The Book of Life
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJorge R. Gutierrez
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
Edited byAhren Shaw[1]
Music byGustavo Santaolalla
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox[2]
Release date
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States[4][5]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[6]
Box office$100 million[6]

The Book of Life is a 2014 American animated fantasy adventure comedy film[7][8][9] directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez and written by Gutierrez and Doug Langdale. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Animation, Reel FX Animation Studios, and Chatrone, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Guillermo del Toro, Brad Booker, Aaron D. Berger, and Carina Schulze produced the film.[1] It features the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum. Based on an original idea by Gutierrez,[10] the story follows a bullfighter who, on the Day of the Dead, embarks on an afterlife adventure to fulfill the expectations of his family and friends.

The Book of Life premiered in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 17, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The film grossed $100 million on a $50 million budget.

Plot

Mary Beth, a museum tour guide, takes a group of school detention students on a secret museum tour, telling them the story of a Mexican town called San Angel from the Book of Life, which holds every story in the world.

On the Day of the Dead, La Muerte, ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, see children Manolo Sánchez and Joaquín Mondragon competing for the love of María Posada. They strike a wager: if María ends up marrying Manolo, Xibalba will no longer interfere in mortal affairs, but if she marries Joaquín, La Muerte and Xibalba will swap realms. However, Xibalba cheats by giving Joaquín his Medal of Everlasting Life, which grants the wearer invincibility.

María is sent to Spain to become a "lady" after freeing pigs destined for slaughter. Years later, when María returns to San Angel, Joaquín has become a military hero with the Medal's aid, and Manolo's father Carlos has trained him to be a bullfighter in their family tradition, though his real dream is to be a musician. At Manolo's first bullfight, he defeats the bull but refuses to kill it, angering Carlos and the crowd but impressing María. That night, María is pressured by her father and San Angel's mayor, General Ramiro Posada, to marry Joaquín so he stays in San Angel and therefore protects the town from the Bandit King Chakal——but María is reluctant. She instead professes her mutual love for Manolo before dawn, but they are interrupted when Xibalba sends his dual-headed snake staff, which bites her and sends her into a coma. Devastated by María's apparent death, Manolo allows Xibalba to kill him, believing he will be reunited with María in death.

In the Land of the Remembered, Manolo reunites with his mother and his ancestral family. They travel to La Muerte's castle, discovering Xibalba, now the ruler of the realm, who explains the bet and smugly reveals that María didn't die because she was only bitten once and therefore survived. However, Manolo was bitten twice and died. Furious but determined to return to María, Manolo travels to the Cave of Souls to reach La Muerte. Inside, he meets the Candle Maker, the overseer of mortal lives and the Book of Life's keeper. The Candle Maker sees that Manolo's story in the Book of Life is blank and can be rewritten by himself, so he takes them to the Land of the Forgotten. They find La Muerte at Xibalba's castle and expose his cheating. Furious, La Muerte lectures Xibalba before offering a new wager at Manolo's request: Manolo's life will be returned if he completes a challenge of Xibalba's choosing, but if he fails, he will be forgotten and Xibalba will keep both realms. Xibalba sets Manolo against a giant bull skeleton made from the skeletons of every bull slain by the Sanchez family, believing that to be his greatest fear.

Meanwhile, María awakens from her coma, learns of Manolo's death, and reluctantly accepts Joaquín's proposal. Their wedding is interrupted by Chakal, who leads his army to San Angel to find the Medal, which was previously his. Chakal kills Carlos, who arrives in the Land of the Remembered in time to see Manolo's fight. Manolo, realizing his fear is actually of being himself, refuses to fight and instead sings an apology to the bull, appeasing it and touching the hearts of everyone present (including Xibalba and Carlos). Impressed, the deities resurrect Manolo and send him and his family to San Angel to protect the town. Manolo is knocked unconscious when Chakal destructs himself, but he is protected by the Medal, which Joaquín had slipped him earlier. Joaquín returns it to Xibalba and resolves to be a true hero, while Manolo and María are happily married as Xibalba and La Muerte reconcile.

In the present, Mary Beth finishes the story, and the amazed children leave the museum. Mary Beth and a security guard reveal themselves to be La Muerte and Xibalba in disguise. The Candle Maker appears and encourages the audience to write their own story.

Voice cast

Channing Tatum, Christina Applegate and Ron Perlman at The Book of Life panel at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

Production

Jorge Gutierrez at a panel for the film at San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2014

Jorge R. Gutierrez first began developing The Book of Life fourteen years before its release. Several of the film's story ideas originated in Gutierrez's 2000 student film Carmelo.[15][16] The opportunity to have The Book of Life produced as a feature film arrived after Gutierrez and his wife, Sandra Equihua, created the Nickelodeon animated series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.[15]

The Book of Life was originally optioned by DreamWorks Animation in 2007, but never went beyond development because of "creative differences".[10] From there the film went to 20th Century Fox Animation and Reel FX,[17] with 20th Century Fox handling distribution rights. Guillermo del Toro joined as a producer. The film was initially given a release date of October 10, 2014;[18] however, this was eventually moved back by a week.[19] On October 16, 2013, it was announced that Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna and Christina Applegate would star as voice actors in the film.[13]

Gutierrez wanted to make the final animation look like the concept artwork saying: "I saw every single one that comes out and my biggest heartbreak is that I see all this glorious art, and then the movie doesn't look like that! The mandate of this movie was: Our 'Art of' book is going to look exactly like the movie. And every artist poured their heart and soul into that idea."[20] Gutierrez did not permit his animation team to go on any research trips to Mexico, feeling that such trips often only covered very touristy aspects of the culture. Instead he had the team address any questions they had about the region to him. He also stated that research trips would not be necessary to portray the film's "magic version of Mexico".[21] Explaining that the tone of the film as initially conceived was going to be much darker, Gutierrez said, "I always felt, much like the design, I need to push the envelope so that when I pull back, I end up with something I love."[21]

Release

The Book of Life made its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014.[22] It was released on October 17, 2014, in North America.[23]

Home media

The Book of Life was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on January 27, 2015, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.[24] The special features included a 3-minute[25] short animated film, titled The Adventures of Chuy.[24] The film currently streams on Disney+ as of February 2021.

Music

Main article: The Book of Life (soundtrack)

In April 2013, it was announced Gustavo Santaolalla and Paul Williams would be adapting pop songs for the film.[26] The soundtrack was released on September 26, 2014,[27][28] while the score was released on October 24, 2014.

Reception

Box office

The Book of Life grossed $50.2 million in North America and $49.8 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $100 million, against a production budget of $50 million.[6]

The Book of Life was released in the United States and Canada on October 17, 2014.[29][30] The film earned $300,000 from Thursday late night showings from 2,150 theatres[31][32] and $4.9 million on its opening day.[33][34] The film debuted at number three in its opening weekend earning $17 million at an average of $5,537 per theatre behind Fury ($23.5 million) and Gone Girl ($17.8 million).[35][36][37][38] The film played 57% female and 54% under the age of 25 years. It played 59% under 10-years old while 31% of tickets sold were in 3D.[39]

In other territories, The Book of Life earned $8.58 million from 3,654 screens in 19 markets. The highest debuts came from Mexico ($3.84 million) and Brazil ($1.98 million).[37] In Mexico, the film was number two behind the local film Perfect Dictatorship.[40]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 127 reviews and an average rating of 6.90/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Book of Life's gorgeous animation is a treat, but it's a pity that its story lacks the same level of craft and detail that its thrilling visuals provide."[41] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[42] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[33]

Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "Repping a major step forward for Dallas-based Reel FX Animation Studios (after their anemic feature bow on last year's Free Birds), the beautifully rendered CG animation brings an unusually warm and heartfelt quality to the high-tech medium and emerges as the film's true calling card."[43] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The Book of Life is a visually stunning effort that makes up for its formulaic storyline with an enchanting atmosphere that sweeps you into its fantastical world, or in this case, three worlds."[44] Simon Abrams of The Village Voice wrote that the film's "hackneyed stock plot preaches tolerance while lamely reinforcing the status quo".[45] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A−, saying "Overflowing with hyperactive charm and a spectacular sea of colors, it showcases some of the most breathtaking animation we've seen this decade."[46] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "The dizzying, intricate imagery is so beautiful, and the Latin-inspired songs catchy enough that the overall effect is often enchanting."[47] Sara Stewart of The New York Post gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Just in time for Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday comes this gloriously colorful animated musical, which almost (but not quite) makes up in visuals what it lacks in snappy dialogue."[48] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B−, saying "Ultimately, what drags The Book Of Life down is its insistence on trying to update an (original) folkloric story for a contemporary audience. In practice, this means adding some pop-cultural touches that only serve to take the viewer out of the fantastic setting."[49]

Michael Ordoña of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of five stars, saying "The vibrant animated feature The Book of Life is a cheeky celebration of Mexican folklore with a solid cast, an irreverent sensibility and gorgeous visuals."[50] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film three out of five stars, saying "The Book of Life may use state-of-the-art animation, but it derives its strength from the wisdom of antiquity. It only looks new, but it's as old as life (and death) itself.[51] Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film four out of five stars, saying "A visually stunning, funny movie that trusts children to deal with subject matter that many films don't: specifically, death."[52] Frank Lovece of Newsday gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Funny without being frantic, seamlessly switching from dry humor to slapstick, it shows death as a part of life -- and, judging from a preview audience of very young tykes, does so in a gentle, delightful way."[53] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying "This often beautiful and too-often moribund, if exhaustingly frenetic, feature tends to be less energetic than the dead people waltzing through it."[7] Conversely, Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Book of Life juxtaposes overwrought visual imagery with an undernourished, familiar story - regrettable flaws in one of the few animated films to focus on Latino characters and the rich heritage of Mexican folk culture."[54] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "Visually arresting but dramatically rote, The Book of Life at least introduces American kids to the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos and should score points with families looking for kid-friendly movies that reflect aspects of their Mexican cultural heritage."[55]

Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "The Book of Life is a flawed but intriguing new chapter in animation."[56] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying "The Book of Life moves breezily from one scene to the next, keeping the pace brisk and rarely skipping a beat."[57] Laura Emerick of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Whether en ingles o en espanol, The Book of Life is a delight. In an animated universe cluttered with kung-fu pandas, ice princesses and video-game heroes, Gutierrez and del Toro have conjured up an original vision."[58] Tasha Robinson of The Dissolve gave the film three and a half stars out of five, saying "It's all flawed, and distracted, and conceptually messy, prioritizing color over common sense and energy over consistency. But as an afternoon's diversion for a handful of misbehaving kids—both within the movie, and within the movie theater—it's authentically winning."[59] Michael Ordona of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "There are no great surprises, no shocking reveals (except to the characters themselves). But there's so much to appreciate along the way that it's a real page-turner."[50] Kenji Fujishima of Slant Magazine gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Jorge R. Gutierrez subsumes the film's darker themes in a relentlessly busy farrago of predictable kids'-movie tropes and annoying attempts at hipness."[60] Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader called it ""more imaginative than most" but said it is "undone by a surfeit of glib one-liners and pop culture references".[61]

Accolades

List of Awards and Nominations
Award Category Recipients Results Ref.
42nd Annual Annie Awards Best Animated Feature The Book of Life Nominated [62]
Animated Effects in an Animated Production Augusto Schillaci, Erich Turner, Bill Konersman, Chris Rasch, Joseph Burnette Nominated
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez Won
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Jorge R. Gutierrez Nominated
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Simon Varela & Paul Sullivan Nominated
4th Behind the Voice Actors Awards Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film Zoe Saldana Nominated [63]
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role Ron Perlman Nominated
Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role Kate del Castillo Nominated
15th Black Reel Awards Outstanding Voice Performance Zoe Saldana Nominated [64]
30th Casting Society of America Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Animation Feature Christian Kaplan Nominated [65]
13th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Film The Book of Life Nominated [66]
20th Critics' Choice Awards Best Animated Feature Nominated
4th Georgia Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Film Nominated
72nd Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film Nominated [67]
14th Golden Schmoes Awards Best Animated Movie of the Year Nominated [68]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score - Animated Film Gustavo Santaolalla Nominated [69]
Outstanding Music Supervision - Film John Houlihan Nominated
8th Houston Film Critics Society Awards Best Animated Film The Book of Life Nominated [66]
6th International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society Awards 3D Feature - Animated Nominated [70]
62nd MPSE Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing - Animated Feature Nominated [71]
46th NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Zoe Saldana Nominated [72]
26th Producers Guild of America Awards Best Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Guillermo del Toro and Brad Booker Nominated [73]
19th Satellite Awards Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature The Book of Life Nominated [74]
11th St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Film Nominated [66]
13th Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture "Magical Land of the Remembered"
Glo Minaya, Amy Chen, Sean McEwan, Jeff Masters 		Nominated [75]
13th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Feature The Book of Life Nominated [66]

Cancelled sequels

Director Jorge Gutierrez revealed in an interview that one of the ideas for the next chapter in the story involves Joaquin and his relationship with his father. "I had always imagined the first movie to be about Manolo, the second to be about Joaquín and the third one to be about Maria...I've always conceived it as a trilogy."[76] In June 2017, Gutierrez and Reel FX Animation announced that development on the sequel had begun; however, as of June 2019, Gutierrez clarified on Twitter that there are currently no plans for a sequel.[77][78]

See also

References

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  78. ^ @mexopolis (July 14, 2019). ""I get asked a lot about Book of Life 2 a lot. Especially with Disney now owning Book of Life with the Fox sale. Here's the latest update: for the time being, I currently have no plans for it. I genuinely love the first one and adore the characters. But I can die happy with no part 2."" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

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