Thoughts on Disney's recent Family-themed Movie (Encanto)

Who's the real enemy? Or rather, is there really an enemy? Since I was not feeling well, I decided to watch Disney's Encanto last night and I must say, it was really magical. In this Disney movie, I really just can't help but to think who the villain is, if there's any. If I were to compare the Disney movies I've watched through the years, there's always a villain, some are just subtle or hidden.

Note: If you haven't watched Encanto yet, stop reading here, watch it here , then read my article. Lol.

Actually, I have tons of thoughts about this movie regarding... everything. Well, join me as I lay them all down.

Characters

No, I will not describe them all because I know you're already familiar with them after watching the movie. I will just point out the characters that struck me the most.

• Mirabel

  I've seen lots of commentaries about why Mirabel didn't get her gift. The reason? She wiped the magic after touching the light. Is that really it? I don't think so.

  I think Mirabel was really destined to have the gift of being just like herself so everyone in her family voices out what they really feel. Imagine if they still go on, living their lives, pretending everything's okay but were not? Oh well, that's another topic.

  Notice also Mirabel's costume. Although her outfit is a bit simple, she got every little thing from her family. Her blouse is white but with a flower that's just exactly the same as his father. You can also see a cloud and embroidered flowers on her blouse that signifies Pepa and Isabela altogether. The color of her skirt is similar to her parent's color - teal and blue. Antonio's gift can be seen on her skirt as well. Fascinating, right?

• Isabela

  The perfect one! Well, what can I say about Isabela? She's just so perfect. I will just focus on her outfit as well. Her outfit is not that much of her parents - blue and teal. Her color is pretty much the combination of Abuela's and her parents which, I think, made her the family's, or rather, Abuela's prized possession.

• Luisa

  I'm glad Disney didn't make her the strong feminine character with pants on because that's how other movies portray a strong girl - in pants and boyish. Who said girls who are strong can only wear pants? Plus points for this representation, Disney. I also liked the part where Luisa started telling Mirabel her worries and fears. Luisa is the strongest of them all and the most overworked Madrigal, she deserves some rest too. So, if you're like the breadwinner of the family, you too, deserve some rest. Being the strongest doesn't mean that you can carry all the burdens all your own.

• Pepa

  Remember Pepa, the weather girl? I really love her gift! Maybe she was given that gift because she's the jolliest one, so she can bring sunshine into the darkest room. But of course, it ain't always a sunny day. She was pressured because of Abuela's and the society's expectations. Weather changes because of her mood but in the end, she was dancing with her husband, enjoying herself under a cloud of rain! Fascinating, right? It occurred to me that rain isn't all about being negative and having a bad mood. It can also be a feeling of satisfaction, relief or just feeling cozy because you're home. After all, home isn't just about the place where you live. It could also be a person, or a family. Love love that scenario!

• Alma/Abuela

  One of the most hated characters in the story but she's not the villain though. She's a product of societal trauma that's why she had to really protect the family. Familiar? Yes! This is how our elders act. They were traumatized by the happenings back then that it made them want to protect what they have now, they're being strict without their knowing. What I love about this movie is that Abuela apologized for that, and I hope, in real life, people can do this too.

The Villain

Who is the real villain? I don't think it's Abuela. I bet Abuela is the problem, her way of managing the society but she's not the villain.

For me, the villain here is the people who keep on hunting them before they discovered Encanto. Abuela wouldn't be that strict if Pedro didn't die and if they weren't on the run. They were dependent on the magic and the gifts because they don't want to experience that heartbreaking scene again.

My Take-Aways

If we will analyze the movie from its basic sense, the depicted theme is the importance of family and each member of the family - with or without their gifts. But is that all? I don't think so.

Our gifts and our worth

In the society where we live, our worth is often about 'what we can contribute'. If you don't have a job, you're worthless. If you're a professional, you're way higher than the others. It's our so-called gifts. Just like in this movie, we think we're worthless if we can't help or we can't serve others.

'I will make them proud' is one of the things we usually say when we're off to accomplish something but in reality, this phrase is really toxic. Why do we need to pressure ourselves just to satisfy other people? When we're pressured, we tend to do destructive things, to others and to ourselves.

We are more than what we can offer. Remember that.

Bounce back and Rebuild

In whatever we've been through, we can always start again. This movie showed us that we can always bounce back and rebuild everything, maybe not the way it used to be, but better and with a better perspective.

One day of being behind doesn't mean it's already the end of the world for us. It's part of the process, it's part of our individual journey.

Humble Family

Now, why do I love this movie? It isn't just an ordinary family movie. This movie shows how a member of a family can apologize to the other, despite their age. Abuela did apologize to Mirabel, to everyone, for all the pressure she put on them. Wouldn't it be nice if we can all say sorry to everyone we hurt? Including our family? Because believe it or not, in our families, usually in Asian families, we cannot even talk back. So, salute the elderlies who can admit their mistakes and are trying their best to change for the better. Either way, family is family, they apologized, you accept them, you both heal or in the process of healing and at the end of the day, you still love each other. After all, we're not perfect. We all make mistakes.

So, that's it! What are your thoughts about Encanto? I'd love to read them!