How Pixar’s ‘Coco’ Makes Macho Men Cry and Warms Our Hearts

The familiar Disney castle appears in the opening credits of Pixar’s Coco but instead of the orchestra instrumental, the intro mixes in a beautiful mariachi medley.That was just the first of many surprise touches that had my family and many other Latinos in the audience smiling and laughing. We had no idea this story about a Mexican boy who goes on a journey on Dia de Los Muertos to find his ancestors would pull at our heartstrings the way it did.When I looked over later in the film and saw mi papa crying in the theater, I knew that this movie hit a real emotional chord.My father, like many Mexican dads, prides himself in being a macho -- and machos will tell you they don’t cry. My dad is a stern, stocky man who knows how to fix just about everything in the house and on cars, but he’s not good at talking about his feelings or showing them.This new film, with its strong focus on Latino family values, reveals the soft spot that even machos find can make them cry.Latino characters for so long have been reduced to stereotypes in movies for cheap laughs -- from maids or lowrider-loving cholo characters -- largely missing nuances that really matter to the community. Our family, traditions and language are foundations of pride.  Continue reading...