The opening of Disney’s Encanto has a lot of heavy lifting to do. The first song has to introduce all 11 members of “The Family Madrigal” (12 if you count Bruno, but “we don’t talk about Bruno”), describe their specific magical powers, explain the source of that magical power, and fill in a troubled family past. It’s a lot to take in! Thankfully, once Encanto settles down (or at least calms down a bit) it develops into a charming story about family.
Maribel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) is the second youngest member of the Madrigal family, the dynasty that found, and takes care of, a mystical valley in the Colombian jungle. While fleeing from an unnamed war/revolution, Maribel’s Abuela Alma (her grandmother), along with her three babies, finds a miracle. A magical candle that creates their fantastical “casita;” a house that’s literally alive. The window shutters wave hello and and the floorboards will fetch your shoes for you.
As the family has grown over the years, so too has the village surrounding it, which the family takes care of using the magical powers bestowed upon them by the house/candle (it’s never made quite clear how this works, so don’t worry about it). Maribel’s sister Luisa is super strong, her mother can miraculously heal injuries though food, her aunt’s moods affect the local weather, and her uncle Bruno can even see the future, but “we don’t talk about Bruno” .
Far From The Tree
Accompanying Encanto in the cinema is the animated short Far From The Tree. A delightful 2D animation tale of raccoons passing knowledge from one generation to the next, learning about the dangers to be found at the beach, aka far from the safety of a tree. With 3D animation so prevalent now it’s quite pleasant to see an animated short in the style of the Fox and the Hound. The short’s message of how best to pass on knowledge to younger generations pairs nicely with the themes of the main feature. Much better than the more commercially minded tie-ins we’ve had in the past. (I’m looking at you Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.) Also, the chittering raccoons are super cute.
Everyone has their own unique magical gifts except Maribel, who received none when her time came. Now, as the family prepares for her cousin to receive his gift, and as the family receives an advantageous marriage proposal, literal cracks begin to show in the casita. Might they be signs of cracks in the family as well?
Can Maribel “protect the miracle” and find out what’s happening before her family is torn apart, or is she herself the cause of all their problems?
The Next Great Product From Walt Disney Animation Studios
While Walt Disney Animation Studios have learned the hard lessons of the early 2000s from Pixar, and consistently put out quality films (it’s a been a long time since Home on the Range), each new release can feel a little like the eye of Sauron has fallen on a new country or culture to be fed to the Disney machine.
The Mouse House’s take on Poleynesian cultures (Moana), Scandinavian cultures (Frozens 1 and 2, kind of), and a mishmash of Southeast Asian cultures (Raya and the Last Dragon) have all done very well for them. I have no clue how true to Colombian culture Disney’s Encanto is, but after that jam packed opening, directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith tell an all too easily relatable tale about families, and discovering our places within them.
Despite her outsider status as the only family member who isn’t magically gifted, this isn’t some chosen one style narrative. Despite the gift for prophecy running in the family (“we don’t talk about Bruno!”), it’s not like Maribel has been predicted to save her family. Well, okay, she kind of has been, but it’s equally possible that she’s the one who will actually destroy it. It adds a nice layer of ambiguity and unpredictability to the story.
With so many characters (and the casita itself) to juggle, Encanto can feel a little dizzying, as its 99 minute runtime flies by. At no point does the film concern itself with the source of the fantastical power that gives the family their magic. It’s more concerned about how each family members’ gift impacts them.
We Don’t Talk About Bruno!
As you’d expect John Leguizamo’s Bruno (remember “we don’t talk about Bruno“) is a standout, due to both his performance, as always, and the quirkiness of the character. What is it with Disney and the name Bruno anyway? You’ll find no hint of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Rosa Diaz in Stephanie Beatriz’s charming Mirabel, but outside of those two characters, the rest can be a bit of a blur.
After thoroughly enjoying previous Lin Manuel Miranda projects, sometimes in spite of myself, I was slightly disappointed to find I struggled to hum any of the tunes from Encanto even as I left the cinema.
Despite his credit for “original songs,” along with Germaine Franco (Coco), hearing his music come from other voices does eliminate some of the issues that bothered me at start of Vivo. He may reuse similar musical patterns and tropes, but hearing them come from other, primarily female voices, lends a freshness to them. I couldn’t help but laugh at the repeated rhyming of “Madrigal” with “Madrigal,” but to be fair, not a lot of words rhyme with “Madrigal” (apart from Maribel!). He pulled the same trick in Moana, repeatedly rhyming “Island” with itself.
Still, I didn’t find any of the songs hit quite as powerfully as “How Far I’ll Go” or “One More Song,” although the staccato pace of “Surface Pressure” with Jessica Darrow comes close.
Home Is Where the Heart(strings) Are (Pulled)
While the songs may not have stuck in my mind, the plot certainly does. Disney’s Encanto lacks a traditional villain and despite what some parts of the trailers might lead you to believe, a traditional quest plot. The source of the family’s troubles originates much closer to home but not in the way you might expect. While the film started development long before the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s kind of funny just how much of the story takes place within the home.
I may not have enjoyed the songs as much as I’d wanted to, but through Maribel’s struggles, and those of her family, Disney’s Encanto still managed to tug at my heartstrings. I might not love it quite as much as Walt Disney Animation Studio’s past works, but Encanto still managed to bring a (happy) tear to my eye.
If you still can, make sure to give your Abuelo or Abuela a call after watching Encanto. Or just give your family a big hug.
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