What better way to begin an analysis article than with a scalding hot take. For the later half of the 2010s, I didn’t connect with anything Walt Disney Animated Studios had to offer. However, a fantastic film was released on November 24th, 2021 that spoke to me so thoroughly, so wonderfully, and so completely it has become one of my favorite Disney movies of all time – Encanto.
Encanto – what is there to say about this film? Plenty.
Encanto has amazing characters that are all endearing (which can be really difficult given the size of the cast), a gorgeous Colombian setting, an absolutely boppin’ musical score, and dives into rich relevant themes of toxic family dynamics, societal pressure, and generational trauma. While there’s A LOT to discuss with this movie, I’ll be focusing on what Encanto has to say about the “Gifted Child” label.
If you’re someone like me who grew up with “Gifted & Talented” programs, you may remember being in those groups was considered a huge deal. In my elementary/middle Schools, people actively wanted to be a part of the group. They wanted to be “Gifted” and “Talented” too. However, if you’ll also recall, those groups were kinda exclusive. Not everyone could be in “Gifted” and “Talented.” When I was a kid, I wasn’t aware of how damaging such a label could be for my self-esteem, self-efficacy, and stress levels. I was in a unique position where I joined the group in my elementary school later than other children. So, I have experienced being both in the group and possessing the label. Outside of the group, I felt as though I wasn’t good enough,that I couldn’t be “Gifted & Talented” if I wasn’t labeled as such. Inside the group, I felt tremendous pressure to continue building my skills to live up to my own “Gifts” – to continue developing the label that was both given to me and earned by me.
Now, what does this have to do with the movie Encanto? What do they have to say about this issue?
Well, let’s start by looking at the story premise.
(WARNING: Spoilers for ALL of Encanto are coming up!)
The Madrigals are a family with magical abilities that are referred to as “Gifts.” Whenever someone turns the age of 5, they are given their magical powers and their own personalized room in the Casita. Each family member (aside from Abuela Alma) received a gift, except for the protagonist Mirabel. She does not have a Gift nor a room in the house. In other words, she’s “Not Gifted” and an outsider to the group. These points are punctuated throughout the entire movie – such as when the delivery man gives Mirabel a present referred to as “The Not Special Special” or her entire conflict with Abuela Alma.
Part of Mirabel’s arc is finally feeling a part of her own family and knowing her own worth. She truly learns that a “Gift” doesn’t define her worth and that (as the beautiful “All of Me” end song shows) she’s the “real gift.” Throughout the majority of the film, we see Mirabel struggle with her self-worth from being “Not Gifted.” Her beautiful ballad, “Waiting on a Miracle” shows how damaging it is, and how alone she feels (e.g., “Always walking alone, always wanting for more, like I’m still at that door, Longing to shine like all of you shine”).
So, Encanto shows us how the “Gifted” label affects those without it. They feel less worthy, less abled, and have extremely poor self-efficacy and self-esteem than those who have the label.
But, what about those with the label? Well, Encanto comments on that side of the issue as well.
The three characters most affected by the “Gifted” label are Mirabel’s sisters, Isabela and Luisa, and her tía, Pepa.
For Luisa, she has the “Gift” of super strength. However, despite her great strength, she isn’t unshakeable. She is often overworked for having to help the town move or fix things constantly. She doesn’t have time for relaxation or joy. She feels pressure (like a drip, drip, drip) that’ll never stop. Plus, she has an overwhelming fear of being seen as vulnerable – causing her to tough out situations rather than emotionally take them in. Her song, “Surface Pressure,” shows us how damaging it is being labeled “Gifted.” And it doesn’t stop with her.
For Isabela, she has beauty, grace, and the ability to grow flowers. However, despite her graceful appearance, she feels trapped being Señorita Perfecta. She always has to be perfect – to the point where she makes “perfect practiced poses” and was about to marry a man she wasn’t even interested in. The pressure to be perfect has other subtle hints throughout the movie, such as when Dolores tells Isabela that Mariano “wants five babies” and flowers bloom in her hair. Alma removes one of the flowers, but only the one that didn’t match- the only one that wasn’t perfect. We seen how damaging and constricting this is for Isabela in her song, “What Else Can I Do?” She demonstrates her desire for “something true” and “something new.” She shows her love for something that’s not “symmetrical or perfect, but it’s beautiful.”
Lastly, there’s Pepa. While Pepa doesn’t have a song to show us how the “Gifted” label has affected her, we see it with her abilities. She has the ability to control the weather, which is highly influenced by her emotions. For instance, winds ripple through the Casita when she’s stressed about Antonio’s Gift Ceremony. However, her “Gifted” label (and toxic family dynamics, but that’s another article) have caused her to repress her emotions. It’s not until the end of the movie that we see her happily dancing in the rain.
So, Encato has A LOT to say about the “Gifted” label. It’s damaging to people who don’t get it because they don’t feel like they are “Gifted” or worthy enough. And, it’s damaging to people who do have the label cause they feel they can’t live up to their “Gifts”
And for me, being the person that I am, that spoke to me more than any other movie in a while. Encanto is a movie that my younger self would have greatly benefited from seeing. As I didn’t need a label to know I’m “magical,” I just needed to “see me…all of me.”