We can’t talk about Bruno, but we can talk about Encanto
Olivia Hupfauer, Staff Writer and Graphic Artist
The Disney Renaissance period is said to be one of the most creative and innovative time periods in film history. Out of it came our beloved childhood movies like “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mulan,” “Toy Story” and many others.
Though the Renaissance period ended in 1999, Disney’s imagination was just getting started. The early 2000’s was flooded with Disney movies. The company produced and released over 100 films from 2000 to 2004. The company was on a roll. But as time went on and the early 2000’s faded into the teens, Disney began focusing its attention on retellings of previously successful films. Nostalgia and money presently rule the creative process.
About every five years, Disney dusts the cobwebs off from their creative minds and produces something new and original. Such is the case with Disney’s most recent animated film, “Encanto.”
“Encanto,” Disney’s 60th animated feature film, released on Nov. 24, 2021. The film is directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush and written by multiple people: Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film’s score was composed by Germaine Franco, the first woman to score a Disney animated feature film. Its songs were written by the well-known Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The story follows Mirabel Madrigal, a Columbian girl living in a magical house with her big family, all under supervision of their Abuela, the matriarch. Each family member, save Abuela Alma, Mirabel, Mirabel’s father Augustín and Uncle Félix (who both married into the Madrigal family) are given a gift from a magical candle once they reach a certain age as a child. These gifts range from incredible super strength in Luisa (Mirabel’s sister) to the ability to heal others through food (Mirabel’s mother Julieta.)
But Mirabel was never given a gift during her right of passage. This makes her relationship with the family rocky at times, as Mirabel just wants to fit in and be accepted. Abuela is harsh and judgmental throughout the film. No matter what Mirabel does, it is never enough, and Mirabel seems to always be the scapegoat when something goes wrong; even when it’s obviously not her fault. One night Mirabel sees cracks in the house and the magical candle’s flame begins to wane. Despite her warnings, the family doesn’t listen to Mirabel. So, it is up to Mirabel to save the magic and her family.
There are many wonderful things about this film; first is the animation. The film is full of vibrant colors and incredible attention to detail. Each character’s hair is remarkable. Curls bounce when the characters move their heads, and Isabela’s dark, silky locks shine in the light. Mirabel’s glasses also reflect whatever she is looking at. Dresses and skirts ripple with movement and the plant life has texture and depth. The film had all things that were present in recent previous Disney animations, but the animators definitely took it to the next level with this movie.
Another thing that is spectacular is the camera movement. Although this film is animated – drawn, digitally configured, and all computer generated, there are still “camera movements.” There are jib shots taking an angle from ground level to an establishing shot overlooking the town square. In one clip during the infamous Bruno song, one shot turns to the right into a Dutch angle – there’s even a focus shift from a close up on Luisa’s face to Mirabel standing a few feet behind Luisa. The fluidity of the animation with having to correctly animate the characters and location along with swift and smooth movements of the “camera angle” is a difficult and tedious job – my compliments to the animators.
The theme of the story is one that will hit home for many people. Often families, parents or guardians put pressure on certain family members to be perfect like Isabela or strong like Luisa. Some may feel like Mirabel, just wanting to fit in, be accepted and just “enough” for the family. While not everyone will have an Abuela like Abuela Alma, this story has potential to resonate with many. Family is not perfect, but that is ok, because the uniqueness of each member is what makes everyone special.
Although the film has many great things going for it, there are some things that hinder its telling. Mainly, the way the family was written to treat each other – specifically Mirabel and Bruno. The problem is not with the family having flaws. The problem lies with the writing – story wise, some things don’t make sense. Abuela does not have a gift – she is the protector of the magic and family. But Abuela is not going to live forever. So, when Mirabel does not inherit a gift, no one in this big family thought that Mirabel was meant to take Abuela’s place as overseer of the magic. It is hard to believe that the protector of the family magic did not think about who would be inheriting her role when she passed. Abuela’s entire character is strict and protective the majority of the film, so it would make sense for her to have one family member being trained for her particular role. This is a big inconsistency.
It is also confusing to understand why Bruno was ostracized because his gift (prophecy) did what it was supposed to do. He can’t help what happens, he can only see what will happen. No one outcasts Dolores when she spills a secret she heard, or Pepa when her rain makes the floor wet. But Bruno’s gift does what it is supposed to do, and he is shunned from the family. And when everyone reunites, all is forgotten. Bruno’s sad, depressing five-to-eight-year exile is just forgotten. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing, but Bruno would probably still be working through some things before being ok with the entire family again. After all, they did make up an entire song about never mentioning his name.
In my opinion, these are the two most significant plot points that hinder the story. Some rewrites of the script could have enhanced the story much more. “Encanto” looks great and is the result of many months of hard work, but unfortunately it falls a bit flat when the story is dissected and analyzed.
With that being said, it was still an enjoyable hour and 50 minutes. It proves that Disney still has the potential and creativity to tell new and heartwarming stories.
