The Real Magic
As a child, I grew up thinking of a world where magic exists. A world where one could control the earth, or the water. A place where one could be magical.
Tonight I encountered a magical world just like that. Well, to be more precise, I met a magical family along with my partner. The place where they lived is so beautiful and one can clearly see the magic that surrounds their home.
If you do not know the family I am talking about here, they are the Madrigals from the movie Encanto. My partner and I just finished watching it tonight so I wanted to share some thoughts I have of the movie.
I actually saw a lot of good reviews about the animation of the movie on the art side of Twitter so I have been wanting to see it. Good thing that my partner was willing to watch it with me as well.
The first thing that caugh my attention is obviously the animation. The art and just the transitions are so amazing that my artist heart exploded with delight all throughout the movie. The music is so good as well. I got an a-ha moment about this part when I saw Lin Manuel Miranda in the credits.
Anyway, aside from the good things I mentioned above, I liked the plot. It was about magic so I already fell in love with it within the first few minutes. I will try to limit the spoilers but there will be spoilers here so be warned for everyone who wish to read further.
At first, I felt sad about the main character, Mirabel. She looked so happy at first even though she was given no Gift that her family was known for. I had a feeling that it was just a mask since really, if you had been in her situation, no matter how optimistic you are, you are probably bound to feel some doubts and insecurities about that.
As the movie progresses, we begin to see cracks in this magical family which are physically represented in the cracks that appeared in their house. Their magic was also weakening which caused great distress for the characters.
The last straw for this crumbling family happened on a night of a supposed celebration. An argument took place between Mirabel and her Abuela. The source of the argument is the underlying tension between them about Miranel's lack of power. Mirabel was of the opinion that the Miracle is fading away due to the pressure her Abuela put on her family to be perfect and happy all the time. Her Abuela then told her that just because Mirabel was given no Gift does it make it okay for her to try and ruin the family.
After this argument, the house where they lived in crumbled and the candle that signifies their magic burned out.
Mirabela, heartbroken about what happened fled. She was found crying by her Abuela. In this emotional scene, the characters figured out that the miracle is not their magic or their magical house but them. They are the miracle of their family and their harmony is what is important. I really like the part where Mirabel told her Abuela that it does matter if something is broken because together (as a family) they can fix it.
At the end of the movie, Mirabela was given a knob to open the door to their newly-built house. Once the knob was placed on the door, the door suddenly lights up and the magic was once again returned to the Madrigals but this time they already know what is the true magic.
My thoughts
I really like the part in the movie where Luisa sang about her vulnerabilities. She shared about how the weight the family gave her is heavy and she is afraid that she is not strong enough. I can clearly feel the pressure that she is under and I related to her. I felt as if she knows what I feel everytime I carry the responsibilities on my shoulders.
I also loved Isabela's song. This is the first time where I saw her as anything other than her perfect persona. Here I saw that underneath the meek perfect girl is someone who is curious and just wants to have fun.
It was amazing seeing how this "perfect" family actually have members falling apart on the inside and no one can see it until Mirabela does.
This movie reminded me that just because something look bright and perfect on the outside does not mean that it is also what is inside. Everyone carries secret fears and it is important to remember that.
I love how at the end of the movie they emphasized the important of a healthy family not just a complete family but a healthy one. The movie showed that though a family might encounter problems, it can be solved by proper communication where both sides are willing to see and to understand other's point of view. I like how Mirabela showed them to yer family that they are more than just their Gifts, they are people first and foremost.
Have you guys watched Encanto yet? If you have not, I recommend it if you love magical things and heartwarming stories.
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Reading about your thoughts makes me want to watch this. 🙂