Encanto

 

Release Date: November 24, 2021

Watch Date: January 1, 2023

"Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Encanto' tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Columbia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal - every child except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope."

    I love this movie.

    I love the songs. I love that there's no villain. I love the extremely accurate family dynamics that are portrayed.

    We may not talk about Bruno, but I will absolutely talk about Encanto.

    I have yet to speak with anyone who's seen this film who hasn't been able to relate in some way. The sibling who feels like they have to keep everything together, the one that has to be perfect, the outcast, the emotional one, the patri/matriarch who expects too much from the rest. This family; flaws, motivations and all, are extremely realistic. In my incredibly large extended family I could slot everyone in - which doesn't usually happen.

    But the core of it all is love. This family, the Madrigals, despite the misunderstandings, the fights, and the hurt, they love each other. That's the dream of all chaotic families, that deep down you will all put family first - that you love each other. Don't we all want to be in a family like that?

    The music is amazing. Lin Manuel Miranda is a genius, and no one can change my mind on that. Don't even try. 'In The Heights', 'Hamilton', 'Moana' and now 'Encanto'. Each song is enjoyable on it's own and our kids have spent countless hours dancing to them all. Does Miranda have a very obvious and predictable style? Yes! So what? I don't care - as long as they're good. And these songs are very good.

    The world, the characters, and the songs are all equally colourful and exciting. They bring joy. They make the darker moments truly feel dark. It adds an amazing contrast, a happy go lucky house to a violent overthrow of a country. Not something you'd normally expect from a core animated Disney movie, but we're not hurting for it happening.

    I'm glad that I chose to introduce my Puerto Rican husband to Encanto - he loved it just as much as I knew he would. We got to have fun, and he got to finally receive context for the songs he's been forced to listen to over and over again. How he managed to avoid it for so long, I'll never know, and I'm sure now that he's seen it, he regrets waiting as long as he did.