Encanto

Encanto is a 2021 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was directed by Jared Bush, and Byron Howard and written by Charise Castro Smith and Bush, with original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a score composed by Germaine Franco. The film stars the voices of Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, and Wilmer Valderrama. Encanto follows a multigenerational Colombian family, the Madrigals, led by a matriarch whose children and grandchildren—except for Mirabel Madrigal—receive magical gifts from a miracle, which they use to help the people in their rural community, called the Encanto. When Mirabel learns that the family is losing their magic, she sets out to find out why and save the family and house.

Encanto premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 3, 2021, and was released in the United States on November 24 over a 30-day theatrical run. It was also released in RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 2D and D-BOX formats. Despite underperformance at the box office, grossing $261.3 million worldwide against a $120–150 million budget, it was a ratings success after its release on Disney+ on December 24, 2021. The film received acclaim for its characterization, music, animation, voice acting, emotional depth, and cultural fidelity; reviews named magic realism and transgenerational trauma as the film's core concepts. Publications have described Encanto as a cultural phenomenon, and executives had begun referring to it as a "franchise" within a year of release. The film was nominated for three awards at the 94th Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature, and received numerous other accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature and the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film.

The film's associated merchandise has seen significant success, and its soundtrack became a breakout sensation, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Compilation Albums charts; "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Surface Pressure" were its two most successful songs, with the former topping both the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart for multiple consecutive weeks. A theme park attraction based on the film is set to open at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2027.

Plot

An armed conflict forces young couple Alma and Pedro Madrigal to flee their home village in Colombia with their infant triplets, Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno. Pedro is killed, but the candle Alma carries gains a magical power that repels the attackers and creates Casita, a sentient house located in a magical realm bordered by mountains.

Forty years later, a new village thrives under the candle's protection, which grants "gifts" and corresponding bedrooms to each Madrigal descendant when they turn five, which they use to serve the villagers. Julieta's youngest daughter, Mirabel, is the only Madrigal to not be granted with a gift, while Bruno was vilified and scapegoated for his gift of precognition, which resulted in his disappearance.

Ten years after Mirabel was denied a gift, Pepa's youngest son, Antonio, is granted the ability to communicate with animals. During the celebration, Mirabel sees Casita cracking and the candle's flame flickering and goes downstairs to investigate. She alerts her family, but Casita repairs itself before the rest of the family can see the cracks. After overhearing Alma lament the candle's fading that night, Mirabel resolves to restore Casita's magic herself. Her older sister Luisa, who possesses superhuman strength, confesses to Mirabel that she feels overwhelmed with her constant obligation to help the villagers by using her strength, which has begun to falter. She confides in Mirabel about overhearing that Bruno had a vision about this before disappearing and that his room, located inside a forbidden tower in Casita, may hold the secret to the fading magic.

Mirabel finds a cave in Bruno's room that holds pieces of his last vision made of emerald glass. Most of the family warns Mirabel not to investigate further, but she reassembles the pieces into the form of a tablet and sees herself with Casita cracking behind her. Mirabel's father Agustín accidentally discovers this and warns her to keep the vision a secret, but they are overheard by Pepa's daughter Dolores, who possesses supernatural hearing. Mirabel's oldest sister Isabela, who can make plants instantly grow at will, is scheduled to be engaged to the Madrigals' neighbor Mariano Guzmán. Amidst Mariano's proposal during an awkward dinner, Dolores tells everyone about Mirabel's discovery. Casita begins to crack again, and everyone starts losing control of their gifts.

Mirabel follows rats carrying the pieces of the vision to a secret passage behind a portrait, where she finds Bruno, who reveals he never left Casita and that the vision alternates between Mirabel saving Casita and destroying it, leading him to believe she is the key to the fate of Casita's magic. Not wanting Mirabel to be hurt or blamed, he destroyed the vision and isolated himself. At Mirabel's insistence, Bruno conjures another vision that depicts Mirabel and Isabela hugging after seemingly repairing their strained relationship, which strengthens the candle.

Mirabel attempts to apologize to Isabela, who reveals she is burdened by her image of perfection and does not want to marry Mariano. Mirabel helps Isabela use her powers more freely and they reconcile. When a furious Alma arrives, she accuses Mirabel of causing the family's misfortunes out of spite for not having a gift. In response, Mirabel denounces Alma's behavior and asserts that her harmful expectations for her family are the true cause of Casita weakening. In the ensuing argument, Casita completely falls apart as the candle extinguishes, leaving the Madrigals powerless, and a distraught Mirabel runs away.

Alma finds Mirabel tearfully sitting beside the river where Pedro was killed and the miracle had begun. Alma realizes that her obsession with preserving the magic made her oblivious to how her expectations and pressure were harming the family. She expresses remorse, reconciles with Mirabel, and reunites with Bruno. The three return to the village and assemble the other Madrigals to rebuild Casita, and the townspeople join in, restoring the family's gifts and reviving Casita. The Madrigals celebrate and take a new family photo with Bruno and Mirabel included.