Encanto follows a multigenerational Colombian family, the Madrigals, led by a matriarch whose children and grandchildren — except for Mirabel Madrigal — receive magical gifts from a miracle, which they use to help the people in their rural community, called the Encanto.
Encanto is packed with vivid, almost hallucinogenic, details that reflect Colombia's culturally vibrant, ecologically astounding, and geographically stunning diversity. Here's where to experience and savor key elements from the movie that capture Colombia's real cinematic enchantment.
Miracles (?) Even though Encanto resonates with a Christian worldview better than many of Disney's animated movies, the term miracle is used throughout without any acknowledgment of where (or from Whom) a miracle usually comes from.
Beautifully produced, funny and heartwarming, ENCANTO sounds like it could be filled with witchcraft, but the movie explicitly states that family is the real magic and contains overt Christian references, themes, images, and symbolism, which form the backdrop to the story and plot.
The film contains nonscriptural beliefs and practices and characters in peril. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.
Carlos Vives - Colombia, Mi Encanto (From "Encanto")
Is Encanto true story?
Although the exact town "Encanto" takes place in is fictional, it is inspired by real places. Members of the film's crew spent two weeks in Colombia to research.
About this DVD: Mulan is a young Chinese woman who breaks tradition and joins the Imperial army, accompanied by her guardian dragon, Mushu, to battle an invading army. In Mulan 2, Mulan and Shang are engaged to be married and must journey to a distant city in a valiant quest to save their beloved empire.
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
But depending on where in the world people saw Moana, they might know the great animated movie by another name. Disney retitled Moana in different countries, with most European countries using Vaiana. This change was reflected in the movie too, as Moana's name was changed to Vaiana due to copyright issues.
“A lot of times within the Latinx community, it's Mexican [culture being represented] but 'Encanto' is set in Colombia, which is great because we need more stories that are not just Mexican,” Velazco said. “For example, 'Coco' was great, but 'Encanto' created a space for people who are not Mexican but are Latinx.”
Since Encanto is set in Colombia, the country's culture is a key component of this story. Of course, this movie features very obvious references to Colombian culture, like the Spanish words, the clothing design, and the music.
The filmmakers ended up choosing Colombia, he reveals, both for its diversity and because it is the "home of magical realism," a style of fiction that depicts the world realistically while also incorporating fantasy elements.
Although Disney films have for a long time been associated with princesses and fairy tales, “Encanto” is a film that Colombians can feel proud of, thanks to the great lengths the filmmakers went to in researching Colombian traditions and culture.
But surprisingly less attention has been given to what seems to be the key message of the movie: people do not need to be special to deserve love, security, and ultimately, rights. Through song, “Encanto” quietly teaches a powerful lesson about the flaws of U.S. immigration policy.
The concept for Coco is inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. Pixar began developing the animation in 2016. Unkrich, Molina, and some of the film's crew visited Mexico for research. Composer Michael Giacchino, who had worked on prior Pixar animated features, composed the score.
The music and storyline were all wondrous and exciting. However, over on Reddit, there were a few fans who asked, “Why is Encanto so bad?” Some felt that Encanto was overrated or that Encanto “sucks.” Reasons range from poor music choices, holes in the plot, and the message it sent to children.
More than 99.5% of Colombians speak Spanish. English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands. In addition to Spanish, there are several other languages spoken in Colombia. Sixty-five of these languages are Amerindian in nature.
Although the exact town "Encanto" takes place in is fictional, it is inspired by real places. Members of the film's crew spent two weeks in Colombia to research.
As the theory explained, "Because Mirabel already had the brains to take over as matriarch, she didn't need a gift bestowed by the house, so it gifted the brawn and the beauty to her sisters so that the three of them make the perfect group to lead the family into the future."
Mirabel's lack of a magical gift in Encanto doesn't define her worth or importance. She becomes the gift herself by bringing her family together and restoring Casita's magic. While there are theories about Mirabel's hidden gift, the movie emphasizes that her intelligence and problem-solving abilities are her true gift.
By the time the main plot of the story begins, Abuela Alma has had the candle for approximately 50 years, meaning that Encanto occurs around the 1950s.
The most prominent Spanish words were encanto (charm or enchantment) and casita (house), which the Madrigals called their home. Fittingly, Encanto used many familial terms, such as familia (family), tía (aunt), and Abuela (grandmother).
What does encanto mean in Spanish? First, the noun encanto in Spanish means “charm.” A small town with beautiful historical buildings might be full of charm and could be described as an encanto. This means the unique town and people in Disney's Encanto are an encanto.
