I also loved this film (my kids have watched it non-stop). It struck me as optimistically conservative. Some have teased classic Disney animations for being monarchist-reactionary (Simba returning to the throne, the palace being restored in Aladdin). Those endings can feel trite. What I love about this film is how it takes seriously the challenges of passing along a heritage from one generation to the next. On the one hand, Abuela's demanding standards can make everyone a little crazy. But on the other, she holds those standards because she knows, in traumatic fashion, how fragile a legacy can be, and how much sacrifice is required to sustain it. The film calls for renewal without revolution, building for the future by first understanding the past.
I also loved this film (my kids have watched it non-stop). It struck me as optimistically conservative. Some have teased classic Disney animations for being monarchist-reactionary (Simba returning to the throne, the palace being restored in Aladdin). Those endings can feel trite. What I love about this film is how it takes seriously the challenges of passing along a heritage from one generation to the next. On the one hand, Abuela's demanding standards can make everyone a little crazy. But on the other, she holds those standards because she knows, in traumatic fashion, how fragile a legacy can be, and how much sacrifice is required to sustain it. The film calls for renewal without revolution, building for the future by first understanding the past.