A Very Lively "Book of Life"

This animated ode to the Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead is a colorful, folk-art inspired vision. It’s also a bit confusing, both in storyline and in spirituality. I think it would be a lot for a small child to try to take in. I took my 11-year-old, who found it entertaining and interesting.

The animation is unusual because the characters are all meant to be wooden figures, and so their movement and body structure is very different from the ever-more-lifelike computer animation in many movies.

Manolo and Joaquin are competing for the lovely and independent Maria’s heart. Manolo wants to be a musician, but his family tradition is bullfighting. Joaquin’s father was a brave defender of the town, so Joaquin is also feeling pressure to follow in his footsteps.

The story is told during the celebration of the Day of the Dead, which is a time when people put out food and gifts for their deceased loved ones, remembering their time on earth. It is the way that the living show respect and love for those who have come before. This thread complements the fact that Manolo, Joaquin, and Maria are all trying to find the paths they will follow, even while they are heavily influenced by what their families desire from them.

At the same time, La Muerte, who rules the beautiful and wondrous Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, who rules the sad and colorless Land of the Forgotten, make a wager over which young man will win Maria’s hand in marriage. Xibalba’s trickery leads to the death of one of the young men, who makes a dangerous journey back to the land of the living to save Maria and their town from a terrible bandit.

There are all kinds of spiritual components to the story, which would make good discussion starters with a child who is open to it. How does the Land of the Remembered compare to a new earth? How does the Land of the Forgotten compare to hell? How much of our lives are predetermined and how much is free will? You don’t get those kind of spiritual questions from Monsters University! I’d take kids ages 8-12, and I’d plan to ask some deeper questions on the way home.

Plus we live in a country that is increasingly influenced by our neighbors to the south, so it seems like a little cultural education might be a good thing.

Strangely, in the midst of a very Mexican-looking movie, you have pop culture references to Mumford & Sons, Radiohead, and Biz Markie, among others. A 20-something man in the audience burst out laughing when he recognized one song before everyone else. Which is fun if you are into spotting such things, which I am, but doesn’t really seem to fit the tone of the movie.

All in all, this is a fun movie with lots to think about and even more visual beauty to wonder at. But parents should take seriously the spiritual terrain it covers.