Disney’s Encanto has been one of my favorite movies and this blog will be filled with some spoilers. Besides all of the fun songs (“We don’t talk about Bruno” is playing in my head 90% of the time and I don’t mind), Encanto really speaks on family relationships and generational trauma. It might be something you miss the first time around, but have you noticed that there is no villain in this movie? The lack of a villain is due to the internal struggles of the family dynamics and the family seeking to resolve it.

Going back to family relationships, the characters are so relatable. If you watch this movie and think about this family, you can see yourself as one (if not more) of the characters. Here are some examples of the characters and the role they play in the family:

Bruno- The black sheep. The one the family blames the problems on. He actually runs away to protect the family and is actively working to repair the family while he is away.

Luisa- The strong one. Continually takes on the family burdens and pressures, keeps all her emotions inside. Never lets herself rest or relax to take care of the family.

Mirabel- The scapegoat. She is constantly fighting to prove her worth and help save her family all the while being blamed for the family’s problems. She cares deeply for her family and is waiting to be soon for who she is.

Isabella- The perfectionist. She works so hard to execute everything perfectly, from her flowers to her picture poses. She doesn’t feel permission to make mistakes and sacrifices her needs to help the family.

Pepa- The emotional one. You are able to see her every emotion. People are constantly triggering her mood swings and at the same time others are upset when her mood affects the weather negatively.  

Abuela- The matriarch. She experienced incredible hardship and trauma, being forced from her home and the death of her spouse while caring for 3 young babies. She feels unworthy of her gift “the miracle” and pushes her entire family to be good enough for it. People seem to walk on eggshells around her. Abuela’s intentions are good but harmful.

 
Which one do you identify with? Remember, one of the characters are bad or villains. Being able to identify the character you relate to can help you gain so much perspective on your situation. It also can help you to gain some ideas on how to alleviate some of the negatives of your situation. For example, Isabella learned that it’s ok to not be perfect all the time and Luisa learned to share her struggles with others. Notice that there was a lot of vulnerability that had to happen and a shift within the family to begin changing. Once Mirabel decided to change and go outside of the accepted family norms, it lead to others changing as well. Mirabel was the catalyst for her family.

If you haven’t watched this yet, I encourage you to go and watch it (a few times if you have to). Look at the different characters and see who you find yourself relating the most to. What roles do you and other family members take on? How can you step outside of this role? If you are feeling like it’s impossible to step outside of your role, talk to a friend or share it with your therapist. Changing the norms is hard, but not impossible. You are capable of achieving the relationships you want with those around you.

I do not speak for the Disney brand or company. Disney’s Encanto is available to watch on Disney+.