The newest Disney movie to hit theaters and Disney+, Encanto brings a new world of magic and family to students.
According to Polygon, Disney’s new movie Encanto breaks away from the traditional villain-centered trope, diving into the effects of interpersonal conflict.
Encanto also offers a refreshing look at Colombia, highlighting the cultural beauty of the country. According to New York Times, Encanto places Colombia in a new light since the making of Narcos, which harped on negative stereotypes surrounding the Colombian culture.
Encanto focuses on a magical and fantastical family, the Madrigals, who were all rewarded the gift of a special power on their fifth birthday. All were gifted except Mirabel Madrigal, the young protagonist of the story.
According to Vulture, the magical gifts bestowed on each of the Madrigals bring light and community into their sheltered town. The town counts on the Madrigals to tie everyone together into a functional family. This brings upon it a sense of perfectionism and keeping up appearances within and outside the family.
Encanto has become an instantaneous hit among people of all ages, with Lin-Manual Miranda and Germaine Franco credited for writing the catchy and diverse score and soundtrack. The songs are not the only reason the movie is done so well, though.
According to Psychology Today, Encanto explores the idea of resilience being put into action without being forced and leaves room for Mirabel to fail.
When Mirabel fails, the problem is not immediately fixed. The situation remains broken for quite some time and this leaves room for healing among the Madrigals, who then learn to rebuild their family as they rebuild their home from scratch.
These themes are important among young adults and college students. The need to keep up a persona of having everything together while “doing it all” is crippling.
Mirabel learns the lesson of being allowed to feel her emotions while also not being offered a solution right away. This leaves room for students to explore their internal conflicts, rethink relationships with family members and gain perspective on them.
In the song Dos Oruguitas, the audience learns why the character Abuela Alma holds on to her family with such gusto and reassures the town that everything is okay within their family when that is not the complete truth.
Trauma from community displacement as well as personal trauma is explored in a way that is easier to understand. The audience sees flashbacks from Abuela Alma about community displacement and how her husband, Abuelo Pedro, lost his life trying to protect his community and family.
Personal trauma is explored by Mirabel in her flashbacks when she did not receive a gift on her fifth birthday. Encanto explores ideas not previously seen from Disney, and those ideas are being discussed in conversations between students and their families.
Encanto is currently in theaters and available to stream on Disney+.
