Much like with any other Disney film, the creators of Encanto have ensured that every layer of the production is packed full of intricate details. These subtle nods help inform the characters, and even if the audiences don’t immediately recognize it, they are still there under the surface adding to the narrative being woven.
Disney’s storytelling is still second to none and that’s thanks to those unnoticed moments and inclusions. From the costuming to the names of the characters, the background moments of scenes, or other scripted instances of brilliance, audiences should definitely look out for these details when re-watching Encanto.
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Mirabel’s Glasses
Out of all the characters, it’s Mirabel who wears glasses in the family (aside from her father). This may seem unusual considering that her mother’s powers allow her to heal everyone, which in theory should mean that Mirabel’s eyesight would improve alongside her dad’s. But the detail actually goes a lot deeper.
Not only does it connect her to the non-magical side of her family, but it’s a metaphor for her interactions with the rest of the Madrigals. She quite literally sees them in a completely different way, with the glasses essentially reflecting the fact that she wears a different lens when analyzing everything going on. The color green could symbolize jealousy but also natural growth.
Bruno In The Background
Bruno was largely disliked amongst the Madrigals because of his confusing powers displayed in Encanto. He could see into the future, resulting in the rest of the family shunning him, as they felt as if it was Bruno himself who caused terrible things to happen. During the song ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ the character actually makes an appearance.
Throughout the sequence, Bruno can be seen scurrying around in the background, often on the balcony of the magical house. While it may seem like a cinematic to add to the musical number, it’s actually foreshadowing that Bruno never really left, but instead went into hiding inside his home.
Dolores Can Hear Bruno
That’s not the only time that Bruno’s fate is foreshadowed. It’s alluded to that he mysteriously disappeared, or was perhaps forced into exile. There’s one member of the family who actually knew what happened to Bruno though and that’s Dolores.
She reveals at the end of the film that she could hear Bruno in the house the entire time. It wasn’t the first time she told everyone though. Especially in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” she sings lines such as “It’s like I hear him now,” and continues to speak of his presence in the house. Perhaps everyone should have paid more attention!
Antonio’s Animal Foreshadowing
During the film, young Antonio, one of Encanto‘s most likable characters, gets his incredible gift. He can communicate with animals, but this power was foreshadowed in the early part of the film. For starters, Mirabel connects with Antonio with an animal toy.
What’s more, there’s plenty of animal imagery around Antonio throughout his scenes. Most importantly though, Antonio’s gift is all about communication. He’s the only person who’s able to really communicate with Mirabel and understand her, alluding to his miracle.
Mirabel Is A Combination Of Her Parents
Mirabel has a number of parallels with her father, but that doesn’t just reflect on the glasses she wears. She’s incredibly clumsy much like her dad. She also seems just as powerless as he is. Yet, there’s also a collection of characteristics she shares with her mother as well.
Julieta can heal people with her food. While Mirabel is no chef, she does have the ability to heal her family emotionally, by helping them through her struggles. Indeed, this ultimately leads to her actually healing the house itself and restoring the magic. She was quite literally born for the job of protecting her family.
Look a little closer at the costumes that each of the Madrigal family wears and it’s clear that they have been designed to reflect the powers of the character. Each one includes imagery and motifs that should connect in some way to their abilities, either along with the clothing itself or in the jewelry and other accessories they wear.
Whether it’s the flowers of Colombia across the dress of Isabela, Pepa’s sunshine earrings, or the sound waves on Dolores’s outfit, each costume manages to use very simple shapes to further explore the miracles presented to the group. Mirabel’s garments include butterflies, which is a key motif for the character and hint at her ability to enact change just being her non-powered “normal” self.
Julieta’s Pockets
While costume imagery is important, there’s one thing about the garments of the family that really stands out. Julieta is really the only female whose design includes pockets. There’s a very simple reason for this as it’s a practical choice for the food-loving character.
Julieta is constantly carrying around food and needs somewhere to store it all. It might be a metaphor for being a mother, but it’s also to aid with her gift so that she can heal someone in an emergency. It also shows how intelligent Julieta really is as she is always ready for anything, whether it’s storing something in her pockets or providing her daughter with valuable advice so that she can achieve her dreams.
Isabela’s Rapunzel Parallels
During one of Encanto‘s impressive musical numbers, “What Else Can I Do?,” Isabela uses her vines to swing around her room. The song talks about freedom and unleashing her inner potential. The visual imagery and words may ring familiar to Disney fans as there’s actually plenty of parallels here between Isabella and Tangled.
The animated feature focuses on Rapunzel looking for her own slice of freedom so that she can finally leave her tower. She swings down from her cell using her hair, much like Isabela does with her plants. Even Isabela’s room is built up a little like a castle structure, going higher and higher until she bursts through into the outside world. Thematically, it’s clear to see the link between the two films and is important to note as both characters seem to be on the same journey of self-discovery and independence.
Encanto’s Character Names
Not every name has a hidden meaning attached to it. Some are pretty obvious like Bruno’s, which explicitly includes the word no and symbolizes that the family will always push him back. Camilo’s name reflects a chameleon, much like his costume does, and connects him to an animal known for camouflage.
Mirabel in Latin actually means wondrous, reflecting the curiosity of the character. Julieta’s name, meanwhile, has very obvious links to that of Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It’s interesting to note that as she married a non-powered individual, there might have been conflict there and a divide when Mirabel was born with seemingly no gifts.
The Butterfly Motif
The image of a butterfly appears multiple times throughout the film. In some areas, it’s obvious, such as the butterfly appearing to Mirabel and Abuela in the final act of the movie. Mirabel also has butterflies over her dress and the insect can be spotted throughout the house.
A butterfly is of course a symbol of transformation, having been created from a caterpillar. That’s very symbolic of the change that the Madrigal family must go through in order to survive. It’s always possible that the last piece of Antonio’s magic contributed to this though, as he knew that the butterfly would help bring the family back together.