The latest Disney animated film, Encanto, takes viewers to a small, magical village in Columbia where we get the chance to meet the Madrigal family, three generations of people who have brought safety and happiness to the land thanks to the magical candle that graces them all with powers.
The film begins with a rather heartbreaking flashback to a young Alma Madrigal, who was forced to flee from her home with her husband, Pedro, and their three infant children, Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno thanks to a violent revolution. Unfortunately, when they're pursued by violent attackers Pedro loses his life in order to buy his family time to get away. This selfless act created a 'miracle', changing the candle Alma holds into a magical candle. This candle created a safe haven around Alma, providing her with a sentient house to help her and her children, as well as a safe valley around them for all who need it.
Over the next fifty years more people have moved to this hidden Encanto, and a community has formed. And, Alma's children, and their children have all been given amazing gifts from the magical candle. As the Encanto prepares for the ceremony in which Pepa's youngest son, Antonio, will receive his gift, it's revealed to us that Mirabel, Julieta's youngest daughter, never received a gift during her ceremony. With the family worried that perhaps Antonio won't receive a gift wither, that perhaps the magic is fading, they're relieved when the magic works.
Whilst the rest of the family are busy celebrating Antonio's new powers they fail to recognise how hard this has been for Mirabel, and she's let to wander the house alone. It's then that she begins to notice cracks forming around the house, heading towards the magical candle. When the candle almost goes out she becomes convinced that the miracle, and their home, is at risk. Despite the rest of her family failing to believe her Mirabel sets out to find a solution and save the people she loves.
Even going into Encanto knowing the basic set-up the film does a great job at bringing people up to speed in the first ten minutes, providing the audience with both a handy primer on the history of the Madrigal family, as well as breaking down who everyone is and what their special gifts are. Having grown up with a family who'd often be asking me who people are and why they're doing certain things whenever we'd be watching films this kind of concise opening is the kind of thing that I wish more films had.
I think another thing that really helps with this film towards the beginning is that at first it kind of feels very familiar. A magical place where the magic is beginning to fade and one person sets out to make things right is a staple of fantasy stories; and we've all seen the kind of interpersonal drama and conflict that the Madrigals engage in across all kind of media, and quite possibly in real life too. But where Encanto really starts to move away from the familiar and feels like its own film is when it starts to address themes of inter-generational trauma, as well as the migrant experience.
As someone who's never lived that life I can't speak to how true these elements of the story are; but having spent even a little time on social media I've been able to see people talk about these aspects, and how the film captures these pains and journeys well and presents them in a way that films often never even tries. It gives viewers a whole new way of seeing this kind of story; one that makes it feel so special and different even if you can't relate to it yourself.
There have been so many amazing things written about this film already by people with important connections to it, people who have had to flee their homes to make new lives for themselves, people who have grown up the children of immigrants, people who have grown up with strong family expectations placed upon them. These are the important themes of Encanto, ones that could be missed on a shallow, cursory viewing of the film, but need to be acknowledged. As such, I'd encourage you to stop listening to some white woman talk about the film and go out to find the people whose opinions really matter.
Encanto isn't just a wonderfully fun and movie film, its an important movie that is going to mean a lot to people. It's continuing Disney's approach of moving away from 'traditional' white stories and embracing the peoples and cultures of the world to tell stories that everyone can enjoy, but that also finally let some people feel seen and represented in important ways.
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