I may be a little late to this particular viewing party. However, better late than never. I had seen clips here and there for Disney’s latest fanily animated film. I hadn’t been enticed. I also didn’t think my 13 year old son would like the film. Thus, I hadn’t pressed it. Yet, a cyclone bomb winter storm kept us indoors and we were in a rather good mood. My son had just participated in his school’s ring ceremony- a signal that middle school was soon coming to an end. My baby son is not so much a baby anymore. Soon, he’ll be starting high school.

It was with that frame of mind by which we decided to watch Encanto. And, that was the best decision for the day. It was a happy film that was beautiful and representative in small ways of our culture. My son loved the film. I almost even got him to dance with me. Especially during the “We don’t talk about Bruno” song.

In case you don’t know, Encanto takes place in Colombia, and tells the story of the Madrigal family. All but one have special powers. The protagonist is Mirabel- the one with no special powers. Well, magical powers. But as you would expect everyone is special and brings something to the table. At the end, the movie which is steeped in magical realism, is about love for one another, understanding one’s worth, and the heavy toll that can exist of trying to live up to family expectations.