Coco Page #7

TÍO BERTO

It's all that time he spends in the

plaza...

TÍA GLORIA

...Fills his head with crazy

fantasies!

MIGUEL:

It's not a fantasy!

Miguel hands Papá the photo and points to the skull guitar.

MIGUEL (CONT'D)

That man was Ernesto de la Cruz!

The greatest musician of all time!

PAPÁ

We've never known anything about

this man. But whoever he was, he

still abandoned his family. This

is no future for my son.

26.

MIGUEL:

But Papá, you said my family would

guide me! Well de la Cruz IS my

family! I'm supposed to play

music!

ABUELITA:

Never! That man's music was a

curse! I will not allow it!

MIGUEL:

If you would just let--

MAMÁ

(warning)

Miguel--

PAPÁ

You will listen to your family. No

more music.

MIGUEL:

Just listen to me play--

PAPÁ

End of argument.

Miguel lifts his guitar to play when Abuelita snatches the

instrument away. She points to the man in the photo.

ABUELITA:

You want to end up like that man?

Forgotten? Left off your family's

ofrenda?!

MIGUEL:

I don't care if I'm on some stupid

ofrenda!

Gasps from the family. Abuelita's brow hardens. She lifts

the guitar in the air.

MIGUEL:

No!

PAPÁ

Mamá...

Abuelita smashes it to bits!

ABUELITA:

There. No guitar, no music.

(softening)

(MORE)

27.

ABUELITA (CONT'D)

Come. You'll feel better after you

eat with your family.

She reaches out to comfort Miguel, but he is hurt beyond

repair.

MIGUEL:

I don't wanna be in this family!

He snatches the photo from Papá and bolts out of the

hacienda.

PAPÁ

Miguel! MIGUEL!

EXT. SIDE STREET

Miguel bursts out of the compound, desperate to get away.

Dante, nose buried in a trash bag, hears Miguel and chases

after him. Miguel runs past a poster for the plaza "TALENT

SHOW."

EXT. MARIACHI PLAZA - EVENING

Miguel approaches a STAGE MANAGER in the gazebo.

MIGUEL:

I wanna play in the plaza. Like de

la Cruz! Can I still sign-up?

STAGE MANAGER:

You got an instrument?

MIGUEL:

No... But if I can borrow a guitar--

STAGE MANAGER:

Musicians gotta bring their own

instruments...

(walking away)

You find a guitar, kid, I'll put

you on the list.

Miguel looks distraught.

MOMENTS LATER:

Miguel approaches any musician he can find.

28.

MIGUEL:

Excuse me, can I borrow your

guitar?

MUSICIAN #1

Sorry, muchacho.

CUT TO:

MIGUEL:

You guys have a spare guitar?

MUSICIAN #2

No.

CUT TO:

MIGUEL:

I need a guitar, just for a little

bit--

MUSICIAN #3

Get outta here, kid!

Disheartened, Miguel walks away. He finds himself facing the

statue of de la Cruz.

MIGUEL:

Great-great grandfather... What am

I supposed to do?

No answer. Miguel's gaze falls on a plaque at the base of

the statue that reads "Seize Your Moment!" Miguel looks at

the photo in his hand. He moves his thumb to reveal the

skull head guitar. Then, a firework illuminates the skull

head guitar that the statue holds. Miguel gets an idea.

EXT. CEMETERY - MOMENTS LATER

A sea of candles and flowers, families gathered at graves.

Miguel sneaks through the cemetery unnoticed, slipping from

one shadow to the next.

Dante suddenly catches up to Miguel. He barks excitedly.

MIGUEL:

No, no, no, no, no, Dante stop!

Cállate! Shhh!

Miguel swipes a chicken leg off a neighboring grave, and

chucks it. Dante bounds after the food.

29.

EXT. DE LA CRUZ'S MAUSOLEUM

Miguel slinks around the side of the tomb. He looks in one

of the windows.

Inside, the famous guitar hangs above the crypt. Fireworks

pop; bursts of light glint off the instrument. It seems to

beckon him. He tries the window but it's locked.

More fireworks shoot into the sky.

MIGUEL:

I'm sorry...

Timing to the explosions, Miguel throws his shoulder into the

rusted-shut window pane and forces it open with a scraping

KRRRR-LANK! He slinks inside the tomb.

INT. DE LA CRUZ'S MAUSOLEUM

Miguel drops down to the mausoleum floor. The noise from

outside is muffled. He climbs onto the crypt, slightly

moving the lid. He stifles a gasp.

He crawls over the marble sarcophagus and comes face-to-face

with the famed guitar. Miguel wipes away a layer of dust,

revealing the rich painted wood beneath. He looks up to the

portrait of de la Cruz.

Rate this script:4.1 / 11 votes