Encanto is honored to be the 60th film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and will be released this week by Disney and Digital.if (typeof __ez_fad_position! = ‘undefined’) {__ ez_fad_position (‘div-gpt-ad-solzyatthemovies_com -medrectangle-3-0 ‘)};
In the heights. Vivo. tick, tick … BOOM! Encanto. What do all four of these films have in common? They all have some kind of Lin-Manuel Miranda capacity. The Oscar still escapes the PEGT winner, so we’ll see if the upcoming Oscars are the year. However, there is certainly fierce competition for the best original song. Miranda’s first completely Spanish song – sung by Sebastián Yatra – is “Dos Oruguitas” and gives the film a folk song atmosphere. Nothing is ever a guarantee during the awards season, so time will tell.
It feels like an odd decision made by the Oscar-winning filmmakers at Zootopia, but they focus on the family. But in 2021, that’s the kind of movie we want to see. Or at least I definitely do. Sure, the movie has its roots in magic, but at the end of the day it celebrates our immediate and extended families. One family in particular: the magical madrigals of Colombia.
When it comes to family, there is always that one person who stands out from the crowd. It could be politics, sport or something. But in the case of the film, it’s Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). Your character is the only one in the film who has no magical powers. In addition, her name reflects one of the themes, the perspective of the film and how we see humans with their true selves. Not so much how they appear on the outside, but who they are on the inside. This also helps explain why Mirabel wears glasses. In many ways, it makes her a very different main character than the main Disney characters of the past few years.
Mirabel finds a way to somehow get on without a gift. If it feels like everyone else is a superhero, Mirabel is the character we can relate to. But when Encanto’s magic gets into trouble, who else will go on a journey to save her except Mirabel!
Besides Mirabel, everyone in her family has some magical gift. The filmmakers make these gifts available to the public because they relate to real life. Julieta (Angie Cepeda), for example, has the power to heal from the food she prepares. Or as I put it where I’m from: Chicken soup is Jewish penicillin (unless you’re like me and allergic to penicillin)! Luisa (Jessica Darrow) has super powers because there is always that one family member who carries the whole world on her shoulders. Isabela (Diane Guerrero) is the « golden child » with the ability to make flowers bloom because there is always that one person who has to surpass everything. I could go on like this, but I think you get the idea.
Encanto may be an animated film, but there are certainly a few things that could get over the minds of children. Adults will know when they see it. Maybe, maybe not – it could even go over your head! But otherwise there are bright colors everywhere. As for light, nothing in the film is rooted in electricity. It’s either natural or magical. How about that?
Old school animation fans will surely appreciate the hand-drawn rat shadows during « We’re Not Talking About Bruno ». Most animation is computer generated these days, but this is a nice way to get back to Disney’s roots.
Disney does its due diligence in setting the film in Colombia. The filmmakers went on a research trip and also worked with the Colombian Cultural Trust. A group of Latinx Disney Animation employees, Familia, also shared their perspectives and experiences. You couldn’t make this movie without the groups stepping in to share their experiences. Make sure to check out the bonus features to hear from the Familia Cultural Trust.
I love how the Walt Disney Animation Studios keep relying on diversity in their animated films. We have seen this before in the past few years, for example with Moana and Raya and the last dragon. It’s on the Pixar side of things, too. Disney is taking us on a lively and magical journey to Colombia in Encanto with its 60th cartoon for fun for the whole family.
DIRECTORS: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
CO-DIRECTOR: Charise Castro Smith
Scriptwriters: Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush
Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama, Rhenzy Feliz, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Adassa
Danielle Solzman comes from Louisville, KY , and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and an MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She has roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. She lives less than a mile from Wrigley Field in Chicago, is an active reader (sports / entertainment / history / biographies / select fiction) and is involved in the Chicago improvisation scene. She also watches and reviews many films.
She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote / Flickside. From April 2016 to May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.
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