Over winter break, I spent time catching up on movies and shows. One movie that captured many Latinx during this time was Encanto. Encanto follows Maribel Madrigal, a Colombian, as she struggles to prove to her family and to herself that she is just as special. Born without a magical gift, she struggles to receive the acceptance she desires from her grandma. As you follow along with her journey through the movie Maribel uncovers generational trauma and her family’s tragic past.
The movie is filled with Latinx representation and talks about taboo topics that many Latinx members struggle with. While watching this movie, many Latinx members resonated with the characters. I cried as Maribel uncovered years of unspoken hardships. As the eldest daughter, I had to take on many roles from a young age; therefore, I could place myself in the older siblings’ shoes. Isabella, Maribel’s older sister, struggled to maintain a perfect image since she felt that she wouldn’t receive the love she did if she was anything less. Luisa, Maribel’s second oldest sister, felt so much pressure to constantly take on more than she could handle in order to serve a purpose. Generational trauma is left unspoken in many families, which Encanto showed how it can drive families apart.
The soundtrack was filled with catchy songs that captured each character’s struggles within the family. In Isabela’s song “What Else Can I Do?” she discusses how she longed to see what she was capable of doing when not trying to be perfect. In Luisa’s song “Surface Pressure,” she sang about the pressure she felt to take on everything her family hands her. Maribel sang about her internal struggle with accepting she isn’t like the rest of her family in her song “Waiting On A Miracle”.
Over the course of the film, Maribel helps her family come to terms with their own trauma and move past it to once again be a united family. While she didn’t think she was special, Maribel showed that she was needed to break this cycle of unspoken trauma. Something that both the character and many viewers of the film can relate to, and that is what makes this film so special to so many.