Welcome to the Family Madrigal

From the directors of Moana, Tangled, Zootopia, and Hamilton, Disney’s newest movie Encanto was released on November 24, 2021, and has already managed to find a special place in many people’s hearts with its relatable message and catchy soundtrack. Encanto is co-directed by the directors of Moana, Hamilton, Tangled

Encanto is based around Columbian culture and explores the topic of generational trauma. The movie begins with a colorful song discussing all the different family members and their magical gifts. 

It starts with Abuela Alma, who gave birth to triplets shortly before her and her husband Pedro were forced to flee their city due to terrorists. They were chased and Pedro was killed by the terrorist, and as Alma kneeled crying, her candle relit and the magic of the Madrigals was born. The song goes on to talk about Alma’s daughter Pepa. Her mood affects the weather, which seems sort of strange. The weather changes with any mood swing she may experience. Pepa has three children, Dolores, Camillo, and Antonio. Dolores has some sort of super-hearing. She can hear everything within a certain vicinity. Camillo can shapeshift into anyone he knows, looking and sounding just like them. Antonio has the ability to speak to and understand animals. Then, we have her brother Bruno. The family does not speak about Bruno because he could see into the future and often told them bad things would happen. Bruno disappeared one day. Next, we have their sister Julietta. She has the power to heal any injury or illness with food items, therefore she always cooks for her family to keep them alive and well. Like her sister, Julietta also has three children, Isabella, Luisa, and Mirabel. Isabella has the gift of growing flowers and plants of any kind. She is the so-called “golden child”. Luisa has super strength and often spends her time moving donkeys and churches. Lastly, Mirabel did not receive a special power like everyone else and is somewhat shunned by her abuela.

Encanto does a phenomenal job of discussing the brutal pressure families can put on their children, asking them to be the perfect child. As for Isabella, her job is to always be beautiful with not a single bad hair day or bad attitude. Luisa handles the burden of quite literally carrying all of the burdens no one else is strong enough to handle. She often finds herself being asked to move donkeys, houses, and even churches. Mirabel struggles the most out of them all being the only one in her family without a gift. She strives to do just as much good for her family as her sisters and cousins do, but falls short in the eyes of Abuela for not carrying out the Madrigal magic.

Encanto is a movie worth watching time and time again, and it is almost promised that the more you watch it, the more you will realize you missed previously. It is incredibly intricate with both animation style and small details. Beware if you experience some of the same family issues as the beloved animated characters, as tears will surely flood.