Encanto and the Foundation of the Church

One of the blessings of having children is that they will watch the same movie or show over and over. I try to ignore it at first, especially the musicals. I know songs from Frozen. I can quote Toy Story. For a while, my kids were obsessed with Encanto. My son was too little to say Encanto, but would always ask for Bruno. My daughter thought Isabella was so beautiful and dressed up as her for Halloween.  Spoilers ahead. 

The movie takes place in a town hidden in the mountains. The Madrigal family, led by the matriarch Abuela Alma, serves the town with their gifts, powers like healing and super strength,  received from the Encanto. All of the children and grandchildren are given a special gift except the main character Mirabel.  The Encanto is represented by a lit candle that never goes out.  Mirable notices that the light of the candle is growing dim, leading to cracks in the foundation of their family home. Her family ignores her when she tries to tell them.  She is often dismissed by the other members of her family because she does not have a gift. After a fight between Abuela Alma and Mirabel, the light goes out and the house crumbles.  Mirabel runs away and is later found by her grandmother. She proceeds to share the story of her husband Pedro’s death. There is a flashback of Pedro's and Alma’s marriage and the birth of their children. Then, the village is overrun by bandits and the villagers have to flee. They are pursued by bandits on horseback. As the bandits catch up to the fleeing villagers, Pedro goes to distract them and he is killed.  The Encanto manifests itself from his death and saves the fleeing villagers, hiding them behind the mountain range.

After watching the movie a few times, this scene stood out to me. It reminds me of the relationship between the Church and Christ's death on the cross. Paragraph 766 of the Catechism states:

The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus." "For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross.

As the Church is born on Christ’s sacrifice, the Encanto was born from Abuelo Pedro's sacrifice. The Encanto, much like the Church, provides shelter and protection to everyone.   Abuela realizes that Mirabel doesn't need a gift, she is the gift. The movie ends with the villagers working together to help the Madrigal family rebuild their house.  When Mirabel opens the door, the Encanto is restored. 

Sometimes God speaks to us in the ordinary: family, friends, even movies. Ultimately, we need to be in the right relationship with God to hear His voice more clearly. Developing a prayer routine, reading Scriptures, and receiving the sacraments can help us do this.  Is God working through the writers of Encanto to give us a way to understand the foundation of the Church? Maybe. I only made the connection after watching the film for the fourth or fifteenth time. 

I was surprised about Encanto. I just thought it was going to be another annoying  musical.  It’s worth a watch. If you're not sure if a movie is safe to watch with your kids check it out beforehand or read reviews.  Deacon Steven D. Greydanus’s Decent Films is a great resource. Also, If you’re not comfortable supporting Disney, maybe check out a used video or book store or your local library for a copy of the DVD if you want to watch it. If you know of other channels or programs that have wholesome content, please post them in the comments.