Abuelita (Coco)

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

- Miguel, introducing his grandmother in the opening narration

Elena Rivera, also known as Abuelita, is a supporting character from the 2017 Disney/Pixar film, Coco. She is Miguel's grandmother, and acts as a protective parental figure to him.

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

- Miguel, opening narration

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
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 away. Abuelita drags Miguel back home (while shooing away Dante), where she informs Miguel's parents of his transgression. 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. When Miguel brings up Coco's father, Coco suddenly gets upset, so Abuelita comforts her mother; however, Coco is unable to recognize Abuelita to her 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 Día de los Muertos and the family prepares for the celebration. She, among 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, so Abuelita destroys his guitar altogether. Abuelita then tries to comfort Miguel, but Miguel, completely broken, runs off from the family.

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. Coming up with an idea, Miguel moves up to Coco to play her a song. Abuelita attempts to stop him but is held back by Enrique, who urges her to let Miguel help Coco. As the family watches Miguel perform "Remember Me" with Coco, Abuelita is moved by the song and is surprised when Coco finally recognizes Abuelita. Miguel's song inspires Mamá Coco to reveal her father's identity as Héctor, and the family decides to lift the ban on music.

One year later, on Día de los Muertos, Abuelita stops by the ofrenda to put up a picture of Mamá Coco (who passed away some time before) and embraces Miguel with his newborn sister Socorro. While setting up the festivities, she greets Dante with a treat for him. Abuelita then cheers as her three oldest granchildren perform a song for their living and dead family as the spirit of her mother 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 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, startling her and her older sister Victoria (who she outlived).
 * Abuelita is similar to Queen Elinor from Brave: They both are strict disciplinarians of the family and act as the unofficial head. Elinor/Abuelita wanted Merida/Miguel to follow the traditions of their family. But they wanted different paths of their own. After Merida and Miguel made bold attempts with their beliefs that lead to a fierce arguement, Elinor and Abuelita, in anger, destroyed something that represented theiir passions (prized bow and makeshift guitar). They soon regret these actions after their daughter/grandson run away, hurt. At the end of the movie, they reconcile and accept their desires (Abuelita accepts Miguel's love for music after he uses it to revitalize Coco's memory and Elinor becomes more patient and understanding of Merida's tomboyish nature after being a bear).