Abuelita (Coco)

"My Abuelita? She's Mamá Coco's daughter."

- Miguel, introducing his grandmother in the opening narration

Elena Rivera, though addressed as Abuelita (Spanish for "Granny"), is a supporting character from the 2017 Disney/Pixar film, Coco. She is Miguel's grandmother, acting as a protective parental figure to him. Even though she and her grandson have different views of music, they nonetheless have a loving relationship.

Background
"Abuelita runs our house just like Mamá Imelda did."

- Miguel, opening narration Elena "Abuelita" Rivera was the second-born daughter of Coco and Julio. Growing up presumably during her maternal grandmother Imelda's time, Elena was taught how to make shoes and the value of hard work and family along with being told the story of her infamous grandfather, a musician who walked out on her mother and grandmother long before she was born. Elena met and married Franco and had three children, Berto, Gloria, and Enrique. Before or after this, Imelda passed away, but Elena would still continue her rules, notably the ban on music, and raise the future generations of her family.

Official Description

 * Abuelita is Miguel's grandmother and the ultimate enforcer of the Rivera family's ban on music. She loves her family very much and will do anything to protect them. But when she gets angry, she wields a mean slipper.

Role in the film
Abuelita first appears during the opening narration, remarking on how thin her grandson is and insistently plying him with more tamales. Miguel remarks that she runs the household exactly like her late grandmother Imelda, particularly the music ban to extreme degrees as she confiscates a bottle he was playfully making music with, shuts a window as a Pizza Planet truck goes past playing music, and scaring off some men singing. She makes sure no form of music comes by the family residence, as shown when she suddenly bursts out of the courtyard and yells "No music!" at three passing musicians, jolting to them run away in terror.

While getting supplies with her son Berto and her granddaughter Rosa at the plaza, Abuelita catches Miguel being offered to play a mariachi's guitar. Abuelita threatens the mariachi with her slipper and scares him off. Abuelita drags Miguel back home (while shooing away Dante by lobbing her slipper at him, which she then has Miguel go fetch) and she informs his parents of his activities. Abuelita takes him to the family's ofrenda where her mother Mamá Coco is, hoping to dissuade Miguel from the talent show. Abuelita enlightens Miguel the importance of their family on Día de los Muertos, especially putting up the photos on the ofrenda. When Miguel brings up Coco's father (who Abuelita fiercely demands not to be mentioned), Coco suddenly gets upset, Abuelita comforts her mother; however, Coco is unable to recognize Abuelita to her visible sorrow. Miguel runs off while this happens which frustrates Abuelita. Looking at the picture of her grandmother Imelda for inspiration, Abuelita decides it is finally time to bring Miguel into the family business.

At sunset, Abuelita declares the official beginning of Día de los Muertos and the family prepares for the celebration. She, her son Enrique, and daughter-in-law Luisa proudly invoke Miguel to work in the workshop, which concludes with her smothering him. After this, however, she and the rest of the family witness Miguel announcing that he has discovered his great-great-grandfather (believed to be Ernesto de la Cruz) and aspires to become a musician like him. Uncovering Miguel's secret stash of music memorabilia causes Abuelita to fear Miguel will abandon his family if he chooses this path. Abuelita pressures her grandson to pick a side; their lack of support causes Miguel to angrily deride his family's traditions, shocking Abuelita. Believing the guitar to be responsible for this attitude, Abuelita destroys it by smashing it against the ground despite the protests of Miguel and even the rest of the family. Abuelita then tries to comfort Miguel, but Miguel, completely broken, shouts that he doesn't want to be part of the family and runs off, where the family spend the entire night looking frantically for him.

The next morning, Miguel returns to the Rivera residence. Abuelita catches him with a guitar in hand, but Miguel darts into Coco's room before she can confiscate it. Abuelita and the rest of the family unlock the door to find Miguel with a catatonic Coco. Pushing Miguel aside, Abuelita comforts her mother trying to get her to respond to no avail. She tells Miguel to apologize to Coco, not even understanding that he was trying to help her. Utterly despondent at having failed to help her, Miguel moves up to Coco and plays her a song her father wanted her to hear one more time. Abuelita attempts to stop him but is held back by Enrique, who urges her to let Miguel play as a way to cope. As the family watches Miguel perform "Remember Me" with Coco, Abuelita is surprised and moved to tears when the song restores Coco's lucidity and her mother recognizes her. When Coco asks what is wrong, Abuelita tearfully responds that nothing is. Mamá Coco, inspired by the song, reveals her father's identity as Héctor. Abuelita then listens with joy as her mother begins to tell stories of her grandfather and the family decides to renounce the ban on music.

One year later, on Día de los Muertos, Abuelita comes by the ofrenda to put up a picture of Mamá Coco (who passed away some time before) while Miguel explains its photos to his newborn sister Socorro before embracing him, proud that he now sees the importance in family and ofrendas. While setting up the festivities, she greets Dante with a treat, having apparently warmed up to him. Abuelita then watches her three older grandchildren perform a song for their living and dead family members as her mother's spirit watches next to her.

Trivia

 * Abuelita's habit of using her footwear as a weapon is a trait she inherited from her late grandmother. In real life, this is a common practice among Mexican matriarchs. Also, given their interactions with Miguel and Coco respectively, the way she embraces is similar to her late grandfather.
 * In the novelization, Abuelita states she and Franco fell in love after she made him shoes he never got blisters. Her former hatred of music was not only because of Imelda's legacy but likely because of when her mother had a dancing accident which hurt her badly, terrifying her and her older sister Victoria (whom she outlived).