Lessons from Encanto plus parent review written by the Elf. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before you Watch Encanto
Movie: Encanto
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 5+
Running Time: 1 hr 45 min *If you are seeing it in theaters- we had 25 minutes of previews after the movie start time*
Release Date: November 24th, 2021
Warnings: There are very few scary scenes in this movie. There is only a small amount of violence depicted but it is more realistic (think knife at the end of Tangled). Find out more about if Encanto is appropriate for your younger viewers in our parent review below.
Quick Encanto Summary:
Disney’s Encanto is it’s 60th animated feature movie!!! Wow!
Encanto is a beautiful tribute to the strength of community, loving family, and being true to yourself. Follow the Madrigal family as they try to figure out what is happening to their enchanted house. Can Mirabel help her family when she is feeling so left out and different from them?
Keep reading for lessons from Encanto, parent review and Encanto discussion questions
Encanto Discussion Questions
1) Have you ever been jealous of a family members or friends life and talents?
2) What was your favorite gift that one of the characters had?
3) What was the funniest part of the movie? The saddest? The happiest?
4) What was Mirabel’s greatest gift?
5) What are your talents? Who are you encouraging or helping?
Encanto Themes to Discuss:
Family, loyalty, talents, immigration, intergenerational trauma, the power of apologies, siblings, seeing things from another’s perspective.
Keep reading for lessons from Encanto and our full parent review
Encanto Parent Review:
*MINOR SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*
-Is Encanto Appropriate for Younger Viewers?-
*Minor spoilers included*
Each kiddo is different, but I think little ones could handle this one pretty well. I would warn that it is more story driven than grand adventure (like Luca or Mary Poppins). There is some violence and death alluded to, but I think it will mostly go over the heads of younger viewers even though it packs an intended punch for older viewers (think the death scene in Frozen). It is a little more realistic (Think Tangled and Raya) and less fantastical.
This plotline of this movie is very heavily centered around family and generational trauma (specifically immigration trauma). I would also give a trigger warning for grandparent/father death as that is a main story point. There’s one darker, scarier scene with lightning that takes place around the hour mark. Otherwise it is a pretty tame movie with a really great emotional storyline and fun music.
-Characters & Acting in Encanto:–
Brooklyn 99 fans will be thrilled with Stephanie Beatriz as the lead, Mirabel. And might even be surprised by her awesome singing voice! Ravi-Cabot Conyers also did a really great job with Antonio’s character. All of the sibling groups were really well cast. Fun fact for the kids- the actor who voices Sid from all the Ice Age films is John Leguizamo who voice Uncle Bruno in this movie!
Check out our Encanto Quiz and Fun Worksheets for elementary students here!
Find it on Teachers Pay Teachers here!
-Encanto Storyline-
*Minor Spoilers Included*
Mirabel has to figure out how she fits into a family that all has superpowers. Not only does she feel like a disappointment, but she’s pretty sure there is reason to believe that she’s going to be the demise of their beautiful enchanted house. There’s no way her two perfect siblings can understand her or help. Not even her grandmother thinks she can do anything useful to help save the day. We won’t spoil how or if the day is saved, but it is a fantastic storyline with a great conclusion.
I like this style of magical realism. This movie in particular was a little more realistic (and poignant) than Onward. But very similar in the style of a story driven plot and magic.
5 Lessons from the Disney movie Frozen 2 HERE
-Why Watch Encanto-
*Minor Spoilers Included*
In a society that is trying to ban certain books from the classroom because historical trauma might upset some students- in steps Encanto. A beautifully heartwarming story that says, emphatically, that children CAN handle learning about painful history and understand that they (and we) can do better. It’s a beautiful tribute to honoring and humanizing immigration stories. A reminder that people do not flee the security of home with no security for no reason. It’s a touching and well done part of the storyline.
The music is fantastic (Lin-Manuel Miranda was part of the team and you can hear the Vivo/ In the Heights style mashups). We loved seeing this story of a Columbian family come to life as a major Disney movie. And y’all- those gorgeous scenes from Coco with the lit up city and mesmerizing flower bridge? Encanto is filled with so many amazingly stunning animated details. From the enchanted house down to the 3D butterfly sewn onto Mirabel’s fantastically embroidered dress. This is one of our new Disney favorites and we highly suggest it.
-Encanto Quotes:-
“‘It is physically impossible to relax’… ‘that’s why coffee is for grown-ups!'”
“How do you save a miracle?”
“Nothing could ever be broken that we couldn’t fix together.”
“Stars don’t shine, they burn and the constellations shift”
“Sorry I held on too tight”
“The miracle is YOU!”
“‘Let’s get married!’… ‘Woah, slow down!'”
“We see how bright you burn, we see how brave you’ve been”
5 Lessons from Encanto:
1) Everyone has their own battles, no one is one dimensional
Mirabel learns that everyone in her family has issues, not one of them is as perfect as she thought they were. It’s hard to love people that are different than us, it’s even harder when we don’t take the time to see their perspective.
2) The miracle is you
One of the most heartwarming moments of the movie is when Alma looks at Mirabel and tells her that the real gift is her, just as she is. So many people who have paved the way before us just wanted to give us the opportunity to live a beautiful life. I felt like this was also a sweet reminder that even though we don’t all get along, we are each a miracle.
3) Supporting your community matters
I love that they called them gifts, because that is how they used their super powers. They gave back to their community, they served each other. Which helped them all to be able to grow together. We are wired for community and we need to both be benefiting from it and giving back to it to really be thriving.
4) You do not have to be supernatural to be a hero
Mirabel felt like her strengths were useless because they were not supernaturally strong. But she learns that what she has to offer is still vital to her family and community. We don’t have to be superhuman to ‘do the next right thing’ (Thank you Frozen 2) or to help in any small way we can. Mirabel’s steady positivity and courage was life giving to those around her.
5) Take responsibility for your mistakes
At different points in the movie all the lead characters had to apologize and ask for forgiveness. This is such an important life lesson. We can’t grow or learn without making mistakes, and even if we’ve made them for years, it is so important to be able to apologize and own up to our errors. Recognizing how we might be hurting ourselves and others- then trying to fix it.
Breaking cycles of generational trauma and habits was such a strong theme in both the Encanto movie and the short that came before it, Far From the Tree.
I loved the dedication in the credits as well!! “We would like to thank everyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios whose talent, ingenuity and dedication continue to push the boundaries of storytelling and artistry every day, even through the most challenging of times.”
So beautiful! What did you think of the movie?!
Who are you being a steady encourager to?!
Thanks for checking out our post on lessons from Encanto!
Check out these other similar posts before you go…
5 Lessons from Raya and the Last Dragon + Discussion Questions
Parent Review and Discussion Questions for Flora and Ulysses
5 Lessons from Mulan + Discussion Questions
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first animated musical- Vivo
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