Movies ‘Luca’s’ sea monsters can turn into humans. And their nurturing mother Julieta cooks food that can heal actual ailments. Her oldest sister Isabela is the golden child, so flowers bloom with every step she takes. Mirabel’s older sister Luisa is the strong one, so her gift is super strength that allows her to lift everything from donkeys to buildings. Members of the Madrigal family and their gifts are built on familiar archetypes.
But just as Mirabel isn’t defined by her lack of magic, she also comes to realize these powers bring her family members their own struggles too. It’s not an easy lesson to learn when one grows up surrounded by sisters and cousins who can use their unique gifts to help their village prosper. Well, almost everyone.ĭirected by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “ Encanto,” which topped the Thanksgiving weekend box office in its theatrical exclusive release, follows Mirabel - the only member of her family who was not bestowed a magical ability upon her fifth birthday - as she figures out that she doesn’t need a special gift to be extraordinary. Everyone born into the Madrigal family is fantastical and magical.