Directed by Lee Unkrich of “Toy Story 3” acclaim, Coco struck a chord in more ways than one. The musical fantasy film traveled far from origins shrouded in controversy. A 2013 attempt by Disney to trademark “Día de los Muertos” as the film’s future name incited cries of exploitation, but four years later Pixar has made a turnaround to die for.

While Mexican American cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz initially criticized the project, he later joined a cultural consultant group for the film, dedicated to ensuring authenticity. The studio’s dedication to accuracy shines through 12-year-old Miguel Rivera, its first person-of-color lead, as he takes his passion for music from womb to tomb – and beyond.

Miguel, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez amid a completely Latinx cast, enjoys the simple things: his misadventures with xolo street dog Dante, an unlikely friendship with his bisabuela Coco and a forbidden passion for music. The pursuit of his musical dreams take him on wild ride through the Land of the Dead, where magical realism reigns.

Rainbow-hued alebrije soar through the screen, bringing with them success from box office to critical reception to public praise. Since its opening on Thanksgiving weekend, Coco won over the box office twice, set to continue the streak. Rotten Tomatoes praises its “rich visual pleasures” with a 96 percent approval rating, and the film strummed music to its audience’s ears. The film has garnered criticism for not fully representing Mexican culture, specifically by leaving out Indigenous people. But overall, Coco became a hit.

Coco taps into an emotional catharsis that the American Latinx community, it seems, has largely embraced. Though its customs stem from northern Mexico, Pixar’s call and response to a Latinx identity was cause for celebration (and a happy tear or two) or many details, like matriarchal abuela Elena’s chancla – used to keep mischievous Miguel in line – sail right off the big screen and into audience hearts.