Opening the Door to a New Way of Disney
Encanto introduces a new side of storytelling through its creative plot.
By Maya Ortiz
Encanto introduces a new side of storytelling through its creative plot.
By Maya Ortiz
Along with Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season, Disney’s newly debuted and 60th animated movie “Encanto”’ welcomes families everywhere with its glowing graphics, spectacular songs, and relatable plot.
Mirabel Madrigal, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, lives in the mountains of Columbia with her 12 magical family members, all of which receive an extraordinary gift from a “miracle candle” at the age of five.
Of all her family, Mirabel is the only one that did not receive a magical gift. The enchanted family lives in a beautiful, color-filled village called Encanto, bursting with gratitude, spirit, music and magic. In the center of the extraordinary town is their human-like house named Casita, with a lively personality as well as moving floors and drawers. The source of the family’s magic, Abuela Alma’s candle, suddenly flickers on the night that Antonio, voiced by Ravi Cabot-Conyers, receives his magic gift, causing Casita to crack for an unknown reason. Mirabel begins her journey to restore the magic, believing this to be her fault and hence her obligation to fix.
One of the great things that sets “Encanto” apart is the fact that it breaks many of the old Disney movie stereotypes and expectations. Mirabel is one of few protagonists to wear glasses, which is not commonly seen. Unlike most Disney films, there is no real villain, but rather the self-destructing pressure and expectations from their own family which makes the story, though fictional, seem more like something you would find in real life. These small assets help make the film a lot more modern, relatable, and realistic than previous “classic” Disney movies.
This movie also introduces more representation for the Latinx community, for it is the only animated Disney movie since 2018’s “Coco” to do so. “Encanto” also shows a range of Colombian foods, dresses, music, and other traditions, in addition to being one of the only stories on screen to feature a large, multi-generational family.
What I love about this movie is the way it finds a relation between fantasy and reality by having a magical scenery, but normal life scenarios that people can personally see themselves in, like the family friction.
The moral that “Encanto ‘’ carries is powerful and valuable. It shows that the people who are “gifted” and “normal” both share problems despite their views on each other, mostly because of the perceptions, pressure and preconceptions from both sides. I think this was greatly shown by the two older sister’s struggles to live up to the weight of expectations placed upon them solely as a result of them having a gift. It is not necessarily better for either person, gift or no gift. It shows that life is not necessarily as good as it might seem for those who are considered gifted or special, and that it comes down to the same sort of problems in the end. “Encanto’’ embraces this strong concept more than any other Disney movie has done so previously, which makes this particular film stand out compared to the normal, similar, and predictable plot of most Disney movies. “Encanto’’ was a great, lively movie, and a pleasure to watch.
“Encanto” is playing in theaters everywhere and will premiere on Disney+ on Dec. 24.
Mirabel Madrigal, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, lives in the mountains of Columbia with her 12 magical family members, all of which receive an extraordinary gift from a “miracle candle” at the age of five.
Of all her family, Mirabel is the only one that did not receive a magical gift. The enchanted family lives in a beautiful, color-filled village called Encanto, bursting with gratitude, spirit, music and magic. In the center of the extraordinary town is their human-like house named Casita, with a lively personality as well as moving floors and drawers. The source of the family’s magic, Abuela Alma’s candle, suddenly flickers on the night that Antonio, voiced by Ravi Cabot-Conyers, receives his magic gift, causing Casita to crack for an unknown reason. Mirabel begins her journey to restore the magic, believing this to be her fault and hence her obligation to fix.
One of the great things that sets “Encanto” apart is the fact that it breaks many of the old Disney movie stereotypes and expectations. Mirabel is one of few protagonists to wear glasses, which is not commonly seen. Unlike most Disney films, there is no real villain, but rather the self-destructing pressure and expectations from their own family which makes the story, though fictional, seem more like something you would find in real life. These small assets help make the film a lot more modern, relatable, and realistic than previous “classic” Disney movies.
This movie also introduces more representation for the Latinx community, for it is the only animated Disney movie since 2018’s “Coco” to do so. “Encanto” also shows a range of Colombian foods, dresses, music, and other traditions, in addition to being one of the only stories on screen to feature a large, multi-generational family.
What I love about this movie is the way it finds a relation between fantasy and reality by having a magical scenery, but normal life scenarios that people can personally see themselves in, like the family friction.
The moral that “Encanto ‘’ carries is powerful and valuable. It shows that the people who are “gifted” and “normal” both share problems despite their views on each other, mostly because of the perceptions, pressure and preconceptions from both sides. I think this was greatly shown by the two older sister’s struggles to live up to the weight of expectations placed upon them solely as a result of them having a gift. It is not necessarily better for either person, gift or no gift. It shows that life is not necessarily as good as it might seem for those who are considered gifted or special, and that it comes down to the same sort of problems in the end. “Encanto’’ embraces this strong concept more than any other Disney movie has done so previously, which makes this particular film stand out compared to the normal, similar, and predictable plot of most Disney movies. “Encanto’’ was a great, lively movie, and a pleasure to watch.
“Encanto” is playing in theaters everywhere and will premiere on Disney+ on Dec. 24.