape".
* In "Family Fix", when Miguel's guitar is broken and he can't go home, the entire dead Rivera family members come together to fix the guitar by utilizing their shoe-making skills. Although the guitar is worse for wear, it's still essentially fixed. Just looking at it, it marries both music and shoe-making.
* In 2019, director Lee Unkrich retired from Pixar and the film industry to spend time with his family.

*** Just the fact that is so eager and willing to share these things and that after all those years she is allowed to do so. Extra heartwarming about this: Héctor mentioned earlier that only when you are remembered by those who know you and only when those share tales of you to others will you be remembered and thus saved from the final death. The first thing she does when she remembers him is sharing his letters and talking about him, ensuring that there are living people who know about him, thus saving him for good.

** Just how kind Héctor is to a crying Miguel when the two of them are trapped in the cenote. At this point, he still thinks that the boy is his ''murderer's'' great-great grandson. Héctor could have been cruel to him or told him off, especially since they parted ways after arguing earlier; but instead he hugs the child and gently consoles him.
*** Fridge-Heartwarming: This counts as Hector's WhatYouAreInTheDark moment. When trapped in a deep, dark, lonely sinkhole with a boy who is a stranger at best and his murderer's great-great-grandson, who is he then? Nothing short of a [[NiceGuy good man]] who won't turn away his friend during his darkest hour.

--->'''Héctor:''' I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great grandpa.\\

* Despite earlier when Miguel [[KickTheDog sent him away in frustration]], Dante finds Miguel later when the latter is trapped in the cenote. He even brought along Pepita and Imelda to help fish Miguel (and Hector) out. [[UndyingLoyalty Man's best friend]] indeed.

*** Dante biting his leg while he changes into an alebrije could be interpreted as him not wanting to be an alebrije, but ''to keep being Miguel's dog'' so he can stay with the boy.
* Miguel's reunion with his (dead) relatives. In contrast to finally meeting his ([[BrokenPedestal former]]) hero Ernesto, this is where Miguel is [[BigDamnReunion happy]] to be surrounded by the familiar faces of his family (even if they're [[DemBones skeletons]]). It's a warm moment that illustrates how he's developed a much greater respect and appreciation being with the people who truly love and care about him.
* Imelda deciding although she can't find it in herself to instantly forgive Hector, she can at least help get back his photo. Before that, her [[OhCrap reaction]] at learning that their daughter, Coco, is forgetting Hector suggests even ''she'' doesn't believe her husband deserves to be forgotten, especially after learning he did mean to come home before Ernesto killed him.

** Hector apologizing to Imelda. It's a sad, simple act, but it's the apology Imelda never received in life. One can even see it in her eyes that it's beginning to tear down the barrier she built up against Hector.

** What brings it together nicely is when Hector warmly tells Miguel "you're going home". This becomes [[MeaningfulEcho meaningful]] when one recalls this is exactly what Hector wanted before he died (to return to Santa Celia). He may not have gotten his wish in life, but at least his great-great-grandson will have that honor of coming home.

** Something that hasn't escaped the notice of the Spanish speaking viewers, is the fact that when Imelda confronts Ernesto, she refers to Héctor being ''"The love of my life"'' and during "La Llorona" she’s looking right at him as she sings the lines ''''Y aunque la vida me cueste (Even if it costs me my life)'''', then she grips harder on the photo, and sings (almost like she's making a promise) ''''No dejaré de quererte (I won’t stop loving you)'''', [[{{Tsundere}} shows her true feelings towards him]] . Dawwww!

* Well admittedly during a heart pounding scene, it's still sweet that after Ernesto throws Imelda down after she tries to rescue Miguel, Héctor runs to her crying her name to make sure his wife is not hurt.
* Even though this is a TearJerker, Miguel tearfully pleading Héctor to not be forgotten becomes this when he rightfully calls him "Papa Héctor".

* An understated one when Miguel tries to get Mama Coco to remember Héctor. His father storms in furious at both his disappearance and (supposedly) upsetting Coco, but then Miguel starts crying, and even with his face out of the frame it's clear he immediately turns to pure sympathy and comfort for whatever's going on. Then Miguel hugs his father and apologizes for running away.

** "He loved you, Mama Coco; your Papa, he loved you ''so much''." With Mama Coco's brief emotional reaction to Miguel saying this to her, followed by her tenderly smiling and gently cupping his cheek as a wordless thanking that makes Miguel choke back tears sealing the moment; without a single word, showing how it means the world to her hearing her great-grandson assure her that, even if she had always believed it.

** Elena is moved to tears, and Mama Coco is lucid enough to recognize her daughter and ask why she's crying. Elena just smiles and says "Nothing". That said, Elena finally understands Miguel went through ''all'' that trouble to revitalize Mama Coco's memory and make her lucid again.

** Even better? The first thing Mama Coco does when she recognizes ''her daughter after so long''? She comments how her father was a musician and then slowly pulls out ''all the letters and poems he sent to her''. She never really forgot him despite her dementia.

*** She also lets out a genuinely happy gasp when she sees that he passed inspection. It's likely that she's the latest in a line of guards who have been seeing this poor guy show up every year for (almost) a ''century'' only to be rejected every time, so to see him finally make it is an InUniverse moment of catharsis too.
*** For the entire movie up to this point, Hector was barefoot--but as crosses the bridge, you can see he's wearing a brand new pair of Rivera-shoes.

** Mama Coco reuniting with her parents in the Land of the Dead, and them later crossing the bridge together.

*** Given her father's reacion to seeing her, it's implied that Mama Coco may have ''literally just died''. She died immediately before the ceremony to remember the dead and can now come back to see them, family whole, at ''last.''

** A year later, Miguel shows the family ofrenda to his new baby sister and explains the point of El Dia de Los Muertos to her. And while the name of Miguel's hermanita isn't said in the movie, the junior novelization reveals that Enrique and Luisa (her and Miguel's parents) named her after Mama Coco[[note]]Mama Coco's real name is "Socorro", and la familia calls Miguel's hermanita "Coco" as a nickname[[/note]].

* Imagine what the dead Riveras must have experienced after Miguel returned to the land of the living. They watched Héctor grow weaker and weaker, to the point where he was probably already unconscious and even becoming transparent. They might have gotten ready to mourn, and particularly Imelda may have had her heartstrings tugged. Then suddenly Héctor started to recover until he was back to full health. And they all knew that Miguel had caused it.

* Before the plot starts rolling, Elena and Miguel's parents decide to have Miguel join the shoe making business after school instead of shining shoes. When Miguel tries to weasel himself out of it saying what if he's not good at making shoes, Elena and his parents believe that Miguel is just nervous and saying he has nothing to worry about because his family (even his ancestors) would help guide him into making shoes. They are so proud of him, have such faith he can do it, and are 100% prepared to help him. True, they may not be supporting his dream to become a musician, but it truly is the thought that counts.
* The expression on Miguel's face when he recognizes the guitar in Coco's family picture as Ernesto's guitar. Sure, he mistakes that Ernesto is his great-great-grandfather, but he's awfully happy to find he's related to a talented musician somehow. In the least, it's what prompts Miguel to follow his dream like never before.

*** Near the end of the film, Elena attempts once again to intercept Miguel playing Hector's guitar to Coco, which Miguel's father reaches out and stops, possibly wanting to more directly intervene in this situation. As the song is played, and the family is moved by it, he puts his other hand on Elena's other shoulder, turning it from an attempt at restraint, to a sign of bonding.

* When Hector tries and fails to go through the bridge due to not having a picture, the security guards going after him can actually walk on the bridge, which means that they had pictures somewhere, and yet they choose to remain in the land of the dead (at least for shifts at a time) to ensure other skeletons can have a good, safe Dias de los Muertos. Also applies to the other members of the staff.

** Miguel trying to find a loophole in Chicharrón's death and saying that he could remember him when he went back to the Land of the Living. Considering the two only met for a few moment, it shows what a NiceGuy Miguel is that he would want to save him even after only just meeting him.

* In the alley way, Mama Imelda reveals that she used to love to sing, before her husband left. She used to savor how music made her worries fall away, but when she had her daughter, she realized taking care of Coco was more important. Although it wasn't right of her to ban music and hold a grudge against her husband, this truly cements her status as a [[GoodParents selfless parent]] who gave up her passion because she truly loved her daughter.

* In the novelization ''Coco: A Story of Music, Shoes, and Family'', Mama Imelda breaks down and sobs after Miguel rejects her attempt to send him back home on the grounds of her forbidding music, even after she sang. In despair, she admits to the family that while at first she was simply angry about her photo not being up, she no longer cares about it. Her only concern is to send Miguel home. It's heartwarming to see her be so concerned and vulnerable.
* Combined with a Funny Moment as well, Wrestling/ElSanto taking a picture when the bouncer at Ernesto's party request it. Even in death, dude doesn't disappoint his fans.

** Miguel giving Ernesto two hugs, one for when he's 'accepted' by Ernesto, and another when the latter hoists the boy onto his shoulders. Again, this is later ruined by Ernesto's true nature, but you can't argue with how happy Miguel was when he supposedly found a relative who wouldn't discourage his dreams to be a musician.

** At first, it starts out as a PlayedForLaughs moment when Miguel says he's glad he's not related to the murderous Ernesto. But then, Miguel gives this heart-felt [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech]] to the broken-spirited Héctor :
--->'''Hector:''' I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great grandpa.\\

*** Fridge-Heartwarming: Miguel may have performed at the Land of the Dead's talent show, but who is his first truly-living audience? ''His own family''.

** Immediately after the song, Mama Coco revealing that she [[TragicKeepsake kept all the letters her father sent her along with the ripped off part of the photo on the ofrenda that had his face]].
** Even better? The first thing Mama Coco does when she recognizes ''her daughter after so long''? She comments how her father was a musician and then slowly pulls out ''all the letters and poems he sent to her''. She never really forgot him despite her dementia..

*** Just the fact that is so eager and willing to share these things and that after all those years she is allowed to do so. Extra heartwarming about this: Héctor mentioned earlier that only when you are remembered by those that know you and only when those share tales of you to others will you be remembered and thus saved from the final death. The first thing she does when she remembers him is sharing his letters and talking about him, ensuring that there are living people that know about him, thus saving him for good.

** Héctor is rightfully credited in both Lands of the Living and Dead for writing the hits Ernesto sang, such as "Remember Me", and is being honored instead.
*** Héctor also getting his very own museum. The heart-warming part comes in when you see ''where'' said-museum is situated: inside the Rivera family's shoe shop, so people will know how family-orientated he was in life.

** A year later, Miguel shows the family ofrenda to his new baby sister and explaining the point of El Dia de Los Muertos to her. And while the name of Miguel's hermanita isn't said in the movie, the junior novelization reveals that Enrique and Luisa (her and Miguel's parents) named her after Mama Coco[[note]]Mama Coco's real name is "Socorro", and la familia calls Miguel's hermanita "Coco" as a nickname[[/note]].

** A small detail: Instead of playing "Remember Me" in the ending, Miguel plays a different song for the ending ("Proud Corazon") because he now has a deep understanding how personal "Remember Me" is to Héctor.

* The Annie award for Best Voice Acting in a Feature Film was presented by Jorge Gutierrez, the director of ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife''. When he opened the card, he announced the winner as "Future legend Anthony González," and gave González a big hug when he came to accept it.

** Related to the above, Miguel did all that ''knowing'' his Abuelita would kill him for performing music like he did last time. At first, he resented his family because they hated music and he'd get in trouble for it, but this time around, if Miguel has to break his family's music taboo for a family member [[note]] Two of them if you count both Héctor and Coco[[/note]], it's worth the punishment.

*** Hector's little sister, the new baby Socorro, can be seen ''waving her arms and legs in time to the music!'' There's a new musician in the family, named after the woman who remembered just long enough to save it for the family!

** Going further, when Miguel begins to play "Remember Me", his father puts his hand on Abuelita's shoulder to prevent her from reaching for the guitar. He most likely didn't want her to destroy the guitar like she did to Miguel's first one and send him running away again. The whole ''music-hating family'' proceeds to let him play for Coco for no other reason than that [[TearJerker they recognize the depth of his grief]].
** Related to the above, Miguel did all that ''knowing'' his Abuelita would kill him for performing music like he did last time. At first, he resented his family because they hated music and he'd get in trouble for it, but this time around, if Miguel has to break his family's music taboo for a family member [[note]] Two of them if you count both Héctor and Coco[[/note]], it's worth it.

** Elena is moved to tears, and Mama Coco is lucid enough to recognize her daughter and ask why she's crying. Elena just smiles and says "Nothing".

** Héctor also avoiding a [[DeaderThanDead final death]] and finally having his picture on the ofrenda, allowing him to cross over the bridge with his family.

* Héctor's speech in "Bus Escape".

* Before the plot starts rolling, Elena and Miguel's parents decide to have Miguel join the shoe making business after school instead of shining shoes. When Miguel tries to weasel himself out of it saying what if he's not good at making shoes, Elena and his parents believe that Miguel is just nervous and saying he have nothing to worry about because his family (even his ancestors) would help guide him into making shoes. They so proud of him, they have such faith he can do it, and are 100% prepared to help him. True, they may not be supporting his dream to become a musician, but it truly is the thought that counts.

** The fact the Nearly-Forgotten make the most of each other's company. They may live in poor conditions and may be nearly forgotten by the Living World, but they don't let that stop them from befriending one another (unless you count [[GrumpyBear Chicharron]]).

** And this was after [[GrumpyBear Chicharrón]] told Héctor he didn't want to see his face. But seeing as he's dying, he allows Héctor one chance to repay him by playing his favorite song for him.

*** Also, when Elena happily greets Dante and feeds him some tamales. Compared to the beginning of the movie where she shooed Dante away with her chancla, she's finally grown fond of the street dog.

** A few fans have noticed that the ofrenda also contains Creator/DonRickles[[note]]the voice of [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Mr. Potato Head]], who died in 2017[[/note]], UsefulNotes/SteveJobs [[note]]the president of Apple who also was a founder of Pixar, who died in 2011[[/note]], and Creator/WaltDisney himself.

** Elena is moved to tears, and Mama Coco is lucid enough to recognize her daughter and ask why she's crying.

*** The context of it: for so long, she hid those things, even after Imelda passed away, out of fear that Elena or some family member would destroy it. By taking the letters (and the ripped photo bit) out of their hiding place), it shows she ''trusts'' her family.

** A year later, Miguel shows the family ofrenda to his new baby sister and explaining the point of El Dia de Los Muertos to her. And while the name of Miguel's hermanita isn't said in the movie, the junior novelization reveals that Enrique and Luisa (her and Miguel's parents) named her after Mama Coco[[note]]Mama Coco's real name is "Socorro," and la familia calls Miguel's hermanita "Coco" as a nickname[[/note]].

*** Just the fact that is so eager and willing to share these things and that after all those years she is allowed to do so. Extra heartwarming about this: Héctor mentioned earlier that only when you are remembered by those that know you and only when those share tales of you to others will you be remembered and thus save from the final death. The first thing she does when she remembers him is sharing his letters and talking about him, ensuring that there are living people that know about him, thus saving him for good.

* Despite that she's a forgetful old woman who can scarcely interact with her great-grandson, Miguel loves his great-grandma Coco so much that he even plays with her and talks about his life with her.
** For that matter, Elena (Coco's daughter) and her family love and still take care of Mama Coco, despite her condition. Which, if you've never had experience in taking care of the elderly, can be ''extremely'' hard, time consuming and heartbreaking.

** Miguel, upon accidentally running into Julio and scattering his bones, immediately apologized and went to pick up his bones, likely to put them back together. And that was before Miguel knew that he was his great-grandfather, and when he was still scared about what was happening.
** Rosita (the sister of Miguel's great-grandfather, Julio) is the only one to not (understandably) freak out upon realizing that Miguel's still technically alive--in fact, her first instinct upon meeting her great-grandnephew for the first time is to run up (by running through her brother) and giving him a big hug.

* There's another skeleton at the crossing path who was with his second wife, scolding him because she didn't want to visit his ex-wife's ''ofrenda''. While it's possible he remarried after he died, if he and his ex-wife ''did'' divorce in life, it's fairly sweet to think that she and/or her family still care about him enough that they'd put up his photo after he passed -- and that he still cares enough about them to want to visit. It's doubly sweet when you realize it's possible that he might have had children with her.
* When the Riveras try to encourage Miguel to accept Imelda's blessing, [[TheStoic Tia Victoria]] is among the Riveras who [[NotSoStoic warmly and poignantly]] point out that Imelda is just doing what's best for her great-great-grandson.

* Frida Kahlo's response to Miguel (from her point of view, some random kid she's never met) crashing her rehearsal? Letting him watch, and asking for his feedback. And ''listening''! Not only that, she loves his ideas and runs with it, building off of them and telling him he has the makings of an artist. Imagine having one of the greatest artists in history giving your twelve-year-old self that kind of praise.

** Miguel trying to find a loophole in Chicharrón's death and saying that he could remember him when he went back to the Land of the Living. Considering the two only met for a few moment, it shows what a [[NiceGuy Nice Guy]] Miguel is that he would want to save him even after only just meeting him.

** The runners up of the Sunrise Spectacular, who end up taking the first prize by default, warmly greet Miguel when they see him again and even help him sneak to Ernesto's party past the bouncer.

* Imelda's overall determination to search the Land of the Dead and to send Miguel home. He has done nothing, but defy her wishes and run away from her and yet, she still loves him and desperately wants to send him back where he belongs. There may be people out there who would be frustrated by Miguel's defiance and just give up on him. Not Imelda or the rest of the Riveras. They care deeply about Miguel and just want him to be safe above anything else, even with Imelda trying to enforce her will onto him. Then there's also Imelda trying to reason with Miguel, providing her perspective on why she banned music in her household. She felt as though her husband chose music over his wife and daughter and she wants Miguel to remember how important family is.
* In the novelization ''Coco: A Story of Music, Shoes, and Family'', Mama Imelda breaks down and sobs after Miguel rejects her attempt to send him back home on the grounds of her forbidding music, even after she sang. In despair, she admits to the family that while at first she was simply angry about her photo not being up, she no longer cares about it. Her only concern is to send her grandson home. It's heartwarming to see her be so concerned and vulnerable.

*** Fridge-Heartwarming: This counts as Hector's [[WhatYouAreInTheDark What-you-are-in-the-dark]] moment. When trapped in a deep, dark, lonely sinkhole with a boy who is a stranger at best and his murderer's great-great-grandson, who is he then? Nothing short of a [[NiceGuy good man]] who won't turn away his friend during his darkest hour.
* Héctor revealing it was he who wrote "Remember Me," all for his daughter Coco.

*** What makes this all sweet is that this is the highest form of the trope WartsAndAll: yes Héctor left his family, yes he failed to return home and yes he's been reduced to an obscure nobody who never amounted to anything, but what counts is that he's Miguel's family and was a loving father in life.
* Despite earlier when Miguel [[KickTheDog sent him away in frustration]], Dante finds Miguel later when the latter is trapped in the cenote. He even brought along Pepita and Imelda to help fish Miguel and Hector out. [[UndyingLoyalty Man's best friend]] indeed.

* Miguel's reunion with his (dead) relatives. In contrast to finally meeting his ([[BrokenPedestal former]]) hero Ernesto, this is where Miguel is [[BigDamnReunion happy]] to be surrounded by the familiar faces of his family (even if they're [[DemBones skeletons]]). It's a warm moment that illustrates how he's come to appreciate being with the people who love and care for him.
* Imelda deciding although she can't find it in herself to instantly forgive Hector, she can at least help get back his photo. Before that, her [[OhCrap reaction]] at learning Coco is forgetting Hector suggests even ''she'' doesn't believe her husband deserves to be forgotten, especially after learning he meant to come home before Ernesto killed him.

* Frida's PetTheDog moment when she helps Miguel, Hector, and the Rivera family backstage to get Héctor's picture back from Ernesto.

** When a startled Imelda, singing in front of an audience for the first time in decades, suddenly hears a guitar accompanying her... she turns and smiles at seeing it's Héctor playing it.

* An understated one when Miguel tries to get Coco to remember Héctor. His father storms in furious at both his disappearance and (supposedly) upsetting Coco, but then Miguel starts crying, and even with his face out of the frame it's clear he immediately turns to pure sympathy and comfort for whatever's going on. Then Miguel hugs his father and apologizes for running away.

* Mixed with TearJerker, Miguel singing "Remember Me" to Mama Coco (as seen on this page) which causes her to remember her father Héctor - therefore preventing him from [[DeaderThanDead experiencing a final death]] - and become more lucid, singing along with her great-grandson.

** The implication that Mama Coco has been ''wanting'' to talk about her father for years but her family never spoke of him. Now, ''at last'', here is her beloved great-grandson ''wanting to talk of her beloved father...'' and she springs back to life. Is it Dementia...or forgetting because ''there's no-one else there to discuss the memories with?''

*** She also lets out a genuinely happy gasp when she sees that he passed inspection. It's likely that she's the latest in a line of guards who have been seeing this poor guy show up every year for a ''century'' only to be rejected every time, so to see him finally make it is an InUniverse moment of catharsis too.
*** Although he was barefoot for the rest of the movie, as Hector crosses the bridge he is wearing a brand new pair of Rivera shoes.

*** The way he kisses her is also the same way Elena kisses Miguel early in the film. Despite her distaste for her (supposed) runaway of a grandfather, the two of them actually ''share'' their love for and devotion to their family.
*** The implication that Mama Coco has ''literally just died'' given her father's reaction to seeing her. She died immediately before the ceremony to remember the dead and can now come back to see them, family whole, at ''last.''

** A year later, Miguel shows the family ofrenda to his new baby sister--and while the name of Miguel's hermanita isn't revealed in the movie, the junior novelization reveals that Enrique and Luisa (her and Miguel's parents) named their daughter "Socorro," which was Mama Coco's real name (la familia also calls Miguel's hermanita "Coco" as a nickname).

** Elena watching her grandson playing music, beaming with pride, all while her unseen mother's spirit watches too, hugging her.