Disney’s newest animated feature, Encanto has won the hearts of young and old alike as a frenzy has bewitched young adults over the past few weeks. Whether or not you’ve listened to the Byron Howard and Jared Bush movie, chances are you’ve heard the tune “We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no!” “, and for good reason.
This musical success, far from the melancholy solos or the powerful ballads that are generally praised by the company with the big ears – just think of Let It Go from Frozen — hit number one on Spotify in the US less than a week after its release on Disney+ at the end of December 2021. The Broadway-style song even managed to dethrone Easy On Me from Adele at the beginning of February, in addition to becoming a viral sound on the TikTok platform.
And although the colorful music by composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also worked on hamiltonbeing one of the recurring reasons for the adoration that is made ofEncantothe film’s sensitivity to contemporary issues could explain why the animated feature is so popular with adults.
“I’ve seen it at least three times,” says 30-something Melany Delgado aboutEncanto, originally released theatrically in November. Of Colombian origin just like Mirabel Madrigal, protagonist of the 60and Disney animated film, Melany says she loved the music and the bright colors of the work, which reminded her of her country. The attention to detail of a representation that aims to be realistic also greatly enhanced his repeated listenings.
Skin color
“I liked the diversity in the color of the characters’ skins. Sometimes you don’t realize it, but among Latin Americans, there are really all colors and physical characteristics, ”explains the one who moved to Quebec 14 years ago. She also salutes the English-speaking actors who have lent their voice to the magical story, these being mostly Colombian or having origins from her country.
What she preferred, however, about the Spanish-speaking representation depicted in Encanto is the story of the Madrigal family, to which she was able to identify. She thinks in particular of the story of Abuela, Mirabel’s grandmother who had to leave her town and abandon her home, trying to flee an armed conflict.
“I had family who had to flee the house because of the violence. But to see that on the screen, to know that children will understand and will perhaps want to educate themselves on the history behind it, I find that very important, she says. It’s not just my family that went through this. It always happens and every day. »
See his anxiety
“Disney, in Encanto and in many of his productions, plays to the fullest on this process of “projections-identifications””, explains the anthropologist and professor at the School of Media at UQAM Mouloud Boukala. This is the idea of offering the public a character or a story through which they will recognize themselves.
“Building on the success of coconut (2017), the studio is offering a new production aimed at all ages, English and Spanish speakers as well as people who have had a migratory experience”, explains the one who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Media , disabilities and (self)representations.
The main characters like Mirabel and her two older sisters, all three deliberately imperfect, each illustrate a certain performance anxiety in their own way. Other themes related to mental health such as intergenerational trauma are widely addressed in the work.
I had family who had to flee the house because of the violence. But to see that on the screen, to know that children will understand and will perhaps want to educate themselves on the history behind it, I find that very important.
The author and sexologist Amélie Stardust judges that “Generation Z and millennials certainly find themselves in this animated film”. According to the one who criticizes cinematographic works as a hobby, “a lot of discussions about intergenerational trauma are circulating on TikTok”.
Melany Delgado thinks this movie resonates with young adults because “there are fewer taboos around mental health than there were before.” According to her, millennials and younger people are more likely to “go get help” and discuss it among themselves than previous generations.
The feature film thus presents itself as a springboard for discussion. According to the researcher Boukala, “the film asks the following question: how to contribute to a common project (family and societal) without power, gift or particular talent, where performance and perfection have become the norm? This translates to “ordinary” young adults by how to respond to the demanding, recurring performative injunctions imposed within siblings, family and society? »
With this question, central to the animated film, it was only natural that the anxiety experienced by the Madrigal sisters would resonate with generations Y and Z who were already speaking out about their mental health.
Women highlighted
In addition to this representation of diversity and a sensitive discourse with regard to anxiety, the animated film places women at the heart of its plot; a speech that greatly appeals to young adults.
Amélie Stardust also emphasizes that “romance is not the central driving force behind the characters’ motivations”. She also mentions that the work has no problem passing the Bechdel-Wallace test, which requires that at least one moment during the film, two named women talk to each other about something other than a man.
“Driven by justice and equality, Mirabel fights for its rights, refuses to be marginalized and even less accepts a sealed and imposed destiny. For Mr. Boukala, this is what has created this phenomenal success. “The process and the construction of identity as well as the ideals of the heroine easily meet those experienced by young adults”, he concludes.