“Encanto,” a Disney animated movie that explores the story of the Madrigals, a Colombian family gifted with magical powers, premiered Nov. 24. The film and its soundtrack took the holiday season by storm and continues to dominate the charts.
“Encanto” highlights the importance of family through the Latinx perspective and accurately portrays Latinx values such as close-knit familial connections, community contribution and resilience in the face of trauma. When the family’s magic begins to go awry, the young Mirabel Madrigal sets out to save the enchanted candle, which stores their magic gifts and represents the love and support within the family. Throughout the film, the Madrigals learn they need to resolve their family’s conflicts and trauma or else they risk losing their gifts and family connection altogether. The unique representation of the Latinx experience is why “Encanto” resonates with many viewers.
Jasmine Velazco, a third-year journalism major and president of the Latin American Student Organization, said “Encanto” portrays traumatic experiences that many members of the Latinx community are far too familiar with.
“The storyline is really good, which is why I think people are drawn to it because it is very relatable,” Velazco said. “It is especially relatable to the Latinx community because of the generational trauma that is suffered through migration and immigration that they show in the film.”
Disney is known for its underrepresentation of diverse cultures across its filmmaking. “Cinderella,” “Tangled,” “Snow White” and “Frozen” are examples of Disney films that prioritize white beauty standards and culture over minority-oriented representation.
“If you think of the tradition of Disney — the castles and princesses — it responds to a very northern European storytelling,” said Dr. Daniel Cuenca, Northeastern assistant teaching professor of Spanish and Portuguese who instructs courses in Latin American film. “When we look at what used to be done before, and then at films like ‘Encanto,’ there’s a huge amount of progress. There’s no question about it. The film is a huge step forward.”
Latinx viewers feel as though films such as “Encanto” are imperative to the Disney franchise because they underscore the reality that society is not homogenous. “Encanto” embraces diverse body types, skin colors and hair textures while depicting the real struggles that some minorities face.
“[This] is important because Disney [has] not done it before and it’s time that they have, especially [portraying] the dynamic of a Hispanic household and encompassing what it’s like to be a part of an immigrant family,” said Parys Carrington, a first-year combined international affairs and political science major. “Disney handled demonstrating the struggles that went along with it in a kid-friendly atmosphere.”
While Disney has ventured to represent Latinx cultures, viewers have found their depiction limiting, as it fails to truly represent the diversity within Latinx groups. “Encanto” is a step away from that pattern.
“A lot of times within the Latinx community, it’s Mexican [culture being represented] but ‘Encanto’ is set in Colombia, which is great because we need more stories that are not just Mexican,” Velazco said. “For example, ‘Coco’ was great, but ‘Encanto’ created a space for people who are not Mexican but are Latinx.”
Behind the film’s relatable plot is a culturally rich, and catchy soundtrack that is consistently topping the charts.
As of Feb. 1, the “Encanto” soundtrack is the number one album on the Billboard 200. The hit song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is now at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and is the first Disney song to do so in almost three decades.
The soundtrack is written by the respected Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is best known for his work in “Hamilton,” “In the Heights” and “Moana.” By introducing a distinct Latin sound to his songwriting in “Encanto,” Miranda grabbed the attention and appealed to the likings of a wider, more diverse audience.
The lyrics within “Encanto” reveal the hidden story behind the Madrigals’ past and unresolved intergenerational trauma, by displaying the raw frustrations of the characters. Velazco said they can personally relate to the struggles the Madrigals face from experiences and expectations within their own household.
“In a way, I encompass all the [Madrigal] siblings because I am an only child and there’s that immigrant mentality that is perfection, helping the community, being strong and putting yourself out there,” Velazco said. “I see that with a lot of the expectations from my mother and family to do better than they did and it’s a lot of pressure.”
The magical abilities of the Madrigal family include family empowerment, beauty and strength. These powers are exaggerated versions of real-life expectations that members of Latinx families feel the need to embody.
“I related to Isabella a lot because being the only girl in my family, I was held to be the perfect girl, conforming to the beauty standard while constantly having straight A’s,” Carrington said. “Beauty and brains were always ingrained in my head. Feeling like I don’t have to be perfect was a hard step to take in my life and the movie perfectly encapsulated that feeling.”
Representation in the media is a way for a wide range of individuals to feel appreciated and recognized in society. It is especially important for all children, specifically children of immigrants, as it validates and reflects personal experience, ultimately precipitating self-conviction.
“It is really this idea of recognizing oneself. The word ‘represent’ means to present back and the idea that the media mirrors. A little child can watch the film and see someone that looks like themselves and experience things they themselves have experienced,” Cuenca said. “That sort of representation of mirroring creates a social ethnic confidence that is then used in order to affirm oneself in society, especially as an immigrant or children of immigrants.”
“Encanto” is a must-see film that tells a gripping story from a culturally diverse perspective that is new to Disney canon. Velazco hopes the success of “Encanto” will inspire more films from Disney that will take up the all-important task of representing more cultures on the big screen.
“Representation is power,” Velazco said.
