Favorite Characters: Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)

*Spoilers.*

I’ve done plenty of Disney-related posts over the years, and it’s no secret that I have a lot of affection for many of the Disney princesses and princes. In most of the Disney Princess movies, the songs are the initial way into my heart, but the characters themselves quickly win my love as well. While Mirabel isn’t part of the Disney Princess club, she does belong to a smaller group of non-princess, still-totally-awesome Disney characters, a la Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The first thing we learn about Mirabel is that she loves her family. In the movie’s opening number, she eagerly tells a group of kids the story of the “fantastical and magical” Madrigals, all of whom have a special gift that they use to help the whole village. It’s not until the very end of the song that we get the reveal on why Mirabel is the odd one out: she’s the only one in the family line without powers.

That gets Mirabel down, understandably. It’s hard for her to stand on the side and watch her incredible family marvel the crowd with all the amazing things they can do. In particular, she struggles to be friendly with her “perfect” sister Isabela, who’s not just magical but also beautiful, graceful, and loved by all. When Isabela looks down her nose at her, or when Abuela not-so-subtly makes her feel like she’s just getting in the way, Mirabel longs to be recognized and respected like the rest of the family is.

However, those feelings of disappointment and loneliness don’t take away from the love she has for them. She adores her big, bustling Casita and is forever working to contribute her part. Mirabel works so hard to be a part of everything that’s going on, to be helpful. Part of it is her desire to prove that she matters too, but it’s also just because of how much she wants to make the lives of those around her better. The first of Mirabel’s many serious rock-star moments in the film comes when she reassures her younger cousin Antonio about his upcoming ceremony, helping him feel better about the prospect of receiving his gift. On a day that’s painful for her, both because it reminds her of her own failed ceremony and because it means Antonio will be moving forward and leaving her behind, she finds it in herself to be happy for her cousin, painting a beautiful picture of what the new chapter of his life is going to be like.

Mirabel is tuned in. She notices when people are troubled or hurting, so maybe that’s why she’s the one who first sees Casita starting to crack, threatening the family’s magic. And once she’s seen that something’s wrong, she’s dogged in her efforts to find out what that is and try to stop it. Her quest calls on all of her own non-magical gifts. Her determination in the face of others not believing her and Abuela trying to forbid her from digging deeper. Her bravery in confronting the secrets surrounding Tío Bruno. Her smarts in investigating and trying to put all the clues together. Her empathy in seeing the hurt in others, even those who’ve hurt her in return. It’s a huge undertaking, and to her horror, things seem to get worse before they get better, but in the end, she’s the only one who can save the magic and start to mend what’s broken in her family.

Songs 5-7: Encanto

*Spoilers.*

The music is so great in Disney films that it often feels like any given film has more songs than it actually does. For Encanto, it’s just seven, so we’re already coming to the end. But these are great numbers as well, and I love listening to them, singing them, and geeking out over them.

“What Else Can I Do?” – Isabela has always made Mirabel feel inadequate, but in this song, she learns how constrained Isabela feels to stay in the persona of the perfect little princess growing beautiful flowers. The “you can’t believe how hard it is to be pretty and popular” theme can feel like a trope, but I appreciate that this song isn’t about Isabela wallowing in how hard it is to be the perfect one. Instead, it’s about seeing a sudden moment of imperfection, recognizing the beauty of it, and imagining what all she can be capable of if she lets herself go.

Best lyric: “I wanna feel the shiver of something new. / I’m so sick of pretty, I want something true, don’t you?”

“Dos Oruguitas” – A non-diegetic song, playing over a montage of Abuela’s past—meeting and falling in love with Pedro, the birth of the triplets, having to flee their home, and the creation of the miracle. It’s a beautiful, simple melody that complements the images onscreen wonderfully, wistful and searing. Even better, the soundtrack includes the English version of the song, and now that I know what the lyrics mean, I predict the scene will make me cry even more.

Best lyric: “Ay, mariposas, no se aguanten más. / Hay que crecer a parte y volve, hacia Adelante seguirás. / Ya son Milagros, rompiendo crisálidas. / Hay que volar, hay que encontrar su propio futuro.”

And again in English: “Ay, mariposas, don’t you hold on too tight. / Both of you know it’s your time to go, to fly apart, to reunite. / Wonders surround you, just let the walls come down. / Don’t look behind you, fly ‘til you find your way toward tomorrow.”

“All of You” – And the finale! While it weaves in bits and pieces of other musical and thematic elements from the movie, it introduces its own lovely melody as well. This is Mirabel’s story, but as she says at the start of the film, it’s about her entire family too, so the song wraps up a few plot points and offers up a little resolution to a handful of the characters while maintaining the central throughline of bringing Mirabel’s journey to a close. It’s a beautiful song that comes at my heart in multiple moments.

Best lyric: “And I’m sorry I held on too tight. / Just so afraid I’d lose you too. / The miracle is not some magic that you’ve got— / The miracle is you. / Not some gift, just you, the miracle is you.”

Songs 1-4: Encanto

*Light spoilers.*

There’s a new Lin-Manuel Miranda score, which means I have a new album to listen to on repeat. It also means it’s time to break down each song over a couple of posts! Like I said in my review of Encanto, most of the songs didn’t wow me straight out of the gate, but it didn’t take more than a few listens for all of them to earworm their way into my head and my heart.

“The Family Madrigal” – The opening number is a lot to take in, and the first time through, I felt a little overwhelmed. But while it’s not as strong as some of the songs in this score, it improves the more you listen to it, and it’s actually an appropriate introduction to this big, bustling, noisy family. Mirabel breaks down the family connections and gifts for some kids in the village, explaining the different relations and sharing all the Madrigals’ magical abilities. It’s a bright, happy number with Miranda’s signature rapid-fire lyrics, but there are also these wistful hints that clue you in to the coming reveal: that Mirabel is the only one who didn’t get a gift. As much as she loves and celebrates her family, there are these little parts of her that still feel less-than.

Best lyric: “So many kids in our house, so let’s turn the sound up. / You know why? I think it’s time for a grandkid round-up!”

“Waiting on a Miracle” – Every Disney musical needs a good “I want” song. With Moana, Miranda gave us a thrilling anthem in “How Far I’ll Go,” and here, we’re given something fierce and sad. As Mirabel literally stands on the side watching the household take a family photo without her, she admits that she’s not “fine” being the only one without a gift, the only one not blessed by the family miracle. She reflects on who she isn’t and contemplates who she could be if she was just given a chance. The melody is understated but lovely and the accompanying visuals are stunning—Disney’s animators just keep outdoing themselves.

Best lyric: “Always walking alone, / Always wanting for more, / Like I’m still at that door / Longing to shine like all of you shine.”

“Surface Pressure” – There are a lot of emotional numbers in this film, but this is the one that wrecks me. Mirabel’s older sister Luisa, “the strong one,” sings about the crippling responsibility she feels to carry the family, protect everyone, and never show weakness. Multiple lines here just rip me to shreds, absolutely crushing. The very first time I heard it, I couldn’t quite run with the melody of this song, but as I’ve listened to it more since watching the movie, I’ve gotten into the rhythm of it and like the way the upbeat melody belies the heartbreaking lyrics of Luisa repeatedly insisting she won’t break under the weight of all she has to bear, because she feels like she’s the only one who can hold everything together.

Best lyric: Every single “give it to your sister” line in the choruses, but if I have to pick just one, I’ll go with, “Give it to your sister, it doesn’t hurt and / See if she can handle every family burden. / Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks-- / No mistakes.”

“We Don’t Talk about Bruno” – This moody number about the missing Madrigal uncle has a tremendous groove. Each character/duo who takes part in the song has their own separate part with an individual vibe. No two parts sound alike, but they all complement each other, as the end of the song proves with an excellent entry to the Lin-Manuel Miranda library of overlapping melodies. Beyond the killer melodies, this is a great insight, not into Bruno himself but into the family’s perception of him. Pepa has a story to tell about how one of his apparent prophecies ruined her wedding, Dolores shares the details she’s overheard, Camilo makes Bruno out to be a monstrous bogeyman, and Isabela sings about the perfect life he predicted for her—on-brand for everyone.

Best lyric: I’m gonna have to go with this bit, from Dolores’s rapidfire verse—“It’s a heavy lift with a gift so humbling. / Always left Abuela and the family fumbling, / Grappling with prophecies they couldn’t understand. / Do you understand?”