The reason people like Encanto so much is because all of the characters have their own flaws and their own problems they have to go through, which makes them more relatable to the audience.
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.
The ending reveals Mirabel's true gift: the miracle itself. She keeps her family's gifts alive and helps them flourish despite not having tangible powers. When she helps Isabela accept herself, the cracks in Casita heal and her sister discovers new abilities.
On the movie front, “Encanto” was the No. 1 most-streamed title of the year. The movie, featuring original songs composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, premiered on Disney+ in December 2021, and over the course of 2022 racked up 27.4 billion minutes of viewing (equivalent to being watched 269 million times).
Encanto's success at the 2023 GRAMMYs exemplifies how soundtracks and their singles are, once again, becoming a key tool in the success of films. And, finally, Bruno can be spoken of openly.
“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.”
Encanto, a movie about the magical Madrigals, doesn't truly have a bad guy, but one theory speculates that Dolores was the villain all along. Disney's Encanto, which tells the story of the magical Madrigals, doesn't have a bad guy, but one theory speculates that Dolores was the secret villain all along.
Abuela treasures the ceremony in which the future generations get their gift, and when Mirabel doesn't receive one, she becomes cold towards her, despite not overtly having a gift herself. She is also harsh on other members of the Madrigal family, but Mirabel becomes distinctively left out.
Encanto shows a flashback from Alma, diving into her feelings of loss. The grief she experiences over the death of her husband is so intense it creates the family miracle. It's a truly heartbreaking scene and viewers can't help but empathize with the family matriarch.
The movie, as colorful and humorous as it is, covers intergenerational trauma, a prominent issue today. Intergenerational trauma is passed down by generations when a traumatic event affects multiple family members, or a culture, according to the American Psychological Association.
Mirabel DOES have a gift. Her power of “family healing” by helping everyone work through their issues is actually a supernatural power. Her using this unique superpower literally heals, and thus controls, all the magic in the casita and the town.
In short, Agustín actually meant to say the Spanish curse word “mierda,” which translates to “s—t” in English. But he refrained from doing so and instead said “Wednesday.” According to #Encanto Twitter, this is a common practice in the Colombian community as a way to avoid profanity around children.
Everybody was certainly bobbing along to the songs and wowed by the impressive visuals, but the reason why Encanto has stuck with so many was its surprisingly emotional core. Audiences found themselves relating to the feelings of inferiority and pressure that the characters were subjected to by their family.
“Encanto” is a real delight to adults and kids alike. And its important messages and representation are ones that are opening up conversations among adults who can relate.
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 reason for this could be the fact that Isabela is the family member who most strikingly resembles Abuela Alma when she was younger. They have nearly the same face, and a small picture of a young Isabela with her door shows her wearing two plaits in her hair, exactly like Abuela did when she was young.
So in saving the miracle, Abuela Alma Madrigal might appear to want to keep the magic going for personal reasons instead of the good of others. Alma isn't a villain in Encanto at the end of the day. Though Alma opposes Mirabel at points in the film, she's always thinking of others above herself.
Isabela likely envied Mirabel for living without the burden of family expectations, and Mirabel envied Isabela for being the supposedly perfect Madrigal that everyone loved. Each could've helped each other with their problems, but neither took the time to see what they were going through.
Within Encanto then, Dolores' “squeak” means that she is talking about something potentially upsetting or heard information she was not supposed to know. However, Dolores' squeak also has a deeper historical meaning. According to one explanation (via Twitter), gestures have great historical significance in Colombia.
For Dolores, his sounds are a regular part of everyday life. From Dolores's line about "rats talking in the walls," it's clear she's probably convinced herself over the years that she's not hearing Bruno – she simply hears rats. Additionally, it does appear that Dolores previously spoke up in Encanto.
One fan proposed that the etching of her looks sad, and that it might be because she doesn't like her gift. However, during a Q&A, Bush states it was intended as a look of contentment and peace, the result of no longer having to be on high-alert in the new, Maribel-led household.
The film received acclaim for its animation, voice acting, music, visuals, emotional story, and respect for Mexican culture. It grossed over $814 million worldwide, becoming the 16th highest-grossing animated film ever at the time of its release.
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.
Indeed, the reason why Mirabel doesn't get a gift in Encanto is that she already had the brains to take over as the family leader after Abuela Alma. Therefore, the miracle didn't need to give her an additional gift — Mirabel's gift in Encanto is her intellect, which she already possessed before the movie even began.
