The latest addition to the Disney canon is an animated tale centered around a magic-less teenage heroine. Encanto takes place in a small village in the mountains of rural Colombia where the Madrigal family lives. Blessed by the mountains, each member of the family has a special, magical gift. Some have super-strength, while others can shape-shift, except for one of them: fifteen-year-old Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz of In the Heights and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.)
The trailer bursts with all the color, life, music, and magic that adults and children have come to love from Disney flicks. The Madrigal house dances while the children play with tigers and toucans. At the center of it all is Mirabel, our bespectacled protagonist who is struggling with her place in a world of wonder when she feels anything but—very relatable for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong.
The movie features original songs from the composer Lin-Manuel Miranda ( Hamilton, In the Heights, and Disney’s 2016 Moana) as well as Colombian singer-songwriter Carlos Vives. In addition to Beatriz, appearances from the predominately Latinx cast include Diane Guerro, María Cecilia Botero, and Wilmer Valderrama.
Encanto hits theaters November 24th, 2021.
Top Photo Credit: Screenshot from Youtube
Kelsey lives in New York City and is a student at Barnard College, where she studies Anthropology.
