Over the past few decades, Disney has dominated the animation industry with its prominent mouse. Unlike any other studio, the company has released several movies that have created a strong cultural impact. Every year, Disney fans see a spike in popularity when the most anticipated Disney film appears on the big screen. In November 2021, that movie was about a certain Colombian family, the Madrigals. “Encanto” follows a story about a family with incredible gifts. This film grew popular for showcasing a story that didn’t involve a damsel in distress, with a prince saving the day. “Encanto” was deeper and more culturally aware than some of Disney’s past films, which made its popularity grow even more. 

The story takes huge inspiration from many aspects of Latin culture, which we see mostly in the location as well as the superstitious ways of Bruno. The movie is an homage to Latin culture as well as the stories and truths behind the dark walls of Latin households. The plot takes place around the miracle that was given to Abuela Alma when she lost her husband while fleeing from their old home. The miracle given to her triplets, Pepa, Julieta, and Bruno, would help the family continue a legacy of helping the people of Encanto and grant every grandchild with magic as well. The only grandchild that doesn’t receive a gift is Mirabel, which causes her to feel insecure and isolated from her family.

Mirabel is not the only one who showcases the troubles of many Latin families. All the grandchildren can account for some sort of stereotype included in these archetypes. Dolores has the gift of supernatural hearing and is only used to benefit everyone else. Isabela has the gift of growing and controlling plants and is perceived to be the perfect one. She frequently has to sacrifice her desires in order to please and improve the family legacy. Luisa has supernatural strength, but she faces immense pressure to succeed. Camilo can shapeshift, but he doesn’t take enough time for himself. The last grandchild in the Madrigal family is Antonio, who can talk to animals. He was the last child to receive a gift before the family magic began to crumble. 

The archetypes of this movie don’t solely focus on the grandchildren, yet the magic behind Latin families follows alongside the adults in this movie. All the triplets have a magical gift. Pepa controls weather patterns based on her emotions. She can create a hurricane or a rainbow in a matter of seconds. Julieta’s food has healing powers. People can take a bite of her arepas con queso and be healed instantly. However, Bruno had the gift of predicting the future, which others weren’t fond of. His gift makes him very superstitious. He’s often shown throwing salt over his shoulder or knocking on wood to make sure bad luck doesn’t spread. His superstitions are very similar to those found in Latin households that originate from legends of bad luck and evil spirits.

There are many small details in this movie that overlap with aspects of Latin culture. It also helped that many of the cast members share Colombian heritage. The inner workings of this film stayed true to the beauty of Colombians, the love letter that was rightfully due. Lin Manuel Miranda wrote and produced the film’s amazing score and curated the top songs, including “Waiting On A Miracle,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” and “Dos Oruguitas.” These songs all share a deeper meaning behind the story and captivate it perfectly.

As evidenced by Disney’s previous racially-incentivized characters in their films, the studio has not always had the best reputation for accurately representing cultures. The company has struggled to showcase characters of color correctly through animation. With “Encanto,” we have seen a major improvement in the portrayal of people of color as well as Latin culture. Hopefully, this will be a new start for the animation studio and the film industry as a whole. Even after a decrease in popularity from the Colombian family, we already see a lineup of movies that will hopefully carry on the name in 2022.