In a world where we’re encouraged to monetise all our skills and hobbies, Encanto questions who we are beyond our abilities, our professions. Stripped of all that, are we deserving of love, just like the powerless main character Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is in a super-powered family? Of course, Encanto does it with a song and dance and plenty of splash and colour, and there’s a happy ending to be had for all. There are no talking animals (or furniture)… but there is a sentient house.
The story behind the super powers lies with the stern matriarch of the Madrigal family (a “madrigal” is a type of musical composition, if you’re musically illiterate like me). Abuela Alma (“abuela” means grandmother in Spanish) keeps a magical candle that turns their house into a living home that almost talks (it doesn’t, but it can certainly communicate in other ways). Whenever a Madrigal comes of age, the candle will bestow magical powers on him or her. Mirabel is the only one who didn’t receive powers from the candle, and is the odd one out in the family. But you probably already knew that, because she’s also the only bespectacled character in the film (a bit on the nose, no?) (and what’s wrong with wearing spectacles?).
While everyone is generally accepting of Mirabel’s differences (or at the very least, they politely avoid the topic), Abuela isn’t quite as forgiving. In fact, her disdain at Mirabel is palpable – she thinks of Mirabel as the failure, the embarrassment of the family. Despite the Madrigals being a Spanish family, Abuela is shockingly Asian (Singaporean, even) in her thinking. It’s almost as if the Madrigals were a family of President’s Scholars and Mirabel was the only one who didn’t get one. While it’s clear that Abuela loves the family, it’s also clear that she’s very concerned about their super powers.
As with every film, there’s a conflict to be resolved – and not just the matriarch’s shockingly relatable Tiger Mum traits. It’s the fact that the magic powering the candle, their house, everyone’s powers – it’s all somehow fading. And that’s where Mirabel’s journey begins, as each character in the family gets the spotlight (also, a chance to show their super powers!) plus a chance to sing.
Remember that Mirabel doesn’t have any powers. She’s, at best, ordinary. As the heroine of the tale, she’s spunky and quick-witted and all those other traits that are necessary to drive the story forward. But here she is, watching everyone in her family use their powers as she tries to find out what’s wrong with the magic. And I couldn’t help but squirm a bit thinking about that – it’s like living with a family of overachievers. At every turn, she’s berated by Abuela, who inexplicably starts to blame her for the problems that have to do with the magic.
Like every good story about family, there is an estranged member who is severely misunderstood by the other characters – but is the one who holds the key to solving the mystery that ails them. And he loves them dearly, watching them from a distance. If you’ve ever been estranged from family before, you can identify with that – everyone loves their family, no matter how enormous the gulf is between you and your loved ones.
So in the climax, when his existence is revealed to the matriarch, her reaction to him brought tears to my eyes. I think it’s the desire for acceptance that lurks deep within us all that I resonated most with. It’s the desire that we all have – to be accepted for more than just what we’re useful for or how much we’ve achieved. Anyway I full-on cried, it wasn’t just tears, because it was an emotional moment that was truly earned by the film.
That’s where Encanto feels like a giant feel-good commentary against the commercialism of this world – you’re more than the value you bring to others (and stakeholders). It’s not always about creating value (but of course, this should not be used as an argument to slack off in front of your boss). It’s about the fact that, as Abuela sings, “a miracle is not just a gift, it’s just you.” We are miracles, simply because we’re alive, and also because we’ve lived through two years of a pandemic (and possibly another five years more according to Lawrence Wong, Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce).
However, I have to quibble about the songs. While they’re written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the instruments are often louder than the vocals, making it a struggle to understand what the lyrics are. Perhaps it’s because I’m musically illiterate, as I’ve mentioned before, but I like most musicals and I found myself leaning forward as I strained to make out the words. The songs are all on YouTube, by the way.
If this were a Star Wars film (it is not), the message would be something like this. Loss leads to fear. Fear leads to tyranny. Tyranny leads to pain. But love is the reason why loss exists in the first place (after all, it wouldn’t be a loss if you didn’t love that person), and love is ultimately the answer that conquers all.
But that beautiful message is somewhat undercut by an extremely standard Disney ending that rewards everyone after the lesson had been learnt. Had it ended in a slightly more sombre way, with them dealing with the losses they’ve been dealt, the message would be far stronger.
Encanto is a story about love and family, and about loving people for who they are, not what they can do. In a commercialised, Asian world, it’s an important reminder. But in a pandemic, it’s an even more important reminder to love people, rather than the value they can bring. Go say that to your family after reading this.
Director: Byron Howard and Jared Bush Writers: Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, with story credits for Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, and Lin-Manuel Miranda Voice cast: Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel Madrigal), John Leguizamo (Bruno Madrigal), Maria Cecilia Botero (Abuela Alma Madrigal), David Guerrero (Isabela Madrigal), Jessica Darrow (Luisa Madrigal), Angie Cepeda (Julieta Madrigal), Wilmer Valderrama (Agustín Madrigal), Carolina Gaitán (Pepa Madrigal), Mauro Castillo (Félix Madrigal), Adassa (Dolores Madrigal), Rhenzy Feliz (Camilo Madrigal), and Ravi-Cabot Conyers (Antonio Madrigal). Genres: Fantasy, Comedy, Musical
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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