We Should Talk About Bruno

Encanto is the latest Disney animated movie. It is a lovely story of a close-knit family, each member with a unique magical gift. On the surface, it seems like a typical Disney story. A heroine has to overcome obstacles to save her family. In the end, she succeeds, and the family lives happily ever after. After all, what is a Disney story if it does not have a happy ending?

With a stirring soundtrack, Encanto’s danceable tunes make you want to play the songs over and over again. Mirabel’s soliloquy in “Waiting On A Miracle” speaks to a lot of people. After all, we have all felt like the outcast in the family at one point or another. But this is Disney. Outcasts tend to win out in the end with their uniqueness so we know that we do not have to worry too much about Mirabel. She will succeed somehow. Encanto ends with the community coming together to help rebuild the Madrigals’ “Casita.” No, you do not need special gifts or talents. With the love and support of your friends and family, you can live through anything.

That is just the surface of the movie. Like all Disney movies, Encanto carries a deeper message that might go over your head when you are a child.

Encanto first shows its deeper message with Luisa’s “Surface Pressure.” This is the song that really speaks to me personally.

“Under the surface, I feel berserk as a tightrope walker in a three-ring circus.”

Like Luisa, I often feel like I have to do everything, and help everyone even though I already have quite a bit on my plate. A lot of people have come to depend on me, and I cannot let them down. As Luisa’s eye twitches and the pressure never stops dripping, we all know what happens. Slowly, but surely, the pressure will overflow and we will explode. They always say that leaders have to carry all the burden, and never show weakness, right?

Sometimes, you have to set limits, and say no. Share the weight with someone. It is okay to ask for help. After all, you need to help yourself first before you can help others.

Now, let us talk about Senorita Perfecta Isabela Madrigal. We all have that “perfect sibling” in our lives. The person with a perfect life on their IG. All the stars aligned for them. Don’t we all envy them? Don’t we wish we could be them? No one thinks of the pressure put upon them. They have to do everything just right. Dot every i's. Cross every t’s. Like Luisa, Isabela does not want to disappoint anyone. So she chooses to bury her unhappiness inside, only doing what everyone perceives as the perfect things to do even though they do not bring her happiness.

Is that the way to live? Living for others’ happiness. What about our own happiness? Once again, you have to help yourself first before you can help others. After all, straying from the perceived perfect path allows us to forge a new path and expand our horizons.

Speaking of burying our feelings, Pepa Madrigal has the gift of controlling the weather. This seems like a perfect gift. After all, don’t we need just the right amount of rain and sun? However, it is Pepa’s emotions that affect the weather. When she is happy, the sun shines. When she is upset, she can bring about storms and even hurricanes. To avoid causing bad weather, she tries to bury her feelings inside, and attempts to stay in a constant state of happiness.

We all know that is an unrealistic expectation. Life is made up of ups and downs. We have to learn to deal with the sorrow as well and the joy. Burying the sorrow deeper and deeper and presenting only joy on the surface adds to the pressure inside of us (as sung by Luisa). Soon, we will “just go pop.”

Last but not least, why don’t we talk about Bruno? As the Madrigals tiptoe around the subject of Bruno, the person who holds the key to saving the family’s magic, we also avoid talking about mental health. It is shameful. It is a sign of imperfection in a so-called perfect canvas of our lives. Why aren’t we allowed to talk about mental health? Why is it such a taboo subject when it affects so many people? Many are trying to ask for help, but they cannot. As the pressure of today’s world builds up, everything gets bottled up. Eventually, the only way left to relieve the pressure is a violent explosion. We should indeed talk about Bruno.