APPLICATION OF THE BASIC

PRINCIPLES OF LOGIC TO THE

ANIMATED FILM, “COCO”

IPHP-Paprika, 2020
Stunningly animated, poignant tribute to family and culture
 Synopsis
On the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Mexicans and
others around the world celebrate in ceremony, theater, and
ritual the return of the dead to earth to savor the fruits and
flowers of this world. Picnics are held in cemeteries over the
graves of relatives, people dress up in costumes, and vendors
sell goods in the carnival-like atmosphere. Relatives often
create trails of marigold petals from the cemeteries to their
houses to guide their ancestors’ home.
In the Disney-Pixar animated film Coco, twelve-year-old Miguel lives in the village of
Santa Cecilla in Mexico. His passion is music but his family has banned it for several
generations. His great-great-grandfather chose a music career over life with the family,
and the succeeding generations have never forgiven him. Miguel has a secret place where
he practices his guitar while watching movies of his hero, the great Mexican singer/actor
Ernesto de la Cruz.
As the Day of the Dead approaches, there is an indescribable excitement in the air.
Everyone in the village is getting ready to honor their arriving loved ones with
decorated home altars, candles, foods and beverages, and flowers. In Miguel’s home,
pictures of three generations of ancestors are placed on the ofrenda. The top
photograph, however, is torn where the musican ancestor would have been.
Determined to compete in a music contest in the plaza, young Miguel decides to borrow the guitar
kept in Ernesto de las Cruz’s tomb. Suddenly he finds himself transported to the land of the dead with
his street dog named Dante. This place turns out to be a large metropolis, with amazing brightly lit
homes. On the bridge from there to earth, he meets several generations of his ancestors. One of them
promises to give him the blessing he needs to return to earth, but with the condition he give up music.
Miguel decides instead that he will find de la Cruz, whom he believes might be the missing musician
from the photograph, and get his blessing instead.
During his journey, Miguel gets some help from a skeleton named
Hector, who wants the boy to take his photograph to an ofrenda so that
he can visit his relatives on earth. Unless he is remembered by them, he
cannot travel on the Day of the Dead. And eventually, he will disappear
forever. Memory, Miguel learns, is very important.
Other themes of this charming film are the
importance of honoring those who have gone before
us, acknowledging the afterlife, having a passion for
life, and creating family solidarity through rituals. Toy
Story 3 director Lee Unkrich hits all the right marks in
this impressive animated feature with its all Hispanic
cast, its celebration of the restorative power of music,
its lavish creation of the land of the dead, and its
simple emphasis on an old photograph as a key to a
young and talented boy's future.
 Principle of Identity:
Miguel Rivera is Miguel Rivera.

Hector is the great, great grandfather of Miguel.

Hector is the composer of “Remember Me.”

 Principle of Contradiction:
In the story, Miguel Rivera is a living boy.

In, the story, Miguel Rivera is a dead boy.

 Principle of Non-contradiction:
In the story, Coco is a little girl.

In the story, Coco is a very old lady.

 Principle of Excluded Third:
Ernesto de la Cruz claims to be the composer of
“Remember Me.”

Hector claims to be the composer of “Remember Me.”

Both Ernesto and Hector claim to be the composer of

“Remember Me.”
 Principle of Excluded Third:
Ernesto de la Cruz claims to be the composer of
“Remember Me.”

Hector claims to be the composer of “Remember Me.”

Both Ernesto and Hector claim to be the composer of

“Remember Me.”
 Principle of Identity:
Marriage is the loving union between man and
woman who become husband and wife and
parents of their off-springs.

Life is sacred.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES
OF LOGIC AS APPLIED
TO MORAL ISSUES AND
CONCERNS
 Principle of Contradiction:
That politician promises to protect human rights;
He said he will also support the bill on abortion.

Why is that politician contradicting himself?

 Principle of Non-contradiction:
God is all powerful—He can do everything.
But God cannot sin.

There is no contradiction with the two statements above. It is true that

God can really do everything, but NOT anything that is against his
nature. By nature, God is good. Sin is the opposite of good and therefore,
it is also true that God cannot do or commit sin.
 Principle of Excluded Third:

Mayor candidate 1 claims victory in the elections.

Mayor candidate 2 said he was cheated and

should’ve been proclaimed winner in the elections.

Both mayorial candidate 1 and candidate 2 are

winners in the elections.
 Principle of Excluded Third:

Mayor candidate 1 claims victory in the elections.

Mayor candidate 2 said he was cheated and

should’ve been proclaimed winner in the elections.

Both mayorial candidate 1 and candidate 2 are

winners in the elections.
 Principle of Excluded Middle:

A woman can either be pregnant or not pregnant.

It is not possible for her to be “kind of pregnant.”