Gael García Bernal credited as playing...
Héctor
- Héctor: [sings] Remember me, though I have to say goodbye / Remember me, don't let it make you cry / For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart / I sing a secret song to you, each night we are apart / Remember me, though I have to travel far / Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar / Know that I'm with you, the only way that I can be / Until you're in my arms again, remember me...
- Ernesto de la Cruz: [to Mamá Imelda] Don't I know you?
- Mamá Imelda: [Smacks Ernesto with her shoe] That's for murdering the love of my life!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: [Confused] Who the...?
- Héctor: She's talking about me!
- [to Imelda, touched]
- Héctor: I'm the love of your life?
- Mamá Imelda: I don't know, I'm still angry at you!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: Hector? How did you...
- [Imelda smacks him with her shoe again]
- Mamá Imelda: And *that's* for trying to murder my grandson!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: Grandson?
- Miguel: She's talking about me!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: You! Wait. You're related to Hector?
- Miguel: [pointing at De la Cruz's breast pocket] The photo!
- [the rest of the family appears from around the corner; De la Cruz runs]
- Mamá Imelda: After him!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: Security!
- Héctor: You said love of your life?
- Mamá Imelda: I don't know *what* I said!
- Miguel: [cheekily] That's what *I* heard...
- Miguel: [after watching Chicharrón disappear] Wait... what happened?
- Héctor: [sadly] He's been forgotten. When there's no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world. We call it the Final Death.
- Miguel: Where did he go?
- Héctor: No one knows.
- Miguel: But I've met him! I could remember him when I go back.
- Héctor: No. It doesn't work like that, chamaco. Our memories, they have to be passed down by those who knew us in life - in the stories they tell about us. But there's no one left alive to pass down Cheech's stories.
- [shrugs]
- Héctor: Hey, it happens to everyone eventually.
- Héctor: [singing for Chicharrón] Well everyone knows Juanita / Her eyes each a different color / Her teeth stick out / and her chin goes in / and her...
- [he hesitates]
- Héctor: ... knuckles, they drag on the floor.
- Chicharrón: Those aren't the words!
- Héctor: There are children present.
- [singing]
- Héctor: Her hair is like a briar / She stands in a bow-legged stance / And if I weren't so ugly / She'd possibly give me a chance.
- Chicharrón: [chuckles] Brings back memories. Gracias.
- [exhales deeply as he vanishes]
- Mamá Imelda: Mijo, I was so worried.
- [Hugs Miguel, then looks to Héctor resentfully]
- Mamá Imelda: And you, how many times must I turn you away?
- Héctor: Imelda...
- Mamá Imelda: I want nothing to do with you! Not in life, not in death! I spent decades protecting my family from *your* mistakes. He spends five minutes with you, and I have to fish him out of a sinkhole!
- Miguel: I wasn't in there because of Héctor. He was in there because of me. He was just trying to get me home! I didn't want to listen, but he was right! Nothing is more important than family. I'm ready to accept your blessing. And your conditions. But first, I need to find de la Cruz. To get Héctor's photo!
- Mamá Imelda: What?
- Miguel: So, he can see Coco again. Héctor should be on our ofrenda. He's part of our family.
- Mamá Imelda: He *left* this family!
- Miguel: He tried to go home to you and Coco. But de la Cruz murdered him!
- [Imelda looks from Miguel to Héctor in surprise]
- Héctor: [sorrowfully] It's true, Imelda.
- Miguel: [after a pause] And so what if it's true? You leave me alone with a child to raise, and I'm just supposed to forgive you?
- Héctor: Imelda, I...
- [Suddenly shudders and collapses to his knees, Imelda gasps]
- Héctor: I'm running out of time. It's Coco.
- Mamá Imelda: She's forgetting you.
- Miguel: You don't have to forgive him. But we shouldn't forget him!
- Mamá Imelda: I wanted to forget you. I wanted Coco to forget you, too, but...
- Héctor: This is my fault, not yours. I'm sorry, Imelda.
- Mamá Imelda: Miguel, if we help you get his photo, you will return home? No more music?
- Miguel: Family comes first.
- Mamá Imelda: [to Héctor] I... I can't forgive you. But I *will* help you. So, how do we get to de la Cruz?
- Miguel: I... might know a way.
- Héctor: [Ernesto takes Miguel at the edge of the stadium] Ernesto, STOP!
- [shudders and collapses to the floor]
- Héctor: Leave the boy alone.
- Ernesto de la Cruz: I've worked too hard, Hector. Too hard to let him destroy everything.
- Héctor: [pleading] He's a living child, Ernesto!
- [the other Riveras turn the camera on Ernesto so the audience can see]
- Ernesto de la Cruz: He's a THREAT!
- [the audience gasps]
- Ernesto de la Cruz: You think I'd let him go back to the land of the living with your photo? To keep your memory alive? No!
- Miguel: You're a coward!
- Ernesto de la Cruz: I am Ernesto de la Cruz, the greatest musician of all time!
- Miguel: Héctor's the REAL musician, you're just the guy who murdered him and stole his songs!
- [the audience gasps]
- Guy in audience: Murdered?
- Ernesto de la Cruz: [grabs Miguel by the shirt collar] I am the one who is willing to do what it takes to seize my moment. Whatever it takes.
- [Throws Miguel off the stadium]