The Book of Life (2014 film)

The Book of Life

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jorge Gutierrez
Produced by Aaron Berger
Brad Booker
Guillermo del Toro
Carina Schulze[1]
Written by Jorge Gutierrez
Doug Langdale
Starring Diego Luna
Zoe Saldana
Channing Tatum
Ron Perlman
Christina Applegate
Ice Cube
Kate del Castillo
Music by Gustavo Santaolalla
Edited by Ahren Shaw[1]
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • October 12, 2014 (Los Angeles premiere)
  • October 17, 2014 (United States)
Running time
 95 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Spanish
Budget $50 million[3]
Box office $97.4 million[3]

The Book of Life is a 2014 American[4][5] 3D computer-animated adventure musical comedy film produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Co-written and directed by Jorge Gutierrez, it was produced by Aaron Berger, Brad Booker, Guillermo del Toro and Carina Schulze.[1] The film stars the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum with supporting roles by Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman and Kate del Castillo. The film was theatrically released on October 17, 2014, to positive critical reception. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.

Plot

A museum chaperone named Mary Beth takes a group of children on a tour of Mexican folk myths and legends. She tells them the story of the Mexican town of San Angel from the Book of Life, which holds every story in the world.

The spirits La Muerte, ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, set a wager at San Angel's Day of the Dead festival after seeing two boys, Manolo and Joaquín, competing over a girl named María. La Muerte bets that Manolo will marry María, while Xibalba bets on Joaquín. If La Muerte wins, Xibalba can no longer interfere in mortal affairs, but if Xibalba wins, he and La Muerte switch realms. However, Xibalba cheats by giving Joaquin his Medal of Everlasting Life, which grants the wearer invincibility. María frees a herd of pigs from being slaughtered, angering her father, who sends her away to a boarding school in Spain. While saying their goodbyes, Manolo gives her a baby pig from earlier and she gives him a guitar which is engraved with "Always play from the heart".[6]

Years pass and Manolo's musician dreams are suppressed by his father Carlos, who trains him to become a bullfighter like the rest of their family, while Joaquín becomes the revered town hero with the Medal's aid. On the day of María's return, a celebration is held culminating in Manolo's first bullfight. Manolo defeats the bull but refuses to kill it, disappointing Carlos and the crowd but impressing María. That night, María is pressured by her father to marry Joaquín so that he will stay and protect San Angel from the bandit Chakal, though she is conflicted by her feelings for Manolo. María and Manolo meet that night to profess their love for each other, but they are interrupted when a snake, sent by Xibalba, bites María once and seemingly kills her. Despondent and blamed for her death, Manolo is conned by Xibalba into being sent to the afterlife: the snake bites him twice, killing him.

Manolo arrives in the Land of the Remembered where he reunites with his mother Carmen and his illustrious deceased family members. They travel to La Muerte's castle to seek María, but only find Xibalba, who explains the bet to an outraged Manolo and that the snake put María in a coma, but killed him. When María awakens, she learns of Manolo's death and solemnly accepts Joaquín's proposal. Manolo, Carmen, and Luis, Manolo's grandfather, travel to the Cave of Souls to reach La Muerte. They meet the amiable Candle Maker, who oversees the lives of everybody in the living world. After seeing that Manolo's story in the Book of Life is blank (due to Xibalba's meddling) and can be rewritten by Manolo's own actions, the Candle Maker takes them to the Land of the Forgotten. Manolo exposes the cheating to La Muerte, who furiously summons Xibalba. Another deal is negotiated; Manolo's life will be returned if he completes a challenge Xibalba sets him, but if he fails, Xibalba will rule both lands and Manolo will be forgotten. Xibalba manifests every bull the Sanchez family ever fought, which combine to become one giant one for Manolo to defeat.

In the living world, Chakal, who previously owned the Medal, leads his army to San Angel to find it. Chakal kills Carlos, who joins the deceased to watch Manolo fight. Manolo again refuses to deliver the finishing blow, instead singing an apology to the grudge-filled spirit asking it to forgive his family's transgressions, which it does by peacefully dissolving away. Impressed, the deities grant Manolo his life back and send him and his family's spirits to the living world to defeat Chakal. Manolo is almost killed again when Chakal blows them both up but is saved by the Medal, which Joaquín gives him at the last second. Joaquín returns it to Xibalba and resolves to be a hero of his own accord, while Manolo and María wed happily as La Muerte and Xibalba reconcile.

The story ends, and as the children leave the museum, Mary Beth and a security guard reveal themselves as La Muerte and Xibalba.

Cast

Production

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

The Book of Life was originally optioned by DreamWorks Animation in 2007, but never went beyond development because of "creative differences".[10]

On February 21, 2012, Reel FX announced Guillermo del Toro would produce the film, originally titled Day of the Dead.[11] On December 12, 2012, it was announced that the film would be released on October 10, 2014, and that 20th Century Fox would distribute the film.[12] On October 15, 2013, it was announced that the film would be pushed back seven days to October 17, 2014.[13] 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.[9]

In February 2014, the film's director Jorge Gutierrez explained that he wanted the film to look exactly like the concept art in "The Art of" books, 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."[14]

Release

The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014[15] and was released in the United States on October 17, 2014.[16]

Home media

The Book of Life was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on January 27, 2015.[17]

Music

The Book of Life
Soundtrack album by Gustavo Santaolalla
Released September 26, 2014
Recorded 2014
Genre Film score
Length 37:34
Label Sony Masterworks
Gustavo Santaolalla film scores chronology

Wild Tales
(2014)		 The Book of Life
(2014)

In April 2013, it was announced Gustavo Santaolalla and Paul Williams would be writing songs for the film.[18] The soundtrack was released on September 26, 2014, on iTunes,[19] and was released on CD on October 27, 2014, by Sony Masterworks.[20]

No. TitlePerformer Length
1. "Live Life"  Jesse & Joy 3:05
2. "The Apology Song"  La Santa Cecilia 2:32
3. "No Matter Where You Are"  Us The Duo 2:58
4. "I Love You Too Much"  Diego Luna & Gustavo Santaolalla 2:35
5. "I Will Wait"  Diego Luna, Joe Matthews & Gustavo Santaolalla 1:55
6. "Más"  Kinky 4:20
7. "Cielito Lindo"  Plácido Domingo 0:25
8. "Creep"  Diego Luna & Gustavo Santaolalla 1:20
9. "Can't Help Falling in Love"  Diego Luna 0:52
10. "The Ecstasy of Gold"  Gustavo Santaolalla 2:05
11. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"  Gabriel Iglesias & Gustavo Santaolalla 0:20
12. "Just a Friend"  Biz Markie & Cheech Marin 2:49
13. "El Aparato / Land of the Remembering"  Café Tacuba & Gustavo Santaolalla 1:46
14. "Visiting Mother"  Gustavo Santaolalla 1:43
15. "The Apology Song"  Diego Luna & Gustavo Santaolalla 2:52
16. "No Matter Where You Are"  Diego Luna & Zoe Saldana 1:37
17. "Te Amo y Más"  Diego Luna & Gustavo Santaolalla 2:36
18. "Si Puedes Perdonar"  Diego Luna & Gustavo Santaolalla 1:44
Total length:
 37:34

Reception

Box office

North America

As of February 8, 2015 The Book of Life has grossed $50,123,408 in North America, and $45,223,847 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $95,347,255.[3] The Book of Life was released on October 17, 2014 in North America.[21][22] The film earned $300,000 from Thursday late night showings from 2,150 theatres[23][24] and $4.9 million on its opening day.[25][26] The film debuted at number three in its opening weekend earning $17,005,218 at an average of $5,537 per theatre behind Fury ($23.5 million) and Gone Girl ($17.8 million).[27][28][29][30] The film played 57% female and 54% under 25-years old. It played 59% under 10-years old while 31% of tickets sold were in 3D.[31]

Outside North America

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).[29] In Mexico, the film was number two behind the local film Perfect Dictatorship.[32]

Critical reception

The Book of Life received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "Certified Fresh" rating of 82%, based on 101 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's 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."[33] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34]

Geoff Berkshire of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "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."[6] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, saying "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."[35] Simon Abrams of The Village Voice gave the film a negative review, saying "The Book of Life's hackneyed stock plot preaches tolerance while lamely reinforcing the status quo."[36] 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."[37] 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."[38] 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."[39] 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."[40]

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."[41] 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.[42] 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."[43] 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."[44] 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."[45] Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review, saying "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."[46] 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."[47]

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."[48] 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."[49] 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."[50] 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."[51] Michael Ordona of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review, saying "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."[41] 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."[52] Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader gave the film a negative review, saying "This Pixar knockoff from 20th Century Fox is more imaginative than most, though like far too many of them, it's undone by a surfeit of glib one-liners and pop culture references."[53]

Accolades

List of Awards and Nominations
Year Award Category Recipients and nominees Results
2014 42nd Annual Annie Awards[54] Best Animated Feature The Book of Life Nominated
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
2014 72nd Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film The Book of Life Nominated
Producers Guild of America Best Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Guillermo del Toro and Brad Booker Nominated

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."[55]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 Scheck, Franck (October 11, 2014). "'The Book of Life': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ "THE BOOK OF LIFE [2D] (U)". British Board of Film Classification. September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Book of Life (2014) (2014)". Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ Hazelton, John (October 11, 2014). "The Book Of Life". Screen Daily. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Book of Life (2014)". British Film Institute. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "‘The Book of Life’ Review: A Visual Treat - Variety". Variety. October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  7. ↑ Applegate, Christina (May 29, 2014). "Learn the many truths of @BookOfLifeMovie from my character Mary Beth. Watch the new trailer here: http://fox.co/BOLtrailer #BookOfLife". Twitter. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ Foutch, Haleigh (October 17, 2014). "Ice Cube Talks THE BOOK OF LIFE, Voicing His First Animated Character, the Status of FRIDAY 4, RIDE ALONG 2, and More". Collider.com. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 "Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana to Star in Animated 'Book of Life' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  10. ↑ Amidi, Amid (January 24, 2013). ""El Tigre" Creator Jorge Gutierrez Moves Into Features with "Book of Life"". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Guillermo Del Toro Joins With Reel Fx To Produce Epic Animated Adventure Day Of The Dead". Reel FX. April 1, 2001. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Guillermo del Toro, Fox Animation Team for 'Book of Life'". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Fox Sets New Dates for Book of Life, Gone Girl and Frankenstein". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  14. ↑ "First-Look: 'Book of Life' Concept Art for Guillermo del Toro Production". The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  15. ↑ "'The Book Of Life' LA Premiere". Access Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  16. ↑ "The Book of Life". Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Book of Life Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  18. ↑ Dworetzky, Tom (April 24, 2013). "Paul Williams is a 'Loved One' – overcoming substance abuse to hit the high notes". NY Daily News. Retrieved August 9, 2014. Gustavo Santaolalla and I are writing songs for an animated film called 'The Book of Life' for Fox.
  19. ↑ "The Book of Life by Various Artists". iTunes. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  20. ↑ "‘The Book of Life’ Soundtrack Details - Film Music Reporter". Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  21. ↑ Rebecca Keegan (October 14, 2014). "Animator Jorge Gutierrez brings Day of the Dead to 'Book of Life'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  22. ↑ Ray Subers (October 16, 2014). "Forecast: 'Fury' to Invade Top Spot This Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  23. ↑ Anita Busch (October 17, 2014). "‘Fury’ Box Office Opens To Strong $1.2M; ‘Book Of Life’ To $300K – Late Nights; Friday Matinees Tumble In". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  24. ↑ Brent Lang (October 17, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt’s ‘Fury’ Rolls with $1.2 Million Thursday Night". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  25. ↑ Anita Busch (October 18, 2014). "Box Office Weekend: ‘Fury’ Wins War; ‘Book Of Life’ Lives; ‘Gone Girl’ Struts Over $100M; ‘Best Of Me’ Soft". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  26. ↑ Scott Mendelson (October 18, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Shells $8.8M Friday". Forbes. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for October 17-19, 2014 - Box Office Mojo". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  28. ↑ Brent Lang (October 19, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Edges Out 'Book of Life,' 'Gone Girl'". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Pamela McClintock (October 19, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Conquers Competition With $23.5M Weekend". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  30. ↑ Anita Busch (October 19, 2014). "Box Office Weekend: ‘Fury’ Wins War With $23M+; ‘Book Of Life,’ $16.6M to $17M; ‘Gone Girl’ $100M; ‘Best Of Me’ $10M+". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  31. ↑ Scott Mendelson (October 19, 2014). "Weekend Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Tops With $23.5M, 'Birdman' Nabs $415K". Forbes. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  32. ↑ Nancy Tartagloine (October 19, 2014). "Int’l Box Office Update: ‘Guardians’ Now 3rd Biggest Marvel Movie Ever; ‘Dracula Untold’, ‘Gone Girl’, ‘Annabelle’ Hold Well; Local Action In France, Mexico; More". Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  33. ↑ "The Book of Life". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  34. ↑ "The Book of Life Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  35. ↑ "'The Book of Life': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Day of the Dead Cartoon The Book of Life Offers Speedy Gonzalez-Level Ethnic Humor". October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  37. ↑ "The Book of Life". EW.com. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  38. ↑ "'Book of Life' reveals chapters of enchantment". October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  39. ↑ "‘The Book of Life’ alive with color, if not wit". New York Post. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Review: Guillermo Del Toro presents The Book Of Life, a dull tale told beautifully · Movie Review · The A.V. Club". Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "'The Book of Life’ review: Bursting with la vida". SFGate. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  42. ↑ "‘The Book of Life’ movie review: A whimsical romp through the afterlife". Washington Post. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Review: 'The Book of Life' is a visual treat". October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  44. ↑ "'The Book of Life' review: Stunning children's movie". Newsday. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  45. ↑ "‘The Book of Life,’ Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Review: Too much and too little in Mexican-themed 'Book of Life' - LA Times". latimes.com. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  47. ↑ "The Book of Life". Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  48. ↑ "'Book of Life' is vivid but disappointing". stltoday.com. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Reelviews Movie Reviews". Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  50. ↑ "‘The Book of Life': Day of the Dead fantasy alive with color". Chicago Entertainment - Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  51. ↑ "The Book Of Life". The Dissolve. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  52. ↑ "The Book of Life - Film Review - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  53. ↑ "The Book of Life". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  54. ↑ "42nd Annual Annie Award Nominees". Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  55. ↑ https://soundcloud.com/skwigly/skwigly-podcast-25

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Book of Life.