The toddler is on an Encanto kick, so I’ve been rewatching it a lot, and it’s honestly one of the best Disney movies to get stuck rewatching on repeat. Every rewatch I notice new things. Some notes (which others have probably noted before but I’m gonna jot them down anyway):
Mirabel is sometimes called “Mira,” which is Spanish for “look.” She’s also the only character with glasses, which usually in literature symbolizes special knowledge, insight, or the ability to see what others can’t.
Incidentally, Mirabel and Bruno both face difficulties in their family for seeing and exposing the uncomfortable truths and secrets everyone would rather bury or ignore.
Mirabel’s scene with Antonio at the start shows what makes her important; while others in the family are concerned about making Antonio’s night perfect, Mirabel makes him feel loved no matter if his night (or he) is perfect or not.
Mirabel uncovers her family members’ insecurities but accepts them at their worst and most vulnerable. They all need this, but it’s also uncomfortable after a lifetime of repression, and it’s what makes her the family villain through the middle of the movie—it’s easier to blame her for being at the center of it all than face the real problems in themselves and the family.
It’s probably no coincidence that the cracks in Casita grow right when Isabela is about to accept a proposal to a man she doesn’t want to marry, whom Dolores loves, which would have been a painful if not unbearable situation for both of them. Luisa is at the end of her rope as well. Mirabel sees the cracks and acts on them, but she’s clearly not the only factor in their existence.
Mirabel is a helper. She loves her family unconditionally and accepts their flaws. And so do the townpeople, who are such a good addition to the story. These are traits that don’t need a magical gift to exist.
The only person whom Mirabel doesn’t “see” in an uncritical light is Isabel, so obviously that’s the big hurdle for her to realize her full potential—she has to see Isabel as more than just “Miss Perfect,” as a person with her own struggles. Their hug is really meaningful as a turning point for Mirabel.
I really think Antonio is a secret agent in all of this—the bird follows Mirabel into Bruno’s cave and the rats are all there too, the animals put together the vision during the dinner scene, he shows up just when they need a room, and he’s always so chill…like that kid knows.
Bruno is in the background vibing during Dolores’s part of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” She’s the only one who knows he’s still around.
Everyone blames Mirabel for the botched proposal dinner, but Dolores totally didn’t need to do all that right then. Like, girl, shut up. You can clearly keep secrets. What the hell.
Camilo could 100% be removed from the movie without causing any meaningful differences, but also it’s fun to imagine what sort of pain he’s hiding—like he’s most “useful” when he’s somebody else. Yikes. Good thing he has a good sense of humor.
A spin-off series explore the characters of Encanto has the potential to be quite good if done sincerely and with love. But that’s a big ask for Disney if the quality of Moana 2 vs. Moana is anything to judge by.
All of the songs play such nice roles as exposition, characterization, foreshadowing, etc. Plus the repeated use of motifs like the doors and butterflies is great. It’s like an I Spy, noticing all the places the images repeat.
The flashback at the beginning when Abuela tells Mirabel about the encanto vs. the flashback at the end when the focus is more on her grief and loss…so good. In the first one, her sadness is overshadowed by the blessings of the miracle, and her expression is mild and palatable, but in the second, her expression is so much more real and raw. Good use of flashbacks not just as a means of providing exposition but as an exploration of memory, story, identity, character, etc.
Hands down my favorite Disney movie ever. The warmth and vibrancy, the quality soundtrack, the themes, the characters, the details…ugh. I wish Disney let their creators care about every movie the way the creators of Encanto clearly cared.