Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez were watching the Golden Globe nominations Monday morning when news hit of a pipe bomb explosion in Manhattan. Then, after they were nominated in the original song category for "Remember Me" from the animated feature "Coco," the wife and husband took their 11-month-old kitten, Finn McCool, to the veterinarian to have him put down. He was dying of a terminal illness.
"So, it's been a day," Anderson-Lopez said by phone from New York.
The songwriters are not strangers to awards season, having won an Oscar for their "Frozen" anthem "Let It Go." But they said getting nominated is never anything you expect, or get used to.
"It's such a cliche, but just being nominated is such a huge honor," said Anderson-Lopez, adding that now they have to figure out what to wear to the big party in Los Angeles. "We've been in writing mode, with all of the eating and drinking involved."
"Coco" and "Remember Me" were a long time coming. Lopez remembered that when they were first pitched on the project, the story brought tears to their eyes. They dove deep into researching the vision of creator and co-director Lee Unkrich, including themes revolving around Dia de los Muertos. Two years passed before they put pen to paper.
"It was so inspiring, and the way they've realized it is so marvelous," Lopez said of the film. "We're so grateful and blessed to be a part of this project."
When they finally did start writing the song, Anderson-Lopez remembered her husband coming up with the melody while noodling on the piano in his pajamas one morning. She recorded it on her iPhone and listened to it over and over again until the lyrics came to her on the subway.
The couple always test their songs on their children, ages 8 and 12. "Remember Me" went over big.
"They are our little focus group," Lopez said.
Monday night the family planned to celebrate _ and decompress _ by seeing "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
"Talk about highs and lows," Anderson-Lopez said.
