Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Disney+ from directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith is the lovely family story set in ENCANTO.

Abuela Alma (Maria Cecilia Botero) begins with the story of how their family casita was created by magic and each of her three received the gift of a special power. The tradition continued to Abuela Alma’s grandchildren. Well, almost all as granddaughter Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is known by to have been skipped in getting a gift.

Fifty years later, Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) will be given his gift and Mirabel supports her little cousin in every way. Trying to control her disappointment, something angry has come to Encanto. The house starts to crack and trying to explain it to Abuela Alma became difficult when they all come to look, and nothing is wrong. Mirabela discovers that she is right but needs to find out what is truly happening with the magic.

Asking Luisa (Jessica Darrow), Mirabel learns she must go to a place that the magic can not help her. Joining her in the dark caves is Cousin Antonio’s feathered friend. She also finds out that no one wants to talk about Bruno (John Leguizamo) and sister Isabel (Diane Guerrero) warns Mirabel to stop. Ruining Isabel’s proposal by Mariano (Maluma) just adds to the trouble Mirabel finds herself in.

When Mirabel discovers what is really happening with Bruno, she asks for his help only to discover that what will fix the casita is not as simple as it should be. It is time for the truths to be told and the faith to be restored when it comes to family.

Beatriz as Mirabel is a young girl dealing with the fact that she was, for some reason, not given the same gifts as the rest of her family. She is a loving, sweet and positive person until the night she sees what might happen to the casita. Beatriz gives her animated character a bravery and strength she will need to understand where she comes from and what is possible.

Botero as Abuela Alma is the matriarch of a family that continues to grow. With each celebration she sets up celebrations and leads the best she can. The problem is, she has forgotten that her family loves her but need to understand where the family started. Cabot-Conyers as Antonio just loves his cousin Mirabel and would do anything for her, he is such a good soul in a very young body.

Darrow as Luisa has always gone along to get along but has her own issues that Mirabel did not realize was inside her. Always relying on her physical strength, Luisa forgets that she has spiritual strength as well. Guerrero as Isabel is seen as the ‘good girl’ of the family and is planning to get married. As Mirabel comes to know, being the good girl and always doing what she is told is the thing that weights her lovely sister down.

Other cast include Rose Portillo as Senora Guzman, Adassa as Dolores, Mauro Castillo as Felix, Angie Cepeda as Julieta, Wilmer Valderrama as Agustin, Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo, Noemi Flores as Young Mirabel, Juan Castano as Osvaldo, Sarah-Nicole Robles as Senora Ozman and Hector Elias as Old Arturo.

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ENCANTO is a very colorful and animated film about the generational story of family. Once Abuela Alma is given the gift of magic and a safe place to live, the family grows by leaps and bounds with the magic still all around them. They take their celebrations seriously but, as families tend to do, hide the things that make them uncomfortable like the story of Uncle Bruno!

Mirabel is a young girl who is seen as ‘the girl with no gift’ and she tries to deal with that in the most positive way possible. When the house begins to tell her things no one else can see, she becomes the casita super-sleuth to discover so much about her family. Learning to accept herself, those around her, understanding her place in it all and the history becomes the beginning of an even more beautiful life!

In the end – it is a magical house with a magical family!

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