ENCANTO is TRAGIC and BEAUTIFUL! (Movie Commentary)
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- čas přidán 22. 01. 2022
- Encanto movie commentary
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Encanto is a beautiful movie for a commentary as it blends old and new story elements to make something both fresh and familiar at the same time.
With a stellar voice cast and intricate writing, we very much enjoyed this movie!
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it´s kind of amazing that ALL theese songs/vocals where coatched via zoo :o . And he didn´t meet the actresses before the movie premiere
IF Alma had not been such a onetrack minded opressor, lived through Isabela and put so much pressure and expectations on EVERYONE none of her family would have been insecure scared prisoners in their own bad self esteam, and MABY just maby Bruno would have had the cofidence to continue to search for the resolotion like Mirabel encurraged him to do. But then there would be no movie XD. I love the teory that Mirabel didn´t get her gift becuse she was supose to end the untold rift in the family and be the next head of the family, that´s why her door is the front door, becuse she was the one mending the family. It´s so sad that Mirabel feels so distant from her family that when Alma insists on a family picture at Antonio´s party Mirabel just stands with the onlockers on the side and nobody sees her.
I'm disappointed in you guys. "The miniature version." But nobody went with Minibelle.
@@heartdragon2386 you’re right, it was right there… 😅😂 - Sam
Reading the comments while watching the reaction I thought I would hate this. But after seeing the part with Isabella I must say I can totally see your points. Sad that the real issue they are trying to portray gets pushed aside by Isabellas behavior. Just because they somehow needed to go with the „perfect mean girl“ cliche.
the one of the creators did confirm on twitter that because Agustin was so accident-prone he needed to see Julieta very often, that was how they eventually got together lol I think that's so cute
Omg I love that. You’re right it’s adorableeeee
Ah that's cute
Pretty sure there is a name for that, where a nurse or Doctor falls for there patients and Visa Versa
@@Yugioh420 the Florence nightingale effect??? Or it might be transference
Checks out 🤣
ok but when agustín said “i was thinking of my daughter” to alma !! my respect for him went way up. i really appreciate how awesome the dads are in this movie. both agustín and felix are great husbands and fathers.
THIS
I freaking love him! He is supportive but also goofy! Like when he and mom say to Mirabel that she has nothing to prove. He has a smile and when glanced at his wife who weared worrried expression, quickly changed his into more serious xD
Also, when the dinner goes to hell and Luisa runs past crying "I'M A LOSER!" he's right behind her running after her, calling "Luisa!" making me think he's going to comfort and check on her since she's clearly in pain. This man is so focused on his kids and I really appreciate it.
@@Vi_Vi_1 I love that about the dad. Someone really needed to take notice that Luisa was in distress
@@breezy3392 totally! She really needed to be seen and heard in that moment and my man Agustín did not disappoint. He very consistently prioritized his wife and daughters through the movie and I'm glad they added that detail--it was only a few little scenes but it felt really important to me
About Isabella, in the books it says that she think Maribel is their parents favorite, so that could explain why she's a dick to her sister.
Personally, I thought that it was because she was stuck playing the perfect lady because of her power, and seeing her sister having no pressure or expectations place on (since she's powerless) made her jealous and resentful.
I absolutely agree!!! I wish they would have written that into the movie. It would have been that moment of “wait you’re jealous of me? I’m jealous of you!” kind of moment. And then the healing between Isabela and Mirabel would have been so much sweeter.
I saw somebody else point out that Abuela puts a large amount of pressure on Isabella its just more subtle then Luisa. You can see it in the scene when Dolores says he wants five kids and Isa has flowers grow all over her head, Abuela removes the only white white flower and then pulls her shoulder back correcting her posture and pulls the hair back away from her face. She's the pretty perfect one and she must maintain it at all times.
That’s very insightful.
Another thing, There’s a line in _Surface Pressure_ were Louisa says “can I somehow preserve this,” while adjusting Mirabel’s glasses, and I think she is LITERALLY talking about Mirabel.
When Mirabel didn’t get a gift, it probably fell to Luisa to pick up the “””slack”””. Both to protect her sister and the family’s status.
I agree. I also think it can also be their sibling dynamic. I have an older sis n younger one. The older one had to be responsible n take care of everything( i was her assistant/ muscle) n my little sis was very annoying( she was the baby of the family n only did her own thing). So i can understand Isabella's relationship with her. I love how relatable they made what it like to be in a big family.
Books? There are books!
Historical context:
the armed conflict that the movie is suggesting is what is known as the Thousand Days' War which took place between 1899 and 1902. This conflict caused the displacement of thousands and thousands of people outside and within the country as well as the deaths of around 100 to 150 thousand people (about two-thirds of the Colombian population at the time). It's considered one of the most violent episodes in Colombian history and one that is still carried out within the collective memory.
how do you know is that specific war??...i mean it could be a representation of the paramilitarism or guerillas, which also has countless cases of displacement o. o
That’s what I thought bc of certain context clues. The thousand days’ war was the only one in which I thought it might make sense 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♀️ that’s so sad 😞
Ohhh thank you! I was just writing about why generational trauma shows in how the abuela treats Mirabel and everyone in general. And this puts it in context for me... Like, some Latin grandmas suffered through certain type of need or torture and so when they get something that is theirs, like a stable economy or status, they feel such responsability to keep it. In this movie the generational trauma that the abuela has begun when she was escaping, now she has a home and the respect of her people, and she doesnt care about the details or the anxiety her family goes through, because she won't give anyone a chance to destroy said roof or importance. If this Grandma went through such a horrible period then wooop that explains about it 😳 lets get some therapy, grandma xd
@@caritob0999 I'm thinking the same. Displacement was a major issue for decades before this period so it seems weird to pass it off as a three year period. Technically there are still problems and have for centuries but the 19th century was a roller-coaster ride. Not necessarily related but when I saw the guys on horses driving them out I was reminded of my old Latin America prof (who specialized in Colombia) that people would get sent in groups not because they needed that much man power but to encourage the one or two people to fulfill their role/duty. Also, identity was more or less shoved to try and become homogeneous as an official nation state which didn't really go over will in many individual groups. Anyway, my point is it could be anything since the movie didn't specify anything.
Was wondering about this eversince I first watched Encanto. Thank you for this information!
I think Isa’s character might be where the cultural differences really show in your reaction. Being “perfect” in Latin and even other non-white cultures is _much_ different than being “perfect” in more European/American cultures, especially when it comes to family.
As the eldest daughter, there’s so much stress to be the “example” of the family. You’re looked at more than your younger siblings and cousins because out of everyone, you can’t be the one to screw up. Letting down your family is basically a death sentence to an oldest, especially a daughter. Family is _everything_ in Latin culture. There’s so much more pressure added, and with an abuela like Alma who went through what she did, it’s so easy to see why Isa acts the way she does after being groomed for so long.
When Isa sees Mirabel, she sees someone who’s never had to deal with something like this. She sees someone who’s never been given an expectation, a duty, a stress to never make a mistake. She sees any mistake Mirabel makes be written off carelessly. And when you see said person interfering with that image you’ve strived so desperately to maintain, it’ll definitely tick you off.
Mirabel and Isa both project their internal struggles onto each other. Yes, we see a lot more of Isa being pissed at Mirabel, but it’s definitely not completely one-sided. They both see the other as someone who has it easy and resent each other for it.
Not trying to be rude, but just wanted to add my two cents.
I completely get this, I’m the youngest of 3 and my oldest sister is the one who has to be perfect, her and I didn’t really get along until she was in college and I was in high school and we bonded over the unreasonable expectations our dad had for us. It wasn’t until we had the opportunity to talk that we realized we were both struggling to live up to the expectations of our parents. I identify closely with Luisa but either way we were having to deal with such a high standard we needed someone who understood and once we realized we got a lot closer. Now I live across the country and I FaceTime my sister everyday, never would have imagined that when we were growing up and she pretended she didn’t know me at school.
It even comes down to appearance. You have to dress full out for parties and your siblings can wear whatever.
You have to be the example. If they mess up, it’s also somehow your fault.
It’s so stressful, even though it’s unfair. Isa might wish Mirabel had powers just to talk work of the responsibility off her own shoulders.
Thank you for this. I'm starting to think it's a cultural thing too, after watching a bunch of reaction videos to this. Also, I kind of relate too, being the middle child and both my brothers were seen as "perfect" especially my older brother. He was the first grandchild in our family and was the "genius" one. We were close as kids, but growing up he started distancing himself from me. He didn't want to be seen around me, I used to think he was being mean. I'm not the "smart" one nor the studious one I felt like I was set aside. Although growing up I felt my family was paying very little attention to me, in retrospect I believe I had lesser pressure on me. They let me do whatever the hell I wanted, whereas everything my brother does is a big deal. I didn't realize how much pressure he must've gone through being the "genius" of the family. He was probably annoyed at me and thinks I have it easy, and I was also thinking the same way in regards to him. I can't imagine having that weight and anxiety on you, being scared to do something they might percieve as wrong. In a way we both kind of resented and envied each other without realizing it. Well we're both adults now and have better understanding of each other. He's getting married in a few months and I'm gonna miss him, I wish we could've had much more time together as loving siblings than we already had.
Yes!!! Thank you for explaining this
I also found their reactions strange. I’ve heard other Americans/white Europeans say the same thing and it shocked me. You’re def right around the culture thing. I am a very yt gal but my family is Portuguese and family is very important. Out of 2 cousins, 6 second cousins, 13 third cousins and 7 uncles/aunts I ALWAYS felt the pressure to be perfect, have high achievements and kinda like make my immediate family proud. Idk how to explain it but I felt like I had to represent my fathers side and prove that we were also apart of the family and not like the “forgotten” members. So although I’m not the eldest and don’t feel the same pressure Issa has, I totally understood it and never really saw her as mean. Yeah she isn’t the nicest to Mirabel in the beginning but who’s siblings were always nice to each other? My sister and I hated each other until I was like 15. Anyway rant over. Glad you said this, I think it’s an excellent point.
Isabella probably had the most pressure or at least much more than she led on. She's the one most similar to abuela (in her youth), they rely on her to continue and extend the family, and once a kid is labelled as 'special', 'perfect', 'outstanding', etc; they can never live up to the expectations. It's nothing but constant stress. I get that she comes across as bitchy, but that's her shelter.
Yes! Also in abusive households (which at the beginning of the movie this definitely is) there are certain roles/archetypes that individuals fall into (at least that's how they're defined in studies) one of them is the 'Golden Child' an individual who in some way resembles the abuser, who is praised as 'can do no wrong'. This individual (unlike most roles in this situation) is VERY aware of their role and how fragile it, and the safety that comes with it is, and unfortunately they will mimic the abuser to keep their status in the family, including turning on, and bullying other victims, it's not their fault, as they're typically also children, and just as much a victim as anyone else in the household, but to their minds it's their best chance at survival.
Please note I'm not an expert by ANY means, I just find the topic interesting, and love reading/watching/listening to analysation of this movie and how well it shows these types of situations without becoming overly graphic.
how?
@@Fluffyfoodog wow I Never saw it that way. But sounds very logical.
I always saw Isabella being rude as kinda the view of mirabel. I am the golden child in the family and got diagnosed with unhealthy altruism. It’s like practically impossible to be mean to someone for me and not beat myself up about it. But my sister somehow always sees me as acting arrogant. Because she is really wild ( nothing wrong with this in my eyes) I kinda got pushed into this role from my parents. My sister really resents me for it and it’s sometimes really hard to see her hate for me as just being jealous and not as her being ungrateful. Because i fulfill this status so she can keep acting like she wants to without expectations set on her shoulders. It’s really hard to deal with someone who hates you for giving up your freedom of choice for them. My sister is a diagnosed narcissist so there is a whole other level to it but the problem in the movie is for a kids movie so damn well represented. It’s so realistic.
Also you get super jealous of them being allowed to test limits and being loved despite their mistakes. As you feel like you can never have that. Of course this isnt always true but it does often seem that way to you. So I always viewed isabellas behavior as her slipping up in a very stressful situation and therefore not being able to keep these thoughts to herself. The ceremony preparation was stressful for all, being confronted with the 5 Baby’s thing. When she got up she probably thought about having to keep up with her Perfektion through carrying out these baby’s. Like 5 pregnancys is going to have affects on your body. In raising kids there is no perfect way and then of course in the room Scene she had to worry about the proposal. When your confronted with these high expectations seeing the person that is the opposite of that can really make you so damn angry and emotional.
Just what I interpreted from my personal experiences.
Which actually makes the movie so great that you can take things from it based on your personal life
It's also worth noting that in the family dynamic once Bruno the "outsider" of her children left, Maribel took over the role that gets blamed for when things go wrong in the family because she was the "outsider" of her grandchildren, and that started with the grandmother and Isabella the "perfect" grandchild imitated...
Fun fact: the green glass is probably a reference to the fact that the emerald is considered to hold the power to see the future among Colombian mystics.
And green also stands for time/change in the film, with Bruno wearing the same colour and having magical green eyes. Mirabel is literally looking through a different lens compared the rest of the family and is also craving change, not being afraid of it. Same for Bruno.
That's attention to detail
Its also a very particular shade of green that Disney uses for villains. They wanted to cement the idea that Bruno was evil until you learn otherwise.
I think it's interesting that Isabella is the Madrigal child who Abuela grooms and pays the most attention to, constantly correcting her behavior and telling her what is best for her so that she can help the family. And since Abuela is so passive-aggressive towards Mirabel for not having a gift, it would make sense that Isabella is so hostile towards her.
Like many toxic family members do, Abuela subtly and unintentionally pits Isabella and Mirabel against one another. I can just imagine how many times Abuela has callously told Isa that Mirabel has it so easy without a gift/responsibility and how Isabella has to carry all the responsibility and get married/birth more magical children because the future of the family is counting on her. Because of this, Isabella just sees Mirabel as a petulant child looking for attention and making things difficult for everyone else because she's jealous.
Isabela is also the one who most closely resembles abuela. This is possibly why she also picks her out as particularly special most likely subconsciously.
as the isabela of my family it’s so easy to get annoyed with your younger siblings for just existing and being themselves because you don’t necessarily have that luxury when you’re ~trying to be perfect~! i fully relate to isa’s entire arc and am so happy that disney did such a great job of depicting it
Exactly. Also Isabella feels she has to be perfect for Abuela but every time Mirabel is around things go wrong so she's come to associate Mirabel being around as a threat to her image in Abuela's eyes. It's not justified, but she's not being mean for no reason. It's self preservation.
Abuela seems like she overcorrects everyone, not just Isabella. She over corrects Pepa, Luisa, & Mirabel, too. It's part of her character
@@ambriaashley3383 True, but I noticed she seems to put a lot of focus on Isa in particular. Everyone else she seems to passive-aggressively criticize and correct verbally (like with Pepa having a cloud or Mirabel trying to help with the ceremony) but Abuela seems to want direct physical control over Isa (pulling the single white flower out of her hair, constantly reminding her of her marital duties, and not even letting her get her dress or hair dirty even once). Everyone else in the family she wants to help the community and work hard, but Isabella she seems to want to be the most protected and perfect, only allowing her to grow beautiful flowers that Abuela approves of and trying to give her the perfect life/family that Abuela herself feels she lost. As one commenter said previously, Isa most resembles Abuela as a young woman, so Abuela subconsciously projects herself onto Isa, which would explain this extreme need for physical control she doesn't express as much on her other family members.
Golden child/Scapegoat are unhealthy dynamics for both children. Both Isabela and Mirabel were basically pitted against each other unintenionally by Abuela, one by being perfect, the other for never being enough. It only makes sense.
Yep but an apology would’ve made all the difference in how the golden child came across
@@realSimoneCherie sure, but in my biased opinion I noticed how bitter Mirabel came across before Isabela even spoke (who then came across as bitchy). I don't think either of them needed to apologize but rather understand where they were both coming from
Tbh I think both things are hard but at least the Golden Child feels some level of love, however conditional, and praise. The scapegoat only gets rejection. It's like having a campfire. One gets to sit in the best spot as long as they perform. The other has to stand where they can see but not feel the warmth.
@@Jemini4228 The thing is, in Isabela's point of view, Mirabel has a better life. In her eyes, Mirabel is still part of the family despite her not having a gift. In her eyes, Mirabel doesn't have to do much and still be loved while she HAS TO keep her perfect status or risk being judged or shunned. Yes, she may be 'loved' by Abuela in Mirabel's POV, but Isabela thinks that this 'love' is conditional, and it hinges on her having to stay perfect with no chance of exploring what she really is capable of.
This is what Isabela's song is trying to show. What else can I do? is what Isabela really wanted to do, to explore the limits of her powers without anyone judging her but she felt like she didn't have that opportunity. Failure is never an option for her. And in the "We don't talk about Bruno" song, Isbela's line may seem as the odd-one-out because her prophecy sounded positive. But Isabela is the only one who knew how 'negative' it really was.
"He told me that the life of my dreams would be promised and someday be mine"
i have this relationship with my sister. she grew up as the golden child and it took a toll on our relationship as sisters a lot. parents that treat one child differently than another really need to learn that their actions damage the family dynamic more than anything else can 😢
-"She's gonna tell everyone."
-"Miercoles"
You might miss it if you're not a native latin american spanish speaker but Mirabel's dad basically said "SHIT" when they were overheard. "Miercoles" means wednesday but it is what kids say instead of "Mierda" (Shit).
I did wonder as I was confused why he said Wednesday 🤣
I wondered if that meant Wednesday!! I am studying Italian and the word for Wednesday is Mercoledì
Omg that's so amazing we do the exact same thing in french, the same words too! Instead of "merde" (shit) we say "mercredi" (wednesday)!
@@mamiemelie5858 That's really cool! The spanish might use it too but I said latin american spanish because i'm not sure.
Yeap, it's like saying "fudge" instead of "f*ck" in English.
The artists for Encanto had to FIGHT Disney to let Luisa have big muscles.
Disney was not prepared for the amount of demand for Luisa merch when they made a bunch of Isabella merch that isn't selling well bc they thought kids would like the classically beautiful character the most. They were wrong. Turns out the kids want giant muscle lady.
Note: the point isnt to denounce Isabella. The point is they focused ONLY on Isabella, and even then only in her perfect persona. Nothing with her looking messy.
What cracks me up is that not only did they severely underestimate Luisa's appeal, they apparently failed to understand Isabela's appeal. I haven't seen one piece of Isabela merch that features her dyed hair and dress and all of the marketing I've seen has her looking inoffensively "perfect" and elegant. I would give them the benefit of the doubt and say it's to do with avoiding spoilers but then I remember all the sparkles they've added to Mulan and Merida over the years and, uh... yeah, nah, lol.
@@PrincessDustbunny Yeah, I noticed that too, and it's frustrating because she looks so much better when she's happy and herself. I also noticed that they never have merch for Rapunzel with her hair short and brown, and I tried to brush it off as being 'to avoid spoilers,' but at this point it's obvious they're just trying to market the "prettier" version
I hope they make a bunch of new dolls after seeing what the people really want.
@@PrincessDustbunny I remember there being OUTRAGE when Merida was first inducted as a Disney princess, and they put her in the dress she wore during the archery tournament - _literally the thing she rebels against the entire movie_ - so they quickly had to change it to her regular green dress. I'm pretty sure they made her less chubby, too.
@@EliteTacoNinja It boggles my mind that the Disneyland Rapunzels have the blonde hair, it makes no sense!
Antonio grew up seeing how the family treats Mirabel. He loves her and spends a lot of time with her in the nursery so he definitely knows how lovely she is, and therefore how bizarre everyone’s behaviour is comparatively - he prefers to hang out with animals, who don’t judge. His power basically lets him continue dealing mostly with animals and not the nonsense of other people. He gains the ability to have every possible emotional support animal. As soon as Antonio talks to the rats, he turns up to help Bruno because he has seen how rough the family can be on anyone who isn’t “perfect”. He’s a wise little soul but he did have to grow up too fast.
Your question about whether anyone even asked Antonio if he was okay to walk to his door alone is such a good point - to be a perfect member of the family, you shouldn’t be asking for help or support! But Antonio is a LITTLE KID and he is nervous! Even if he was older, being nervous IS ALLOWED! Asking for support is not a weakness!
I also took it as Casita taking an opportunity to maybe help Bruno back into the family. The first gift granted after Bruno disappears is the power to talk to the only living thing Bruno spends any time with. The rats can tell Antonio where Bruno is, and then hopefully (even if Mirabel hadn't found him on her own), Antonio could start the process himself.
@@needyverse I mean, in the beginning, the way Pepa is treated definitely shows being nervous or sad or anxious is not allowed "you have a cloud". She has to be happy all the time, she's not allowed to be anything else. The rest of the family is treated much the same way. :(
interesting
@@ZaberFangAT that's bs. dolores always knew he was there. she say in the last song.
Its actually very subtle: her gift is the same as Abuela Alma's. She's connected to the house itself. That's why she can communicate with it, and why the house doesn't come back alive until SHE puts the doorknob in.
Or, in other words, her door was the house's FRONT door!
Abuela's name is Alma? Where was that confirmed?
@@drakeredwingofficial In the credits
I like to think she’s the next candle holder the glue of the family
Nah, everyone can understand Casita as much as Mirabel. Mirabel just likes talking to Casita to showcase that she’s proly lonely growing up lol.
@@musikyleproductions2488 You had a hard life didn't you? 🤔
I feel bad for Pepa, every time she has a cloud or any negative emotion the whole family just forces her to remove it for their own sake, never addressing why she is feeling that way or what is stressing her out so much
Edit: other characters get their problems/stresses explained and dealt with but hers are never even mentioned
I don't think Pepa had any problems that really needed addressing like the others. While she doesn't seem to be able to control her emotions well, I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with the dysfunction in the family, she just appears to have anxiety and gets stressed easily as a result of that, which is why Felix is a good foil for her. He's calm and laidback about most everything.
@@RENwood4 I agree that her problems didn’t really need addressing and didn’t affect the storyline like the others but I just couldn’t help noticing throughout the movie lol :]
Edit: spelling
It did get addressed, both Bruno and Félix encourage her to be herself, to feel any emotion despite of the inconvience it could cause, and in the end, she does do that.
@@Urube23 oh okay, thanks for letting me know :D
I mean.. in All fairness, Pepa's power is one of the most dangerous ones if left unchecked (as seen with a hurricane after "The Family Madrigal" song) and it just seems like she's a VERY emotional and "in the moment" person (like from how much Pepa was stressing on not finding Antonio despite the ceremony happening at night, at the dinner table being anxious about the magic and having a thunder cloud over her head immediately when she just hears something that she doesn't like or that someone just MILDLY inconveniences her)
Isabella was so tough on Mirabel because no one really had any expectations for her. Mirabel yearned to be a more active member of the family by trying so hard to help (decorating the house in the beginning) and Isabelle even comments "you wouldn't be in the way if you didn't try so hard." She resents Mirabel for not just being grateful that she doesn't have this pressure that she does to be "perfect." I wouldn't necessarily say she blames Mirabel or others for her role in the family but rather that she's agitated that she tries so hard to be perfect FOR the family whereas Mirabel has so much freedom and often (unintentionally) disrupts the perfectness she works so hard to maintain ie. Mariano's proposal, Antonio's gift ceremony, their family breakfast where Mirabel keeps trying to get Luisa's attention etc.
Yeah! And no one really talks about the fact that Mirabel talks super catty behind her back ("never had a bad hair day Isabella"). If I was Isabela I would be so upset if I was doing everything in my power to make my family happy even if it meant sacrificing my mental health and my sister just brushed it off like that. I feel like Mirabelas jealousy is what started their rivalry and Isabela started just being catty back in retaliation
This! I was ready to defend my girl Isabella, but luckily you got my back lol
It's not an excuse for her mean and rude behavior towards Mirabel, but it is a product of how her environment has affected her mentality(just like the whole family).
Abuela was hurting Isabella just as much as she was hurting Mirabel with her strict and suffocating way of rising the family. But unlike Mirabel who had no responsibility and had no place in the family. Isabella was almost the center of the family. She had the heavy expectations that she needed to perfect in a perfect family. For her family and their future. Mirabel was hurting the family in her eyes because she wasn't perfect and disturbed what was supposed to be perfect. Everyday life like their breakfast scene, or the important proposal that would lead to a bigger family and a new generation of children that could help their community.
-Luisa did all the physical labor, she needed to be strong(mentally and physically) to be able to keep up with all that was expected of her.
-Isabella was the image, the center of attention, and often a representation of the family. She needed to be perfect, a perfection she was trained into and has trained to achieve her whole life.
-Mirabella was nothing because she couldn't be of service in any way Abuela saw fit. She didn't have a gift and although loved, she couldn't be of service to the family or the community in any special way.
I have had a few discussions defending either Mirabel or Isabella and I don't see why both their struggles cant be valid or good enough. I relate to them both, and although Isabella's flaw was that she showed her resentment for the freedom Mirabella has more vocally (and in Mirabella's face), she still did her best and loved her family.
Plus they’re sisters. And I also think They way Abuela treats Mirabel makes Isabella think it’s ok. If a kid witnesses you treating someone a certain way they can pick up on it. Kids are sponges and will soak in their surroundings.
@@dinkyrussell75 i don’t think so tbh. i think isabella saw how others treated mirabel and just joined in. so i don’t think it was mirabel’s fault that they hate each other
@@riannebenoit5686 yeah, I don’t feel like it’s fair to put all the fault on Mirabel when Isabela behaves as if Mirabel’s attempts at feeling like she’s a part of the family are just being in the way/messing things up.
The movie doesn’t explain the magic because it falls under the genre of magical realism. Magical realism was a popular literary genre in Latin America during the 20th century that describes extra ordinary instances as normal everyday occurrences. Encanto seems to be loosely based on a popular book under this genre called 100 Years of Solitude which follows a family over seven generations.
This explains why looking at the town I could only think of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Macondo.
My 9-year old cousin is half Colombian and Mexican and I am so proud that she has two movies (Encanto and Coco) that she can see herself in any character. This movie and Coco are my favorite Disney movies of all time. The representation in this movie is incredible.
They're also the most emotional. 😭😭😭
Check out The Book of Life too! It is so beautiful.
I think The rooms don’t just mirror their magic but their mentality as well. Isas room responded to her during her song. So maybe Bruno’s room did. as well. He was probably so afraid of people coming to him for visions, that the room made it extra hard to get to his vision cave. You had to really really really want to know your future to get a vision from him.
That's a pretty good theory!
That's a brilliant theory. It makes so much sense. I think that may be it.
It was confirmed on one of the creators Twitter. You can see in the photos that Bruno had a door in the hallway.
That makes sense
That makes so much sense. I genuinely thought the drop after the stairs made little sense. But ig it was meant to be a "last chance to turn back! Your prophecy must be really important to attempt yo cross this!!!".
The fact Walt Disney didn't shy away intergenerational trauma and what Abuela went through, my favorite part is this story is more a Latino story rather then Western story.
Abuela isn't an antagonist and the reason why she wants people to see her family are a perfect one is because of the trauma she went through
THANK. YOU! I've seen people call her narcissist, so many people disliked her!
Wait I dont think Pixar was involved with this one. This one falls Walt Disney Studios. But still I agree with everything else you said. There wasn't really a "villain" in this movie.
Yeah Latin America had alot in common with Eastern and Southern European and the far East cultures in that they center very heavily around the importance of the family unit rather than individuals.
@@crisjo6973 oh dear goodness thank you so much just fixed it
@@crisjo6973 thank you again for the correction and exactly!I'm Latina myself and I never saw abuale as a bad person she just went through such hell that the idea of the smallest hiccups brings her to that hopelessness feeling she went through so I was really confused why people disliked her
I just want to point out the coffee thing, in many Latin countries is really common for children to drink coffee. Coffee is huge in the culture but kids will usually get a tiny bit of coffee with a lot of milk, I started drinking café con leche when I was 5 or 6
yep! in Puerto Rico kids drinking coffee is really common!
Yes! My entire family gets weirder out by me because I don’t drink coffee lol
@@claragarcia3700 yes!! Yo soy boricua 🇵🇷
I srated drinking coffe ( with milk) around 7 yrs old.
Wow, it's very spécial. In France, coffee is only for growns up
heres the thing
isabella didnt even KNOW what she was doing for her life was upsetting her and the only way to deal with her unconcious stress was lashing out at the only one that was seen as acceptable to lash out at, its not an okay thing, but its CLEARLY what was expected of her.
louisa UNDERSTANDS whats wrong but doesnt know what to do about it
and if you see clearly as soon as isabella sees the grandma, she shrinks, hides in the background, and clearly shows fear
Them:
“I can’t understand her holding onto to it for that long”
Me:
Latino families hold on to shit for 20-30 years, lifetimes and across generations. True story.
Caribbean and Indian and same lol
Idk if it's a shared latino experience, but I'm brazilian and in my interpretation they don't talk about Bruno bc they think he left the family "he doesn't want to be here, doesn't want to be a part of the family, so we WON'T talk ab him". I can see the parents saying "don't mention your uncle Bruno, it hurts your grandma and bla bla bla".
Acho que sim
Interesting! This is a thing in Asian families too
Isabella also looks the most like Abuela out of everyone in the family. I think Abuela projected the most onto her - having the perfect life she didn’t get to have. Matching her with the most handsome man in town because for Abuela, THAT was her love story. In reality, Mirabel is the next leader of the Madrigals, but Abuela can’t see it.
Also, Mariano’s facial features look pretty similar to Abuelo Pedro in the flashbacks. Moreso than any other male character in the movie imo.
It just makes it so much more sad to me. Not defending or justifying Abuela doing that, it’s weird, but grief can really f with people like that. Her story is really tragic, and the way she treats her family is ALSO tragic.
The displacement is actually based on reality. Colombia is the country with most internal refugees in the world thanks to our ongoing internal war with cartels. So sadly it is based on fairly recent history.
The story is also influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book "A hundred years of solitude"
I feel like the cracks disappeared at first because for a moment they were all united.
Also, I feel like Abuela has so much survivors guilts not only being the one of the few to survive the attack and being the ONLY ONE a miracle was granted to. Constantly focusing on the little things to prove to everyone on the outside that she is worthy, that her husband died for something. that she's worth the large family she's been gifted. Not a justification just a thought
Bruno fixed the cracks. He is being doing it since he disappeared
@@danielafiguera1077 no way he does it that quickly
@@Sabrina-jl4sp 🤷🏽♀️ they said it at min 44:36
@@danielafiguera1077 no that was Hernando and Jorge
@@danielafiguera1077 We literally watch the house cracks repair themselves when Mirabel and Isabela get together after What else can I do?
In defense of Isabella; families like that typically have an unspoken rule that unless you’re the parent of the family disappointment then being nice to The Disappointment will automatically lump you in with them, idk something I’ve noticed from being the disappointment and the perfect child
Edit: you also see abuela picking a pink flower out of Isa’s hair at the start of the film because it didn’t look like the other white flowers so I think the implication is that abuela had a lot more to do with Isa’s powers growing up and really restricted what she did and that she’s never really explored what she *can* do only what abuela likes her doing
i like that Antonio says "i wish you had a door" and not "i wish you had a gift". he likes Mirabel as Mirabel and knew she deserved more than just staying in the nursery
Yeah, about Isabela, as a younger sister of three, and the oldest being the "perfect", I can understand her behavior. Unfortunately, families that plays favorites among siblings, creates that rivalry and despite. I would always do what Mirabel does every time Isabela is on screen, the eye rolling and calling her selfish, and to my oldest sister, she would be infuriated because she had so much pressure to be perfect and not allowed any mistake, which resulted in a lot of fights and being really mean towards each other. Fortunately, we made up as adults, but yeah, that really messed up our relationship, just like Mirabel's and Isabela's relationship was approaching that hostility.
Moral of the story: parents please don't play favorites, that can ruin a relationship forever
Agreed - especially if mental illness is in the mix of it on top of that. While I the oldest have developed unhealthy altruism my sister is now a diagnosed narcissist. So sad that it had to get to this degree.
Yes I love these comments from people who relate to Isa explaining why she is such a powerful character 😭
@@powerpufffan nice to know that it is appreciated
Some other people really hate Isabella defenders
while mirabel not getting a room and staying in the nursery seems like a bad thing i think it’s more of a blessing because through sharing a room with antonio the two are able to bond closer than any of the other grandkids do! the rest of the kids get their own rooms at 5 and are basically either in their rooms alone or helping the town for the rest of their lives while mirabel & antonio are able to actually bond and this helps mirabel grow into the empathetic/understanding person she is and allows her to be just what the family needs to bring them back together
Her and Camilo are the same age but since he’s older by a few months it wasn’t like the bond mirabel had with Antonio
Actually I think the fighting between Isabella and Maribel is actually common dynamic in abusive (or toxic) families! Usually this has one child singled out as "imperfect" while the other is praised and can do no wrong. This creates a huge divide between the kids with both of them angry at (and jealous of) each other instead of the person who put them in that situation in the first place. It would make sense that Isabella was probably taught to treat Mirabel like trash. It's also possible Isabella was jealous that Mirabel wasn't pressured into being perfect or pushed into an unwanted marriage.
I wish the movie touched on more of the family's struggles with their powers. Like Pepa clearly has anxiety and I believe it was said that Camillo has intense self-identity issues because he can be anyone at any time.
The question is: if you could infer all that does that not mean it WAS included in the film? What more would you want without it just being a scene reiterating the same thing.
@@wombat4583 it wasn’t in the film though. It was mentioned by the writers in those BTS clips
@@wombat4583 could be though that (like with Isabella) you only notice/pick up on the things if you've been there or been sensitivised to it?
At what point in the movie do they imply that Camilo struggles with his power 💀 it wasn’t said in an interview or anything either so
That's really interesting about Camilo! I wish we got more of his character in his movie because I loved his voice actor and his lines in the songs, they were so expressive. It also makes total sense for him to potentially develop self-identity issues about his gift in relation to who he is - almost even more than anyone else. Where did you hear that about Camilo, was it in an interview? I'd love to see it too if I can find it!
honestly, I think Isabela's arc is a very cultural thing, I'm brasilian and It spoke hard with me, Isa is the spit Image of one of my cousin, and we don't get along very well because the way we were raised, our aunt always spoiled me over her, everything good for me, she can have the rest, it wasn't intentional she built this wall between us, but is there, the way a family member that u have so much admiration and love for treating u a certain way and ur cousin another puts this image of them in your head, and we both had this pressure of being the perfect one, only one of us can be it otherwise we aren't worth the affection of our loveds one, and we started this thing between us of I'm the better one or I'm the worse one out, always this competition, and it was hard, having to be perfect, be what the others expect and want out of you and never be yourself that you see, oh my cousin is treated this way because she isn't worth so I can't lose my status as the family princess or I wouldn't be loved, and at ths same time u also see them as being free as not having this pressure over them, and they still express dissatisfaction, and yeah we pretty much despised each other growing up, we were close when in toddlerhood but not anymore, you just want attention u just want people to fall at ur feet, and acted the same way Isabela was towards Mirabel, with each other, I broke free of that mentality (thanks cronic depression), but I see myself and my cousin in Isabela, I see the person my mom wanted me to be, I see the person I forced myself to be for a good while, I see my cousin that is still hurting from how she was treated
and that is a pretty much common thing in latin families with lots of people, my best friend also toward her cousin, and yeah its pretty hard for people that haven't gone through it or something similar to understanding where Isa was coming from, and that the way she acted was pretty normal for someone in her position, its pretty easy to roll your eyes at it, but no the way she was portrait is pretty on point for the type of trauma and pressure she was in, I see her rolling her eyes at Mira on Antonio's night and go yep that's it that's the felling, its like cheers I'll drink to that
anyways, yeah Isabela's actions arc, portrait, call what u want is a pretty cultural thing I feel, u didn't go though it or it isn't your culture u probably wouldn't get it
Appreciated this comment! Reactions to this movie had me a little shocked at peoples judgement/mood towards Isabella bc I felt like I understood exactly what was going on from the start. I have a big a Cuban family and related to a lot of characters, but Isabella in particular is definitely something a lot of the first borns went through and I saw that growing up. I’m technically my moms oldest so I even still feel it sometimes. I realized it had to be a cultural aspect that people aren’t connecting fully with because I personally think they handled it beautifully.
And that it doesn’t excuse anyones behavior or taking anyones “sides,” it’s literally not even about that for me lol. It’s about showing how generational trauma/pressures/traditions are extremely complex and tricky within family situations, especially families that do at the foundation love each other. It takes a lot of effort and communication from everyone to get through it.
I love all the family Madrigal 🌹❤️
100% It's very cultural and unfortunately, I think this went over their heads.
It 100% went above their heads, they called her "spoiled" right after Mirabel called her that and Isa went off and explained that she has such horrible expectations put on her, like?? Huh?? How is that being spoiled?? Also the fact that they think she is better off just cuz she doesnt have to do any manual work? Like she doesnt work as entretainment and upholds the Madrigals picture of perfection to the rest of the village
Reading comments like this help me understand where she's coming from, but if you don't have that experience to fall back on, it's hard to understand exactly where Isabella's coming from. This movie was extremely fast-paced where key events come right after another without leaving a lot of time in between for things to breathe, so the audience doesn't really have the time to process things the first time through. If the movie had just spent a little bit more time setting up Isabella's dilemma, I think the audience would have a much easier time empathizing.
Did you buIIy your cousin and make her feel less than? If you didn’t then that’s different than this situation in the movie. Similar but still different because at least maybe you didn’t belittle ur cousin bc of your own insecurities or “pressure” which shouldn’t be an excuse to buIIy others
I think it’s funny how many jokes you guys made about Casita hating Mirabel when that was actually an original concept! Casita was supposed to basically make her life miserable and play a bunch of pranks on her like raising her bed into the sky while she was in it lmao.
I’m really glad that was changed
ohhh really?? that would've been a completely different movie!!
fun fact: during Dolores' parts in "We don't talk about Bruno" you can see him tiptoeing on the second floor in the background and bobbing his head to the song
it's Camillo, isn't it? considering that further is his part of the song, and the eyes of the real Bruno burn like that, they only glow when he uses the gift
@@user-kj3ig3tz3j pretty sure it's meant to be Bruno, as he is actually in the house and Dolores is singing that she hears him all the time,, but it's a good theory.
@@steph0711 Dolores hears Bruno, outside the walls of the house, not in the house. Bruno is not an idiot, walking around Casita in preparation for the engagement. It's Camilo!! I will only believe if the authors themselves confirm this
@@user-kj3ig3tz3j inside the walls not outside, but lets agree to disagree, maybe the makers will confirm it one day🤷🏼♀️
But in favour for Abuela she didn't even hesitate before following Mirabel out of Antonio's room. She made a shitty move after that in discrediting Mirabel in front of the village, but she did take her seriously.
Yeah, her biggest problem was that she was trying to pretend the problem didn't exist instead of looking for a solution, maybe she thought if Mirabel stopped looking for a solution then the prophecy wouldn't come true.
I NEVER understood the Abuela hatred. Through out the whole movie I kinda understood every decision she made, because THE WHOLE TOWN relies on her and views her as a leader and an authority figure. She hides stuff not just to appear perfect but also to keep the whole town assured and calmed. Think of it like your parents or the government whenever they hide the bigger/ non solvable problems to not cause panic and chaos. And maybe I think that way because my grandma had to raise all of her kids alone? ( 11 kids + the oldest being 16/17 ) so I legitimately can understand the whole attitude of everything is perfect. IDK 🤷♀️
Then assumed Mirable was to blame for Luisa's struggles, loss of gift and other negative events happening. We take a mini step forward and take 10 steps back.
@@OhMyLemona her “keeping secrets to protect everyone’s sense of security” isn’t what makes her a bad person it’s how she treated mirabel lmao how do you not “understand” that?? Would you really treat your grandkids that way?
What choice did she have, literally everyone was watching.
So this is a bit of a rant but i'm going to let all you know some info as a Colombian myself, the first part its heavily based on something that has been going on for a LONG while in Colombia, the enforced displacement is something that has affected millions of Colombians through time, in this case Pedro was lost at the moment that tried to defend the lands that they had.
The candle comes from a Colombian tradition, is called "Dia de las velitas" or candles day, it's inspired on Virgin Mary and its celebrated 7 of December every year.
Also, the kid has the Coffee because (in my experience) we´re raised to love tinto as we call it, and many kids consume this also because is cheaper to have that or Aguapanela that is made from panela that is unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Central and Latin America.
This is the first time that international media has used Colombia and done something positive with it, great to have this kind of representation and remember the world that Colombia is much more of what it appears to be in shows like Pablo Escobar, or Sin senos no hay paraiso.
As always, thanks for the amazing content!
(Sorry for any mistakes on grammar or orthography, obviously English is not my first language, I'm trying my best outhere)
Your English is perfect : )
I am glad they have done this too. I am from America not Colombia but my fiancé is from Colombia, almost every piece of Media before this would have you believe that every Colombian is part of a cartel or in some way tied in with drugs. I hope more media would do this too. I know that the violence is a thing that is still going on but throwing everybody in the same group is very harmful to the area.
42:01 I like that the father was going after Luisa here when she's in tears. She really, really needs someone to take notice of the fact that she is in distress
We love a supportive dad in movies 😊 - Stef
Totally understand a lot of people disliking Isabella, she's not exactly portrayed as the most likeable personality. But in a certain way I understand how it came to this. I mean, from Luisa's perspective we can see that she's always careful to make sure Mirabel is safe and alright which adds to her pressure. And on the other hand, I believe a large part of the reason why Isabella behaves like that towards Mirabel is because a lot of expectation to be perfect, showcase to the village that everything was just fine and alirght, let alone the pressure that was put on her to make up for the perceived failure that is Mirabel, as well as the fact that she was the first of the new generation of kids. Certainly doesn't help how Mirabel and Isabella talk about each and to other either, it's for sure a perpetual cycle that just gets worse.
I guess it's just a very specific kinda issue they're tackling there, but just because it doesn't speak to some like Luisa's did, doesn't make it a bad attempt. It certainly rings true with me and a lot of others, especially women and those of a first generation descent, i find.
I agree, I actually like Isabella and her liberation and growth in the movie. Plus the song she sings with Mirabel, What Else Can I Do, is one of my faves.
I'm glad someone said it because I think Isabella has just as much pressure as Luisa. Yes Isabella does act rotten toward Mirabel but Mirabel never seemed to look at things from Isabella's perspective either so like you said a preputial cycle
Edit: I just realize that Isabella might have been jealous of Mirabel because Mirabel had no expectations so she was free to be whoever she wanted to be while Isabella had to be perfect and any deviation would disappoint the family.
I find that latinas relate a lot to Isabella. We all know that one or we’re that one who’s familial expectations of “perfection” are put complete on their shoulders. I find that non-Latinos don’t get her character at all.
@@alexxmendoza3350 I think there are a lot of parallels in the Black community, as well. I completely relate to Isabella, living with such high expectations is fucking exhausting. I didn't blame her for being angry and resentful.
I really love that the comment section here is defending her so much. I relate to her also. Ans I must say my actions often get viewed as arrogant just because they seem perfect. Its just a stereotype around "the golden child" and I experienced that people often don't even bother looking closer as this gives them kinda an excuse to hate us for a "valid reason" and not because they are jealous. I don't see Isabella as mean. even if you look closer all the situations she was mean to mirabel were threatening her or the family status as being perfect. Probably causing her extrem stress. I would say anyone has slipped up in such a situation some time. not only do I think the Reveal hits so much harder when she first seems mean but also they hinted at her being under stress and not happy with the engagement. and what adds up to that is that she probably is jealous of Mirable for her freedom. And being confronted with the person who has anything you want in a moment you feel the whole weight of the expectations coming down on you must be so hard. I can't blame her for getting emotional and not being nice to her in such a moment. Of course it is not the right way to deal with it but probably the only way she is able too as this family doesn't really communicate. and I guess Isabella also senses mirabel not liking her which also adds up on her burden. She may also think mirabel is ungrateful for hating the person who gives up her freedom of choice so the rest of the family has it easier.
Also to be fair in regards to Abuela saying Bruno left the family because he didn’t care, I get why it would’ve looked that way, he did actually leave when everyone was probably worried, upset, panicking and he was supposed to help with his visions to have something to expect or go on. We know why he left and it was a good reason, but he left without a word, without anyone knowing what it was, no one knowing whether he was alive or dead or what and nothing was resolved and Mirabel was left to shoulder the grief and disappointment from herself and everyone. So it looks like he abandoned them and jumped ship.
Hence why at the end, he felt he had to apologize. Despite the reputation he has, his family clearly loved him and were just glad to have him back.
I liked how Mirabel never received a special gift because her strength was helping her loved ones become their best selves. Everyone else had abilities linked to their personalities (Luisa is strong because she wants to be of service, Isabela makes plants because she loves botany, Antonio speaks to animals because he loves them, etc.) There was nothing about Mirabel that the magic needed to enhance, because she was ALREADY born with lots of compassion and love.
Tbh that’s my frustration is that I want her to have a gift lol like I get the whole point of it but it still left me highly unsatisfied towards the end
I kind of feel it might mean she's the new head of the family. Like abuela was. She litterally layed the new foundation. So I think like legacy and generation wise she will be the new abuela that will hold it all together. I mean the front door of the entire house is actually HER Magic door in a way.
@@emmakappeyne1659 now that you put it that way, I definitely feel like that’s exactly what it was meant to be as her “power” the new legacy! Wow! thanks for putting it in that perspective!
@@imariwalker7248 Yeah I think her power is being the new legacy and pretty much being the glue of the family. Since her magic door is the front door of the house and she’s standing in front of everyone in the engraving as well.
@@emmakappeyne1659 that’s what I thought. Like Abuela will not be around forever and Mirabele will take over as head of the family
look at it this way-isabella always, i mean ALWAYS, had everyone hovering around her. she was the first born grandchild out of everyone, so immediately all the attention was on her (without her even wanting it). Abuela was quick to snuff out any imperfections she saw in Isabela (seeing how she immediately took off that one different flower in Isabela's hair). Her family and community revered her because of her beauty and power, both she never earned herself. what we know after her song is that Isabela likes to be messy, she's aggressive and not graceful, and she doesn't know a single thing about herself. there is no privacy in isabela's life, no chance for individuality or introspection. that is a frustrating way to live, and it's probably why she's on edge all the time
Totally agree with you on that one! That's the reason why Isabela is my favorite character.
I don’t think you are entierly right. I think she is tidy and gracefull, but that side of her was the only one she was allowed to show for a long time. The agression of the innitial exploration is her finding that new side of her personality and just going for it. In time she will unite those sides of herself into who she truely is, but to do that things need to get messy.
@@MissCaraMint i dont think youre wrong but i dont think your interpretation is any more right than mine
I think it’s a bit unfair to pin the entire situation with Isabella and Mirabel just on Isabella because it’s obvious throughout the movie that Mirabel also doesn’t understand her sister and most of the time probably didn’t want to until their scene together. Like both see each other at face value and just like the rest of the family’s problems won’t talk about it with each other. Both were jealous of each other in one way or another. Isabella sees that Mirabel is free of the responsibilities of being perfect that’s been groomed into her ever since she got her gift and doesn’t understand why Mirabel goes out of her way to ruin (unintentionally of course) the efforts that Isabella has gone through to keep up the perfect image. She doesn’t get why Mirabel just doesn’t enjoy the freedom that Mirabel does have compared to the rest of the family. On the other hand, Mirabel only sees the perfect image that Isabella has put on for the rest of the family and how everyone (especially Abuela) treats Isabella like she’s the golden child. Mirabel also wants to be so much a part of the family and to help the family and obviously it’s hard for her to see Isabella so easily be integrated into the family.
Also I think that Luisa’s and Isabella’s situations aren’t exactly comparable. It’s similar sure but not the same like you said in the reaction. Luisa’s whole thing is that she’s strong and everyone relies on her to be strong not just physically but also mentally. Whereas Isabella’s whole thing is that she has to be perfect in every way according to the family’s standards. Both are showcased in the movie obviously. But I think there are different pressures put on them which is why the two of them deal with their problems and react to things differently. Luisa is strong yes but she doesn’t exactly have to live up to the same standards of the “perfect image” like Isabella does. Luisa’s character design is very much of a muscular girl which isn’t fitting of the stereotypical “pretty girl” (Not that I’m complaining because I LOVE that her design is like that). But Isabella does have that pressure of being the “pretty girl” and the one to be married off. I think how they both react to the hand that they’ve been dealt with is pretty accurate to human emotions. Also because Luisa’s problems and burdens tie in with her powers which is easier to see it makes sense that we see her problems a lot more clearly than Isabella. I mean Luisa loses her ability to be strong, it’s very obvious that it’s issue. But Isabella’s struggles with being perfect is a bit more internal and harder to see so we won’t really notice it until she blatantly states it out loud. We also have to consider that Isabella is the oldest grandkid and age plays a big role in a lot of cultures like Colombian culture.
I don’t know if I’m explaining it well but I understand your reaction to how Isabella treats Mirabel and I agree that what she goes through isn’t justification but I also think it’s a lot more complicated and nuanced than how you two put it as. I also think it’s dismissive of Isabella’s struggles to just say “oh she’s just being spoiled and selfish” when the reality is that she’s not being either of those things. She’s not being spoiled or selfish considering that she is giving up on her own happiness and life to make sure that the family is happy by agreeing to an arranged marriage despite just being 21 (based on my google searches). That’s a lot on a person and I personally think that they did portray the effects of such burdens put on her and what that can do to a person well enough. Albeit I would have liked to see it more fleshed out.
Isabella’s reasoning for being upset with Mirabel has nothing to do with herself and rather on how she thinks that Mirabel is “ruining” the efforts that is being put forth to make sure that the family is okay. Both Isabella and Mirabel want the same thing. They both want to make the family proud and make sure they stay happy. They just have different approaches and their own struggles at it. I think it’s a bit of injustice just condemning her character to how she treats Mirabel when really it was obvious in the movie that the rift in their relationship is caused by both parties. Throughout the movie there are hints and subtle clues that alludes to Isabella’s inner conflicts. I think she’s simply one of those characters that you have to look at deeper to fully understand.
But to each their own. I’m not trying to say either of you are wrong or anything. And I’m not dismissing Luisa’s or Mirabel’s struggles or problems in favor of Isabella’s either. All three of those characters are my favorites in the movie. Just wanted to offer my personal thoughts to the conversation.
Yes, I love this. I completely agree!
I mean why would Mirabel want to understand Isabella? Consider this, Isabella is 7 years older than Mirabel, Isabella is 22, she is an adult, and when Mirabel didn't get her gift and became the black sheep of the family, considering how people treat her now, I can only imagine the loneliness Mirabel must have felt up until Antonio was born. And her oldest sister, who was twice her age at the time, and was Alma's favorite grandchild would have become the first one to internalize that Mirabel was "a failure" and if their relationship at the beginning of the film is anything to go by, I can imagine Isabella constantly making snide remarks at Mirabel like she did at the beginning of the movie. Viewing it from that perspective, it makes sense why Mirabel wouldn't care to put herself on Isabella's shoes, why would she? Isabella is an adult who still acts petty and spiteful towards her teenage sister.
Thank you.
@@LMedici Yes, she’s an adult but she’s also a young adult who was groomed to act a certain way. Also at the time when Mirabel got her gift, Isabella was a teenager. We shouldn’t expect her to know better when the family, especially Abuela, have always emphasized how important their gifts are. I think dismissing the idea that Isabella also goes through her own trauma doesn’t help the discussion at all. Isabella is still figuring out herself. We see that in the movie. She doesn’t know who she is without her gift just like Luisa.
Out of the three sisters, I would say that Mirabel is the most confident in who she is individually. Mirabel’s struggles deal with not knowing where she belongs in the family. Out of the three, Isabella is probably the most unsure of who she actually is as an individual. She has been living a life that she doesn’t want. She has been told that she has be somebody else to make the family proud. She acts as she is told and does so without complaints towards the family. She has to be perfect and often times, people who goes through the same problems as Isabella have no idea who they are and what they actually want. They just know what other people want them to be. Ignoring the fact that Isabella has been taught to act the way she has been acting since she was a child and saying that she should know better when she was just a teenager at the time that Mirabel didn’t get her gift is very dismissive of her own trauma and the fact that she is *also* young and impressionable. Both Mirabel and Isabella are victims of Alma’s pressure and expectations. Isabella is older, yes, but she is still young. She has barely started her life. She is just starting to figure out what she actually wants and even then it’s on the back burner for the sake of her family. Most people in her situation don’t have their own epiphany until much later in life. If she was a lot older than 22 then I would agree more to your points about her knowing better. But she isn’t. I think we should stop expecting young adults to have their stuff figure out at that age especially when certain beliefs are engrained into their heads.
I’m not saying Mirabel *needs* to understand her. I’m not saying she has to go out of her way to try to do so because I am not denying that the way Isabella treats Mirabel is wrong. What I’m saying is that the rift in their bond is the responsibility of both parties and that we can’t just pin the blame solely on Isabella because Mirabel shows that she has no intentions of bettering the relationship until she sees Bruno’s vision. Neither of them were willing to fix their bond and so both are responsible for that bond being broken and continuing to be broken. Communication has shown to be a huge problem between the entire family and Mirabel isn’t an exception to that. You see throughout the movie that she had no clue that her sisters were going through these problems and that has to do with her preconceived notions of them being fine because they had gifts. I’m happy that she was able to talk to them eventually and they all got to know each other better.
I hope all of that makes sense. It’s early for me and my brain is not at its full potential at the moment.
I agree. Isabella’s struggles of expectations of perfection is very different from the American idea of perfection.
I feel like when watching Encanto people seem to underestimate Isabella's line "I have been stuck being perfect my entire life". You may see it as her being ungrateful for having so "little" problems, but her being the 'perfect child' probably made her feel very isolated from literally everyone she's ever known. Nobody in her life can relate to her, nobody confides in her because she can't understand they're struggles, etc. It is just like 'Gifted kid burnout'. And as someone who holds a lot of expectations from my elders, IT IS TOUGH being the one everybody expects to succeed, nobody thinks you HAVE problems, if you do something unexpected or out of line they put even more pressure on you, so you just stick with what you know and do what everyone expects, It sucks. That's why Mirabel and Isabella's relationship is so broken and Isabella's definitely bitter towards Mirabel because a lot less is expected of her. They both have the short end of the stick really. I might just be rambling or ranting but Isabella is my favorite character simply because I just get it, I relate to her.
Also marriage in many Latin American families is still very important. Elders expect you to get married and have children to continue the legacy, having to stop anything you truly want for your life to give children to the family.
My mom used to talk about my future husband, children, etc. and she was dreaming of taking care of her grandchildren and they continuing with her legacy, the family business we have.
It's not easy tell to the classic latina mom you don't want children and get married. You might prefer travel and work.
That's the thing with the type of people who seem perfect, others undermine their experience because of resentment, insecurities and more or they just have a hard time understanding which makes the "perfect" person so isolated, because they're perfect, right? but in reality perfection is a trivial concept and unachievable because everyones definitions of perfect is different. People need to realize that and until then it is what it is and it's a common thing, how people undermine successful people and celebrities and their struggles because they are celebrities and rich what could possibly be wrong with them? Is a good example of this.
I really like Isabella’s character. From her POV she has to strive for perfection and Mirabelle always seems to get in the way of that for her e.g. Mirabelle ruining her proposal. Also no one expects much from Mirabelle so in a sense Isabella is making up for Mirabelle’s “lack of perfection” so there is definitely some resentment there. Doesn’t excuse her behaviour though. If they had made the movie longer we could have had them gradually make up, I felt it was too quick.
If you notice in the scene where Dolores says Mariano wants 5 babies and flowers pop out of Isabella’s hair, Abuela picks out the only white flower so that they’re all perfect and pink. It’s such a small detail but it shows just how much pressure Abuela puts on Isabella to strive for perfection.
fortunately for Isabella Mirabel never did screw something up for her on purpose. The sentence " I was stuck being perfect all my life and all you ever did for me was mess thinks up" strikes quite different if you suffered from sibling abuse as the golden child. If Mirable was an abuser or really self centered the whole situation would have been so different.
@@redhead0122 I think that sentence is also partly Abuela’s fault. We can see that Isabella is her favourite and Abuela doesn’t hesitate to blame Mirabelle for any mistakes or misfortunes. Isabelle probably followed suit. Abuela unknowingly pits these two sisters against each other.
Mirabel* but yes I completely agree!
@@Honey-rp6zx I wouldn't that Luisa is also trying to make up for Mirabel not having a gift. But the difference is she's just keeping everything in without releasing it in some form like Isabella is by her treating mirabel bad
In a deleted scene Mirabel is fleshed out a little more. She actually tells on Isabella whenever she’s doing something she’s not supposed to be doing. Which explains why they BOTH don’t like each other. Remember, we only had so much time.
THIS IS THE VIDEO I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!! 😭 Encanto is the first animated movie in a while that I not only downloaded the soundtrack immediately and listened to it (and watched the movie) multiple times, I genuinely enjoyed it and had a fun time watching it! ☺️
I hadn't been to the theater in YEARS but paid the $50 for us to see this one. It's just that special.
This was what I was going to comment. Agree agree agree!!!
Yessss I listen to the songs while I shower every single day since I watched the movie
Also - I imagine in Isabela's case she had ALL the expectations placed on her as the eldest among the grandchildren and the yardstick by which everyone is judged. Being the Perfect Child in a large family is the worst, because you balance both having to be perfect always while also seeing how BADLY it affects others to have to live up to you. It's psychologically damaging in more ways than you can imagine. Then you get Mirabel who has zero expectations placed on her and Isabela feels jealous of that, but also terrified because of how Abuela treats her. I think it's all portrayed well, but it's subtle, and you see it throughout the movie, especially in Bruno's song. Isabela repeats "I'm fine" while looking devastated during the final chorus.
YES! This, exactly!
Thissssss!!
yeah from personal experience I can say they represented it really realistically within their limits of it being a kids movie and Isabella not being the main character. but they gave hints about her feeling stressed and unhappy. of course in reality not every perfect one is the mean one and not every younger sibling is the victim of the older one. There are a lot of different dynamics able in this kinda structure of the perfect one and the imperfect one. IN my case I as the perfect one was the victim of sibling abuse through my younger sister. There are dynamics in this constellation with no one being mean to the other on purpose. But because Mirabel is the main character you are probably supposed to feel the most sorry for her situation
Also, Isa belives that Mirabel is the favorite of her parents so you got that too
I like how the true villian in this story was miscommunication
You know I didn’t really like Isabella until I thought about how similar she looked to young Abuela. And then I thought “Mariano looks kinda like a buff Pedro”. It clicked for me that Isabella was the golden child because Abeula was trying to live through her, then I felt horrible for her.
I love that Camilo goes from talking about Bruno like he's some creepy, evil, boogeyman to actually getting a good look at him and going, "That's Bruno? That's the guy? The man, the myth, the legend?" Like he really didn't know anything about Bruno other than what he was told so he was in complete shock 🤣
one interesting thing about camilos part in the song is that he was about mirabels age when bruno left, so everything he heard about him was bad things and as a kid youd form this scary person on your head lmao
a cute thing too is that as a kid your family members look like giants: "seven foot frame"
honestly speaking every Madrigal was selfless. Abuela put her grief aside for 50+ years to raise her triplets AND take care of a new community,
-Pepa has always had to try and be either mid or happy to avoid causing weather problems for everyone else;
-Julieta had to constantly heal everyone from almost every scene we see her in;
-Isa had to be willing to sacrifice her happiness for the life Abuela wanted 'for' her and to usher in a new generation of Madrigals;
-Bruno exiled himself because he wasn't 'helping' anyone;
-Luisa had to shoulder the physical burden of the family which translated into emotion suppression;
-Mirabel had to brush aside her feelings of inadequacy for 10 years to help the family maintain the perfect facade;
-Camilo had to have a picture of himself to remember what he looked like due to constant shapeshifting into whoever the community needed at the moment and;
- Antonio wasn't old enough to have any pressure regarding what his gift can do but he had to be very emotionally aware from a young age.
All of them are multifaceted and the real villains were colonialism, displacement and intergenerational trauma.
Funnily enough, Bruno’s vision changing from showing the Casita whole, to broken, to whole, was accurate too. Not necessarily about which path she chose - Mirabel broke the house, and then she rebuilt it.
YES! It literally showed that the house had to break to be rebuilt and that Mirabel would be the one making it happen.
The way I see it the house and the miracle are two different things. That’s why the house doesn’t have control over the individual rooms or why it is a struggle to save everyone while it’s falling apart due to the candle burning out - the miracle is giving Casita magical powers too just as it is doing for the family members
I saw another comment theory about Abuela's "gift" being directly linked to the creation of the house, and that this is possibly similar to Mirabel's "gift" that might have something to do with sustaining the house (the house of course symbolizing the family madrigal). With that in mind, I think you have a great theory about the house and the miracle being separate! Maybe the "miracle" is the magic, and the house is one of the effects of the magic, i.e. a gift! And then THAT gets me wondering if perhaps there must be at least one member alive whose gift is linked to directly to the well being of the house/family, and since Abuela is aging, Mirabel might be set up as the next generations matriarch! Just thoughts your comment brought to mind! :D
@@KGarza2323 oooh that makes sense. It would explain why the house is reacting so strongly to Mirabel (considering the cracks first start to appear when she’s feeling like an outcast) and her bringing back the miracle at the end while simultaneously reviving Casita (kind of drawing a parallel between her and Abuela). It would also make a lot of sense for her to be the next matriarch since she has great emotional intelligence and that whole journey really showcases her ability to help others heal
Edit: all of that is of course a more literal interpretation of the movie since there’s also a lot of symbolism and metaphors throughout hah
In the books, Isabela is actually jealous of Mirabel because she feels that Mirabel being powerless means that she'd have no responsibilities to the family and therefore no pressure
I feel like the reason Isabella treats Mirabel this bad is because she is jealous of her.
She feels like everybody is watching her every move and expects these to be perfect while Mirabel is always overlooked. And because of that Mirabel does not have the pressure to be perfect she can do anything she wants and be herself.
But she is not understanding how it feels like being overlooked. This is what Isabella wants to just not be watched all the time completely underestimating the loneliness in it.. 🌸
I mean… Isa’s whole deal just seemed completely realistic to me. I don’t think every person who feels trapped in their own life can afford to not be an asshole. It just doesn’t turn out that way. I never felt any confusion as to why she acted that way, though I can get being annoyed. This is actually super weird to see though considering the entire internet (and me) seems to adore Isabella. A lot of people (women especially) can relate to that ick of being forced to be something you don’t want to be by expectations.
And her relationship with Mirabel, perfect sister representation (especially as someone who’s no stranger to parental pressure pushing us apart, and being on Mirabel’s side of it no less). It’s all about that superiority being the only thing you have, even if you never wanted it anyway. And the idea that someone else can just slide by scot free just because you were born before them. And the not even wanting to do something but there’s a person getting in the way anyway. God. Sister-ness.
Something that breaks my heart even more about Bruno's makeshift dinner spot behind the wall is the fact that he was one of the triplets, like he spent 10 years listening and watching his sisters celebrate their birthday without him, never being able to join them.
Also, I saw someone point out that during the "he walked in with a mischievous grin" part in We Don't Talk About Bruno ( 36:54 ) that he was probably acting as Hernando because "Hernando is scared of nothing" and he knew the town's people didn't like him and was trying to feel more confident.
I think the house showed Mirabel the cracks as a last resort for help. The grandmother knew about the cracks but chose to ignore it. Bruno knew about the cracks & tried to physically bandage the cracks. Since Mirabel seems to be the only one who genuinely loves the house & the people (not their powers)in it, the house enlisted her to be the savior
As a victim of generational trauma, the most magical part of Encanto is that Abuela realized her mistakes and changed her viewpoint and actions towards her family.
I've become obsessed with this movie LOL
And I know Isabela is harder as a character to see pressure wise vs. Luisa but I relate to her a lot in that perfection pressure as the oldest - thought it's more self imposed and I express it more in a luisa way. The flower anxiety attack she has is good - especially with Alma picking out the 'wrong' flower and making her 'perfect' again - and the lyrics in her song about realizing she can just be herself & enjoy her imperfections were done nicely as well but I do think they needed just a little scene with her and Julieta tho, maybe 30 seconds at most, after the breakfast to add more obvious perspective about how living up to Alma's idea of perfection takes a toll on how she's acted and expresses herself beforehand (And people were mentioning how that performance pressure must have been amped up for her and Luisa after their sister didn't get a gift).
But even so, upon rewatches what I really picked up on was how her duty was to make not only herself outwardly perfect but everything around her so and to never express herself. I don't think it's fair that the target of her repression was often Mirabel but I do think it was communicated to her that way via Alma. (the director said she and Mirabel were closer as kids but as they grew into different people became a bit distant)
Exactly😩
It lowkey frustrates me how everyone overlooks Isabela but it seems as though, just like in the movie, people in general don't recognize the struggle a "perfect" person may face. Because they always seem okay and on top of things, it's hard for people to really sympathise with them, which to me makes Isabela's character more heartbreaking because I can't imagine how that must feel. Constantly being told to be perfect but when you speak up about how the expectations affect you, you get told "you're fine just get over it." Her character deserved to be fleshed out way more but I'm still satisfied with what I got.
@@crunchychicken2 technically it’s still Mirabel’s story, so it’s in her POV, even you know it’s about the Madrigal family, and this is fleshed out pretty well in Isabella’s song. Mirabel is surprised about who Isabella is and what she actually wants, not Mirabel’s idea of who the perfect Isabella is. I still think Isabella was fleshed out perfectly.
@@Rose-xm4og oh yes she was handled really well but I think for the people who still hated her because of their bias from her behaviour early in the movie, they haven't caught onto the fact that she's a complex person with complex issues because of her upbringing. For them they probably needed more from her to be convinced that she's not just a mean sister.
I think it's harder to like and forgive complety Isabela because while both Mirabel and Isabela were guilty to create a bad sibling relationship,we see only Mirabel apologize and recognize the pain of her sister and encouraging her, Whole we never saw Isabela say Sorry or be aware how much her sister was hurting being ostracized for 10 years.
@@crunchychicken2 This is all well and good but the thing is she never actually apologized, unlike Abuela. You can have a tragic backstory to motivate your toxic behavior but if you never actually take responsibility for it then don't be surprised when people still don't like you lol.
I only realised on second viewing, we see THE MIRACLE happening two times. First, when Abuale tells it to young Mirabel, its shown without all the negatives and trauma. Second, during Dor Orugitas, when you see Abuela cry, and be lonely. She didnt communicate her trauma to anyone, so they dont understand why shes so fixated on the gifts. Because of tgis everyone bottles it up.
Abuela reminds me so much of my grandmother. It took me a bit of time to realise how many of her habits and mannerisms were influenced by trauma. I think that's why I understand a bit of where abuela is coming from.
I love the fact that encanto addresses the effects of trauma like that on families.
And that's what others dont get people keep saying how could she ,why doesn't she just talk about since when was it easy for a Latino family to ever talk about our feelings it's not and same her although my grandmother wasn't like abuela finding out the trauma they endure really brings you to understand them more
I wouldn't call Isabella selfish at all. I mean she was basically throwing her whole happiness away for the family. Idk I just think I'd be a bitch too if I was gonna marry this guy I don't like at all that wants five babies and my younger sister who (from my point of view) has no expectations considering she doesn't have a gift is acting strange and (according to everyone else) is going to ruin the magic. She was definitely being unfair but there's more to it
Dolores liked Mariano so she could have made up the 5 babies thing. That's also probably why she was real eager to ruin the proposal dinner
Also, since Mirabel is Isa's sister she probably thought that anything Mira would do would be her responsibility since she's the eldest sibling and Luisa is always busy with helping with the town.
Yeah, I think the same. I feel overly protective of Isabella because she reminds me so much to my older sister. I used to resent her as a child, now we live together and probably one of the people I love and trust the most. She had that image of being perfect, not only between the 2 of us but among all the cousins, and she was very clearly my grandparents favorite. Her cracks didn't show until her mid to late 20s, how always doing what was expected of her had crippled her personality and coping mechanism. I'm really proud of how far she has gone :)
@@tomuchcamoflauge Yes but Isabella didn't know that xD
The difference is Isabella got SOME benefit from her "sacrifice", aka praise and clout from the family. Mirabel got nothing at all. So yeah, Isa being the relatively privileged sister of the family and using that privileged position to continue the cycle of generational trauma should be criticized regardless, especially when she uses that privilege to put down the MOST vulnerable family member. Notice she didn't exhibit that same toxicity to other family members who actually had better standing to defend themselves...
You can *like* Isabella and understand her motive without turning her arc into some weird justification for familial toxicity, which is what a lot of people insist on doing. But folks love defending traditionally pretty girls to the death when they're needlessly toxic and bitchy, so that's nothing new. The halo effect is wild.
Luisa is a much better person AND sister. Isabella chose to be a bully to Mirabel regardless of whatever ~tragic~ justification she had. Luisa chose to be kind under very similar circumstances - or at least not cruel. That is a sign of better character. But of course everyone chooses to focus sympathy on the more feminine socially acceptable sister.... It's very typical lmao.
Honestly, Dolores inherited easedropping from her dad and thats why she can hear everything 🤣🤣🤣
In defense of Isabela, we are seeing this story from Mirabel’s perspective in a way. Obviously, if Isabela is the one that’s always being praised for being perfect and special, Mirabel is going to resent Isabela and maybe the animosity between them is more two-sided than it’s portrayed. By the same token, Isabela is the one daughter that we never see interacting with her actual parents while both Mirabel and Luisa are actively comforted by them. She’s perceived as not needing her parents’ attention so it could be that Isabela resents Mirabel for always being the one to get the hugs and the pep talks and people don’t expect nearly as much from her. “What Else Can I Do?” Is not only a liberation song for Isabela, it’s her and Mirabel learning to see each other for who they really are and Mirabel discovering that she, too, misunderstood Isabela. As someone who grew up being the golden child in a Latin American family, it’s very easy to resent other people who can fail without everyone being disappointed in them and you, at least subconsciously, put them down to justify why you yourself are not allowed to fail. Like “Oh, they’re not on my level so they can mess up but I can’t.” A superiority complex becomes a coping mechanism so you can keep justifying your impossible standards for yourself.
I think this movie really captured the oldest/youngest sibling dynamic really well. the youngest child resents the oldest for being the “golden” child and the perceived favorite, while the oldest child resents the youngest for having no pressure or responsibilities because they’re the “baby” of the family. I think you can see in The Family Madrigal that there is a mutual resentment between them, and it isn’t just a case of Isabela being a bully because Isabela is the only one Mirabel sings sarcastically about (“Isabela grows a flower, the town goes wild” while rolling her eyes). Overall, this movie represented sibling dynamics really well. As a middle child myself, I related to Luisa so much, and the pressure to be the peace keeper/people pleaser.
I love how Latino families are the same. Even though I'm Brazilian, I saw a lot of my family in the Madrigal family.
I loved this movie. I loved that it was a great reflection of what the matriarchy looks like in many latino households other than the fact that the grandma actually apologized lmao. For the hair, I know that they got an afro-Latina to consult. I can’t remember her name but I found her in tiktok but she helped plan out what the character’s hair should look like
Omg, I thought it was just me that was shocked the grandma actually apologized. My Abuela, and my Mother have never been wrong in their entire adult life 😂 What can you do, it's family💖
I agree with you on the part of Isabella and Mirabel. It feels too one-sided and I wished they'd talk more. I like to think they would after the ending. Isabella is confirmed to be the eldest grandchild of Abuela (she's a little older than Dolores), which, yeah, as a Latina, I can tell you comes with lots and lots of pressure. My older sister was the eldest granddaughter herself and while my own Abuela was not like Alma Madrigal (she was a lot more mild-mannered), everyone still had expectations of her. Especially when it came to watching her younger sisters and cousins. It makes me think they should have made that part clearer, but overall this movie was beautiful and touching.
There's a popular headcanon that the reason Mirabel didn't get a gift is that Casita is setting her up to be the next matriarch of the family, which, no lie, I'm a big fan of. It does make sense too since she and Alma seem the closest to Casita.
I love this movie and all the little details! Like Dolores covering her ears during the fireworks, she claps with her two fingers, she knew everything and in We Don’t Talk About Bruno song she tries to tell and warn her but can’t come right out and say it. I do love that look that Mirabel gives during Isbella’s part in that song, total disgust.
But one thing to keep in mind Bruno didn’t tell anyone about the vision and just took off, they didn’t kick him out, he left and I’m sure they all felt betrayed and that turned into resentment, especially for his sisters, noticed how Pepa the one who was the most strict about talking about him is the first to hug him.
I'm Colombian and the context of the whole abuelo tragic is actually something common in Colombia. There are many people displaced from their homes by some outlaw groups with different goals, guerrilla, ELN, narcos, etc. They take their lands to grow drugs. Despite the government and the military efforts to fight them, this still happens a lot. Hopefully, someday it will be over.
Goverment and military forces have also part responsability. They also win $$$ un the narco wars.
As someone who was raised like Isabela, it’s essentially a whole story of someone mirroring a parent or adult living through their child/relative. Isabela acts the way she does because it’s how Abuela acts and Isabela is a mirror image of her. She’s the one who looks the most like her, she’s the one who’s the oldest of Julieta’s kids and she made beautiful flowers which represented the perfection Abuela wanted. Abuela’s constant pressure on her makes her act out in these moments of rage due to her own anxieties with not being perfect enough for the approval of her grandmother. I think it’s also worth noting that when Isabela is around other people, like the other citizens of the town, she speaks quietly and her gracefully. When she’s alone with Mirabel in her room her voice is much more expressive and nasally. It’s something I’ve noticed within myself that around other people, when you’re expected to be the golden child, you tend to speak less around those you are scared of disappointing. Isabela isn’t necessarily horrible, but she’s flawed and I love that about her. It’s very realistic, especially for generational trauma victims, to act out in anger due to their frustrations.
Mirabel does have a gift. The house always is the most responsive to her. When she has a crisis of doubt in herself within the family the cracks appear. When she is broken hearted by her Grandmother the house completely crumbles. Mirabel is a part of the magic that keeps the family in its strength. She is the living embodiment of the candle, that is why she has butterflies on her clothing representing this. Look at the clothing on all the other members, Louisa has dumbbells and Dolores has soundwaves etc. The candle has a butterfly. That is why she does not need a door, the house is her. The symbolism at the end when she is given the door handle is for (M)irabel not just the family name. Also when the house is falling everyone else is stopped and has their magic stripped, Mirabel is the only one that gets to the candle and the house truly protects her. Mirabel is the heart and soul of the family.
I have to disagree with you both on Isabela's family issues due to family pressure and responsibility not being handled or as obvious as well as Louisa's. I think it's handled very well because it's very true to real life. And its not even that subtle wants you realize what's happening. What Disney has done is really call out our personal biases, and how we are tone deaf and blind to the issues of people we perceive to have some type of privilege. Similar to how Mirabel didn't realize at first, she wasn't the only one stressed and feeling not enough.
-Louisa is more noticeable because it's physical. Which is also why she's the most noticeable in their power start flickering period but also we know what it's like to feel overworked and underappreciated.
-I see so many people call out Isabela for making faces or rude comments to Mirabel. But except to laugh at the joke. No one calls out Mirabel's much more frequent insulting faces and comments to Isabela.
- We also call out how Abuela talks down to Mirabel. But seem to miss that she talks over or at Isabela. And there is a scene no one has pointed out where all Abuela keeps saying is how perfect it has to be, how perfect Isabela has to be. And what does Abuela say about Isabela when arguing with Mirabel. That Isabela is Out of Control.
- We are said for Mirabel and mad at Abuela for not see what Mirabel is trying to do for the family. For not see how much Mirabel loves the family. But doesn't Mirabel treat Isabela the same way. Mirabel doesn't take Isabela seriously. Even finding out about why she was getting married wasn't initially anything more than an excuse for her to try to get a hug. So that she could save the miracle. Mirabel missed all that Isabela does for the family and town. The same way this review missed it when Antonio's party was going on. They talked about Louisa being the valet, but Isabela dancing and using her flowers to entertain a group of people was reduced to a quick joke about her making a mess.
Not saying Isabela isn't a bitch just saying Mirabel is one too but somehow we think its ok.
LUISA is my favorite character!! I feel like she is so underrated too. First of all I love how ripped she is but in a feminine way. She still has her hair done nice with a ribbon, she still wears dresses and skirts. Most of the time in Hollywood when a woman is being portrayed as incredibly strong they give her very masculine traits. I really like how Disney didn't decide to make her a brother or make her more masculine. She can be feminine and totally just ripped and strong at the same time. Plus I absolutely love the depth of character she has. Her song just hits me so hard every time. It legit made me cry. I just relate to her having to be the strong one all the time and having the family always put everything on her and expecting her not to buckle under the weight. I definitely think Luisa is a metaphor for the middle child. Just being strong and reliable, not complaining. No matter what her family puts on her she just holds it. In a toxic family dynamic like this there is always The Golden child (Isabelle), the scapegoat (Maribel), and the strong silent one that's expected to not ever need attention and not ever complain (Luisa). Thats where there are so many memes about how the middle child is forgotten and doesn't get any attention and no one cares about them.
The part with his drawn on plate, if you notice the setting of where his plate is. He isn't at the head of the table, but instead next to his mother.
That's cool... I didn't need my heart anyway 🥲 - Stef
I am Colombian myself, and even though i grew up in the US and don’t have much insight into Colombian history - i would assume there must have been some sort of struggle at the turn of the century in the early 1900s, based on their clothes alone.
Also, i fully approved of how Lin Manuel Miranda used Colombian music for the songs in this movie, and even for the non-actor related songs, Colombian singers were used. This movie was truly so amazing for me to see
The fact that Isabella is 21, Mirabel is 14, this is totally a power play situation and people still come to Isabella's defense over abusing a kid over the years. I get she's stressed but jesus christ Mirabel was a KID. This is evil. As the kid that was always the outcast and had to watch my cousins being perfect, I tell you this is unjustifiable. Not a single one of them ever did something like this to me. This is horrible and I honestly think that anyone that defends this is probably guilty of the same behaviour. DON'T ABUSE KIDS. It really isn't that hard
Edit: I'm brazilian, a lot of the cultural aspects and family relations function exactly like in the movie. So I get the cultural part perfectly as well
Luisa's pressure hits even harder when you realize it comes from her trying to pick up her sisters' "slack". For the longest time she has been the only one of the three to have an "useful" gift as seen by Abuela. Sure, Isabella has her flowers but as you said it isn't really useful to the family, her beauty and perfection are so Abuela can arrange a marriage for her, that way she is useful to her, but even though Mirabel is trying her best she can't help the Encanto the way Abuela would like. So Luisa is giving everything she has and helping as much as she can so Abuela won't put even more guilt on Mirabel for not having a gift (that's why we see Luisa protecting Mirabel every way she can on 'Surface Pressure')
I think the Aunt could have been a lot more relaxed if she wasn't always trying to stay calm. She likely has full control of weather manipulation but because it started with her mood as a kid when the power was new, but because she was always trying to stay calm she never tried to practice with it.
Omg i'm ready for this, this movie got me obsessed, like literally i think i've watched every reactions to this movie and the songs
A lot of people in the comments make great points about Mirabel and Isabellas relationship, especially with how Abuela kinda pit them against each other by treating them so differently (having no expectations for Mirabel and having too many for Isabella). I also want to point out that Mirabel hasn't been that "nice" to Isabella either. All she ever says about her is how "perfect" and selfish she is. She basically rolls her eyes whenever Isabella opens her mouth. Neither of them undrestands each other, and thats why their realitonship is so broken, and why they heal it by talking to each other. They finally understand the others point of view.
A good explanation for why Isabela hates Mirabel at first:
1) She's terrified of being treated the way Mirabel is treated
2) She's basically just doing what Abuela does but more honestly
3) To be fair it's apparently Mirabel's fault she got engaged to Mariano since she told him he could marry her in the opening scene so she's probably pissed
4) But obviously we can't discount that she's just a little bit of a diva and her anxieties just make that worse
Ages for the characters in order and are accurate
Abuela - 75 yrs old
Julieta - 50 yrs old
Pepa - 50 yrs old
Bruno -50 yrs old
Agustin & Felix (husbands) 50 years old
Isabela - 21 yrs old
Dolores - 21 yrs old
Luisa - 19 yrs old
Camilo - 15 yrs old
Mirabel - 15 yrs old
Antonio - 5 yrs old
A few things about Isabella… compared to Luisa, her storyline shows that different people react to and internalize pressure differently. Isa represents the person who blames outside sources for her struggles because she feels she has no control in her own life. She also shows that healing doesn’t happen overnight. She isn’t instantly emotionally healthy and doesn’t apologize immediately as she comes to realize she can change her life. But it’s also a lot easier to understand her character if you understand how being hurt leads people to hurt others. Isa’s public image does rely on her being kind and sweet and Mirabel is the family scape goat, the family member (abuela) who put all the pressure on Isa has modeled that Mirabel is the one person that it’s okay to let out your frustrations at. Mirabel & Isabella’s relationship would naturally be one of the slowest to heal within the family as Mirabel is clearly also resentful toward Isa more than Luisa (to the point she is disgusted at the idea of even hugging her), and Isa has been essentially taught to blame and hate Mirabel. It’s not meant to say Isa is a bad person: this movie shows how different people cope with and react to trauma and stress.
I am convinced that the house was Abuelo Pedro. Especially in the scene when the house if falling apart. It STILL went to great lengths to protect the family even as it was in danger. The magic was dying because his spirit could see that Abuela was losing sight of the encanto's purpose and for unintentionally hurting the family. Don't think Abuela was a true "villain" or deserves alot of the hate she got.
This wasn't my favorite Disney movie but it is up there. The music was phenomenal. The story was solid. The characters were great.
Great movie and glad its getting the recognition it deserves.
I 100% agree with this analysis. It was an excellent look at generational trauma and how it affects our parents and grandparents and down to us. I loved the movie for that.
@@ColieBear18 yeah it really highlights how this trickles down through generations. Abuela did go through an incredibly traumatic event, not just losing her husband/father of her children but being driven out of her home. She also took on the role as the protector of the entire community. Was she right to treat Mirabel or any of her other family members the way she did. No but its a little understandable that she may have lost sight of what the encanto was really for.
i have failed to not tear up every time antonio says we made this one for you
Okay, for one, Isabella was going to marry a guy that she didn’t even like. Not because it would benefit her, but because it would make the family happy. She was not ready to be a mother, let alone of five children. Why did she do this? For the family. This goes beyond selflessness, this is just pure self abuse. And why is she doing this? For the family. Two, why is she so mean to Mirabel and why does she act so spoiled? Why is she so mean to Mirabel? Well, there are many different interpretations of this, but I actually have two. It could be a probably unconscious attempt to let out her frustration on her. Since Mirabel is considered the scapegoat of the family, it could be a way to let out her frustration on somebody without anyone noticing, because this is just normal for the family, therefore keeping her perfect reputation. The other interpretation is kind of tying in with an idea someone had. The idea is that Abuela saw her as a continuation of herself, therefore the mentality of Mirabel causing all the problems is hammered even harder into her. You can also combine this with my first idea by saying that this is why she lets out her frustration on Mirabel. Because of the mentality she was given at a young age, her mind allows and even encourages this behavior. But of course you could also interpret it as both of these. Why does she act so spoiled? If you suddenly go up to someone and tell them to act like a princess they are probably going to act like her. This is basically her life. Three, why doesn't she apologize to Mirabel? Well, she already did in the line "I owe this all to you", which is her way of apologizing and thanking her at the same time. And, finally, why is she so much more of a jerk than Louisa? Well, the first explanation is pretty simple. People deal with bottling up their feelings in different ways, this is just how she deals with it. But also, you could argue that even before Isabella got her gift she was still considered the perfect child. Louisa was only really under pressure after she got her gift. Plus you could also say that the pressure is even more intensified for Isabella. Of course this isn't to say that Isabella is suffering more that the others. They are all suffering equally. But the impact could be even more intense for her. For example, walking around the house, you have to walk perfectly. Existing, you have to do that perfectly. Breathing, you also have to do that perfectly. The only time she doesn't have to do everything completely perfectly is when she's completely alone, and who knows if she's ever completely alone. Unlike Louisa, the pressure is there very second of her life. Plus Louisa's pressure is only about being strong. Isabella has to be perfect. Not to mention she's literally marrying a guy she doesn't even like. So yeah.
My mistake, at first I wrote something about Louisa being the oldest child. In fact, if Isabella is the oldest child, that means she was going through the pressure for much more extended period of time than Louisa.
By the way I realize I made a lot of mistakes in this but it’s hard to fix all of them so I just wanted to say that. Also I haven’t watched this whole video but from what I have seen it feels kind of unnecessarily syndicalism towards this movie, however this could just be their brand but I don’t really want to watch more of their videos to find out.
I’d also like to say something else about the line I owe this all to you. As I believe I already said Isabella is jealous of Mirabel for being the scapegoat as she doesn’t have any of the pressures she does. And vice versa for Mirabel. But instead of scapegoat it’s golden child. And Isabella saw her as a hindrance to her perfection. So the line I owe this all to you is probably also her way of saying I know that I’ve always seen you as a hindrance and I know I’ve always found you annoying but you’ve done this really great thing for me. So clearly I was wrong and I’m sorry.
So the reason Isabella is more sad than you think is that she looks the most like Abuela when she was younger. Abuela projects everything onto her
How the hell did you get through this dry eyed? I cry every damn time I watch this. This hits me just differently than other Disney movies.
Mirabella being kept in the nursery, is a visualization of the practice of “infantilization” of children who are victims of narcissistic guardians. They are basically kept a “child/infant” by the guardian through impractical expectations and standards, and it leaves them having to stay dependent, AKA a child. There is also physiological aspect, in that your brain doesn’t develop to reach some developmental and social milestones due to the conditions they are forced to leave in.
It's not just the weight of the marriage Isabela is carrying, there are also years of high standards and emotional burden. Too many requests from Abuela, too little attention from her parents. She lashes out on Mirabel because, unlike Luisa, it's not bricks on her back, it is unrealistic ideologies from everyone, and Mirabel especially doesn't have those.
Not to mention how Mirabel keeps dismissing her anxiety and keeps downplaying it.
I’d like to say that the cultural pressure of Isabella as a daughter adds a lot to her idea of “perfection” because she was rewarded for it all her life and when she doesn’t feel it satisfy her anymore she starts to freak out with everyone. I feel like it was a bit fast to changer her character but I feel like it is believable between older-younger sister bond, from experience
FINALLY!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for this one!!!!
The creators fought to make Luisa that jacked! They allowed it but didn’t expect it her to be more popular than Isabella. Isabella is supposed to look like the typical Disney Princess. But it turns out we all wanted a Princess who can bench press a load of donkeys!
Lol. Seems like Disney is out of touch with what the people really want. We've had decades of the Disney princess type. Time to switch it up. I am totally here for Luisa moving mountains and bench pressing donkeys while maintaining her femininity.
Yes, I loved that movie. They had me in tears in the end
As a former “golden child” and with a younger brother, I see myself in Isabela. I was the second grandchild but I have to be the perfect one because my older cousin never did, so I had the constant pressure of being different to her and my expectations were really high, perfect grades, perfect behavior, forced to accomplish more than I could manage, every fu***** thing and being compared as a role model for everyone else in my family, then you have my brother, not high expectations and getting rewarded for doing the minimun while I wasn’t allowed to do it, of course I resent him and my cousins for it, I even got an anger problem and while I wasn’t mean to them, my minds was full of “ They can fail but why I’m not allowed to be a failure”. I remember crying because things didn’t got like I wanted, that made me so afraid of being a disappointment (which I am now), being forced in that shell is not what I wish for anybody but still I would take it if it mean that the rest of my cousins/brother won’t have that pressure on them.
As a Colombian I absolutely love the fact that they took the time to show the beautiful part of the country but also the rough part, they were able to show the intern conflict of the country and it was so impactful to me that they made it. Also the songs in Spanish are freaking beautiful XD I recommend
Also a lot of us drink coffee since we are very little so that's kind of accurate :v