The Best Gael García Bernal Quotes

Ernesto: [to Mamá Imelda] Don't I know you?
Mamá: [Smacks Ernesto with her shoe] That's for murdering the love of my life!
Ernesto: [Confused] Who the...?
Héctor: She's talking about me!
[to Imelda, touched]
Héctor: I'm the love of your life?
Mamá: I don't know, I'm still angry at you!
Ernesto: Hector? How did you...
[Imelda smacks him with her shoe again]
Mamá: And *that's* for trying to murder my grandson!
Ernesto: Grandson?
Miguel: She's talking about me!
Ernesto: 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: After him!
Ernesto: Security!
Héctor: You said love of your life?
Mamá: I don't know *what* I said!
Miguel: [cheekily] That's what *I* heard...

Jack: Just kill me as I am. Otherwise, there will be no mercy, I promise.

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...

Mamá: Mijo, I was so worried.
[Hugs Miguel, then looks to Héctor resentfully]
Mamá: And you, how many times must I turn you away?
Héctor: Imelda...
Mamá: 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: What?
Miguel: So, he can see Coco again. Héctor should be on our ofrenda. He's part of our family.
Mamá: 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: She's forgetting you.
Miguel: You don't have to forgive him. But we shouldn't forget him!
Mamá: 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: Miguel, if we help you get his photo, you will return home? No more music?
Miguel: Family comes first.
Mamá: [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.

Mike: My mom said Mexico is dangerous.
Santiago: [in Spanish] Yes, it's full of Mexicans.

Hector: You sold your soul to the devil. How come you still look so good?

[from trailer]
Héctor: What are you doing?
Miguel: I'm walking like a skeleton.
Héctor: No, skeletons don't walk like that.
Miguel: That's how *you* walk.
Héctor: No, I don't.

Héctor: [Ernesto takes Miguel at the edge of the stadium] Ernesto, STOP!
[shudders and collapses to the floor]
Héctor: Leave the boy alone.
Ernesto: 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: He's a THREAT!
[the audience gasps]
Ernesto: 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: 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: Murdered?
Ernesto: [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]

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]

Santiago: You see how easy it is to get into paradise?
Debbie: Is this Mexico?
Amelia: Yes, this is Mexico.