Respond to these rapid questions in our Encanto quiz and we will tell you which Encanto character you are. Play it now.
A perennial problem is locating something to watch with the entire family over the holidays, especially if you have children. It’s as much a part of American tradition as eating turkey on Thanksgiving and listening to Christmas carols on the radio shortly afterward, for example. A warm, feel-good family friendly film called “Encanto” is being released by Disney this holiday season. The film is based on the Colombian magical realist novel of the same name, which tells the story of a family who receives special powers after surviving a tragedy. Now, a few generations later, they live together in a magical house, where each member develops their own talent, such as the ability to control the weather, shapeshift into other people, and communicate with animals, among other abilities. Their casita (house) responds to the family’s requests and changes its appearance in response to their changing moods. Each bedroom is magically customized to the relative and the magical gift they have received. All, with the exception of one, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz).
In “Encanto,” we follow Mirabel, a “girl with no apparent gift” who tries her hardest to fit in with a family that is so out of the ordinary that her judgmental Abuela Alma (Mara Cecilia Botero) disappoints her at every turn. When her mother, Julieta (Angie Cepeda), can heal wounds with her cooking—specifically, her arepas con queso—when her sister Luisa (Jessica Darrow) can lift the heaviest of objects with ease, and when her sister Isabela (Diane Guerrero) can grow the most beautiful flowers without thinking about it, it’s difficult for Mirabel to make a name for herself. After noticing that the family’s casita is beginning to show cracks, Mirabel reports her concerns to the rest of the family who dismisses them as something her estranged eccentric uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo) would say. It is up to Mirabel to figure out what is going on in order to save her family as well as her home.
Directors Charise Castro Smith, who shares more than a passing resemblance with the film’s main character, and co-director Jared Bush and Byron Howard (“Zootopia”) have created yet another sweet and uplifting film about misfits who try to do the right thing for the right reasons. One of the most notable aspects of this Disney film is that there is no villain; instead, there is a nebulous “unknown” who threatens the family and their home. The conflict is minimal at best, which allows Mirabel to spend more time learning about what she can do despite her lack of supernatural abilities, but it also causes the film to feel a little meandering at the beginning. In order to make up for the lack of action, the film’s animation and design shine, making full use of the house by opening doors to new worlds and including musical sequences that allow for a little more abstract artistic expression.
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Speaking of those musical sequences, I believe it is past time for Lin-Manuel Miranda to take a break from the show. After hitting the ground running with “In the Heights,” “Hamilton,” and “Moana,” his 2021 offerings have been a little disappointing. In preparation for this review, I finally saw the film “Vivo,” in which he both voices the title character and contributes to the songwriting. I was looking forward to it. Those figures came across as flimsy and forgettable. In one song, he rhymes the word “drum” with… the word “drum.” Even though the odds are a little better in “Encanto,” and some songs fare a little better than others, it still feels like these musical numbers are reheated leftovers from other projects. They sound like his work, but they don’t offer anything new or exciting that will stick in our heads long enough to become memorable. It’s impossible to listen to “What Else Can I Do?” and “Surface Pressure” without feeling like you’re listening to the same song over and over again. The opening song from “In the Heights,” “The Family Madrigal,” is a less effective version of the original. Only Carlos Vives’ rendition of Miranda’s song “Colombia, Mi Encanto” stands out as a memorable standout in the album’s overall sound.
Encanto Quiz
The songs in “Encanto” are unimpressive, which is unfortunate for a musical that is based on animation. To their credit, there are other aspects of the film to enjoy, such as the film’s boisterous voice cast, which includes Carolina Gaitán and Rhenzy Feliz, Ravi Cabot-Conyers and Wilmer Valderrama, as well as one-name Latin music stars Maluma and Adassa, among others. Seeing an animated Disney movie finally include characters with a variety of skin tones and hair textures within the same family is also impressive, as is the incorporation of traditional Colombian fashion, such as ponchos, flowing embroidered skirts, colorful dresses, and gu yababeras, as part of a character’s details. Beatriz is outstanding in the role of Mirabel, conveying both pain and love in her voice throughout the film while never losing sight of the goofy sense of humor that makes her character so likable. Abuela’s singing voice is provided by none other than Olga Merediz, a former cast member of “In the Heights.”
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Encanto quiz.
In a similar way to how Pixar’s “Coco” paid homage to Mexican culture, “Encanto” pays homage to its Colombian roots in a variety of ways, from the use of flowers and animals specific to the region to the creation of songs that incorporated the musical palettes of their respective countries. In both stories, the matriarchal abuelas must go through an emotional journey that is equal to (if not greater than) that of the younger protagonists in the film. Seeing both Pixar and Disney Animation move into the world tour phase of their storytelling is an interesting development, but I hope they avoid repeating themselves in terms of thematic and narrative elements.
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One distinction is that “Encanto” delves deeper into the Madrigals’ history than their immediate family, showing the Madrigals’ grandparents fleeing their homeland in search of safety and Abuelo’s ultimate sacrifice in a flashback sequence shot in art. The story of a family who has lost their homeland and then rebuilt in a new land is not uncommon for many immigrant families, and by sensitively including it as part of a charming Disney movie, perhaps a new generation will feel a greater sense of belonging or at the very least the comfort of knowing that others have shared their experience. It may make it easier for children who did not grow up hearing stories of a “paradise lost” to understand those who did grow up hearing them. Even if that’s an overly optimistic outlook for a movie that many people will flock to in their post-Thanksgiving coma, “Encanto” is one of the more endearing animated films that has hit theaters this year, despite some missteps.
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The film is only available in theaters today.
For more personality quizzes check this: Nightmare Alley Quiz.
