- “Never forget how much your family loves you.”
- ―Imelda's blessing for Miguel
Imelda is a major character from the Pixar film, Coco. She is the former matriarch of the Rivera family who became a spirit in the Land of the Dead after her death. However, she left behind a ban of music in her family as her lasting legacy, leading her great-great grandson, Miguel Rivera, to uncover the cause of her decree.
Background
Imelda was born in 1899[1] in Santa Cecilia, and she lived there with her younger brothers Felipe and Óscar. As she matured, Imelda eventually fell in love with Héctor, an aspiring musician. Their romance soon developed into a marriage, and at 19 years old,[1] Imelda gave birth to a daughter named Coco. Imelda wanted to settle down to raise Coco, but Héctor wanted to make a name out in the music business, and he set out on tour with Ernesto de la Cruz leaving Imelda to take care of Coco. Angered at Héctor for neglecting his family, Imelda tore his picture off the family portrait and decreed music was forbidden from then on. Imelda realized she needed to support her family, so she turned to shoemaking; as Coco grew up, she taught everything she knew about shoemaking to her daughter, and Coco taught her own children in turn. Working together with the growing Rivera clan, Imelda's hard work evolved into a family business.
When she reached her 70's, Imelda finally passed away[2] and her spirit was sent to the Land of the Dead. Although Héctor was also a spirit in the realm, Imelda disowned him from the clan, and the two remained estranged for the years to come. With her spirit guide Pepita, Imelda looked after the Riveras who arrived after their deaths. Imelda's ban of music would be carried out by the living Riveras however, especially with Abuelita.
Official Description
- Mamá Imelda is Miguel's great-great-grandmother, the matriarch of the Rivera family and the founder of their successful shoemaking business. Miguel meets Mamá Imelda in the Land of the Dead and discovers she does not share his passion for music.[3]
Personality
The matriarch of the Rivera family, Imelda is a maternal yet firm person who puts family first and personal interests last. When alive, she was more tender, as she was looking forward to raising a happy family. When Héctor walked out, the burden of raising Coco coupled with bitter feelings towards her husband for leaving them led Imelda to ban music and work hard to build the Rivera family up, shaping her into the earnest person revered (and at times feared) by the rest of the Riveras.
The Imelda seen in present day was a stark contrast to the person she was in life: bitter, serious and strict (which passed to her granddaughter Abuelita Elena). Imelda was also less patient with others, as she smashes a computer in the afterlife customs despite the agent's attempts to be civil with her. Although she loves her family, she has an antagonistic side stemming from her grudge towards Héctor, and in extension music. This comes to the point of manipulating Miguel to take her blessing with the condition of not becoming a musician, believing he will abandon his family as well; later, she uses force through her alebrije Pepita to find him so he take her blessing with the conditions.
Imelda's stubbornness makes it very hard for her to forgive and let go. Even when learning the truth about Hector's death, she still found it hard to forgive him, but her value for family comes through when she accepted that it wasn't his fault and agrees to help to save both him and their daughter. She is also proven to have talent in singing when she was stealing Hector's picture from Ernesto while singing in a duet with him. As soon as Hector starts to fade and Miguel becomes a skeleton, she lets go of her grudge and gives Miguel her blessing without conditions. At the end of the movie it seems Imelda had fully forgiven Hector and is happier to be with him, Coco and the living family in Dia de los Muertos.
Role in the film
- Spoilers start here.
Imelda is first seen in the Land of the Dead's Grand Central Station smashing a clerk's computer with her boot when she found out that she couldn't cross to the Land of the Living. Once in the Department of Family Reunions with the Riveras and the recently cursed Miguel, she was horrified and angry when she learned that Miguel removed that picture of her and Coco from the family ofrenda earlier (which was actually an accident while preventing Dante from eating the food offering). Using a marigold petal, she gives him the blessing (which was the only way the break the curse before sunrise) on the condition that he will never play music again. Once Miguel breaks the condition as was being transported back to the Land of the Dead, she becomes forceful which causes Miguel to escape. Later, she and the Riveras caught sight of Miguel who then escaped with Hector deeper into the district. Being left with no choice, she calls forth Pepita to help the family track him down.
This proved to be very helpful when they were led to the "Battle of the Bands" talent competition where Miguel and Hector were performing. While the family asked the spectators on Miguel's whereabouts, she asked the emcee thus blowing Miguel and Hector's cover. Though Miguel managed to escape after ditching Hector and Dante, she and Pepita managed to catch up with him. As Pepita was too big to chase Miguel through a narrow alleyway, Imelda managed to chase him down but not before being locked out. They both argue, with Miguel calling her out on her 'selfish' decision to ban music in the family and her hatred towards it. She then sang a snippet of her favorite ballad (much to Miguel's shock) and said that she did this out of concern for the family. Miguel bitterly runs off to Ernesto de la Cruz's mansion after this.
Much later, she and Pepita were led by Dante to get Miguel and Hector (who were condemned by de la Cruz) out of a cenote, much to her chagrin upon the sight of her husband. This led her to make him cling on Pepita's tail for dear life during the journey back to the Rivera's. Once back, she and Hector argue as she could not forgive him for walking out of the family (even after Miguel told her the truth). She then relents, planning with the family to recover his photo in order to save Hector from being forgotten.
Once in de la Cruz's stadium, she and the family, dressed as Frida Kahlo, enter backstage (removing the disguise) when they encountered Ernesto (who just came out of his room). With her boot, she slaps him twice for murdering her husband but not before he ran, thus beginning the pursuit. While Ernesto's security guards gain the upper hand over the Riveras, she finally gets the photo, but got accidentally sent to the stage. In order to buy the audience time, She sings her favorite ballad while evading de la Cruz's security guards. Ernesto joins in midway, making it a duet as he gains the upper hand over her. However on his final note, she stomps his foot, making him scream out a painful mariachi cry. Having reconciled with Hector, she tries to give Miguel her blessing with the condition (never forget how much his family loves him) but was interrupted by Ernesto who grabbed Miguel and threw him out, not knowing he was recorded live to the audience. After Pepita saved Miguel and sent de la Cruz (who was now reviled by the audience) to his second and final death, Imelda tends to a dying Hector and gave Miguel their blessing (no conditions given) just in time before sunrise.
A year after their adventures, Imelda and Hector become closer again as they cross to the Land of the Living (accompanied by Dante and Pepita) to visit the living Riveras during Miguel's celebration of music in the family during Dia de los Muertos.
- Spoilers end here.
Gallery
Concept art
Screenshots
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Unkrich, Lee (December 5, 2017). "Correction: Imelda was 19 when Coco was born. Imelda was born in 1899 (a year older than Hector!)" (Tweet). Twitter.
- ↑ Unkrich, Lee (December 3, 2017). "She was in her early 70’s." (Tweet). Twitter.
- ↑ Lema, Michelle (June 6, 2017). "Meet the Characters and Voice Cast of Disney Pixar's Coco and See the Beautiful New Poster". Oh My Disney. Disney. Retrieved on June 6, 2017.
