Heartwarming / Encanto

"I have an amazing family... and an amazing house, and an amazing you."

We don't talk about Bruno, but we're gonna talk about these heartwarming moments from this hit animated movie.

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• Throughout the film, the Madrigals never once ask for compensation for their services, freely offering their skills for the betterment of the community. And, although they are seen as the leaders of the encanto, they never lord it over anyone and in fact seem to go out of their way to be humble about their abilities.
• Before the song "The Family Madrigal" is sung, Mirabel races down the stairs in front of a picture of her late grandfather and happily tells it "Morning, Abuelo".
• "The Family Madrigal":
  • Mirabel excitedly going through her family lineup and their powers. Despite how at moments she seems annoyed, and a bit left out of her amazing family, she still loves them and is proud of their Gifts.
  • While the town tells Mirabel "We don't talk about Bruno!" she still goes through with telling his story despite his supposed bad reputation. Villain or not, he's still part of the family and Mirabel won't exclude him in her song.
    • Adding on to that, the fact that Bruno (the Black Sheep) and Mirabel (the only non-magical Madrigal child) are on the mural is great to see.
  • As Mirabel compliments her mother's healing abilities, Julieta warmly smiles and immediately puts her plate down to smooch Mirabel on the cheek. Mirabel even gives an exasperated but loving, "Mom!"
  • Mirabel also shows a strong fondness for the Casita, as the opening part of the song is her joyously going through the house, asking it to help her along with the song.
  • Camilo's part in helping out the community is shown here as he shapeshifts into a baby's father and mother, as said mother is sleeping on a bench nearby.
    • Mirabel claims that Camilo "won't stop until he makes you smile today".
  • When just listening to the song, it's easy to interpret Mirabel's line about Isabela 'She's the perfect golden child' as annoyed/mocking. When you actually watch the movie, Mirabel sings that line with what can only be described as admiration for Isabela. It's also telling that she refers to her as "Isa" throughout the film.
    • It's also worth noting that when Mirabel names her sisters, she does a cute, bicep-flexing pose when mentioning Luisa - prompting Luisa to smile, wink, and give her a thumbs up as she walks past. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment showing that the two of them are quite close.
  • In the roundup where Mirabel reviews her family, you can just barely see Abuela shimmying her shoulders along to the music.
• As the family prepares for Antonio's party, Luisa is told by Alma to bring the piano upstairs, and when she drops the barrels she's carrying, she races past and barely avoids running into Mirabel, whom she takes the time to tell, "Careful, sis".
• The Madrigal cousins are so close; at times they seem more like siblings. Highlights include Camilo teasing Isabela about her "boyfriend" Mariano like an Annoying Younger Sibling, or Mirabel comforting Antonio like a big sister when he's nervous for his gift ceremony.
  • This also extends to the parents, who treat their sibling’s children more like their own children than nephews or nieces and vice-versa:
    • During Antonio’s gift ceremony Julieta holds Camilo’s hand like a mother would and Agustín has his hand on Dolores's shoulder like a father would.
    • Félix insists on talking about Bruno to Mirabel when she’s concerned about appearing in his visions.
    • Pepa celebrates Isabela’s proposal as if she were her daughter.
    • The whole reason Bruno scapegoated himself was to protect Mirabel, as a Papa Wolf would.
  • Watch closely how harmoniously the family sets the table for Isabela’s proposal dinner. It’s impossible to set a child with a parent.
  • And watch the family's reaction as Antonio prepares to receive his Gift. Dolores and Isabela are embracing with clasped hands, and Julieta is holding Camilo's hand.
  • Despite being in love with Mariano, who's engaged to Isabela, Dolores shows no resentment towards Isabela for it, and background shots show the cousins to have a close bond.
• Pepa anxiously worrying for Antonio's gift-giving ceremony, calling him her "baby" as she fears the party won't be perfect for her son.
• As Mirabel unloads the gift basket in the kitchen, Agustín tries to console her over lacking a magical gift by telling her that he feels the same way about lacking one himself and how being surrounded by the exceptional makes him feel "unceptional". There's a different reason he and Félix each lack a gift, but you gotta hand it to him for trying to help his daughter.
• Two for Luisa during Antonio’s gift ceremony. Initially Luisa only has her hand on Julieta's shoulder, but when Mirabel walks Antonio to his door, she is hugging her mother and Camilo reassuringly.
• Before Mirabel warns everyone that the house is in danger, we get a scene of everybody enjoying the party in Antonio’s new room.
  • Camilo happily chatting with Julieta, while Julieta is visibly pleased that Camilo enjoys eating her food.
  • Isabela and Mariano are dancing together and chatting amiably, showing that even though she doesn’t want to marry him, Isabela seems to still recognize Mariano is a good guy and at least someone to be friends with.
  • Pepa, Félix, and Antonio are all dancing together, with Pepa helping teach Antonio the steps as they go along and is clearly proud of her baby boy.
  • Alma arrives on the dance floor, looking over things happily, and that’s when Félix comes over and gets her to dance with him, eager to get her to join the fun. Alma laughs heartily and obliges him, and it’s nice to see someone who carries so much baggage and has inflicted so much baggage on her family cut loose and enjoy herself. Word of God is that she was charmed by Félix and was 110% on board with him marrying Pepa if it meant she got him as a son-in-law.
• Julieta constantly telling Mirabel that no matter what, she is just as special as the rest of her family members. When Mirabel expresses disbelief at this, Julieta starts playfully complimenting her daughter’s “wonderful brain, big heart, and cool glasses”, then tops it off with a big kiss while telling Mirabel she loves her.
• A subtle one, but during the breakfast scene, while Luisa carries almost everyone's glasses of juice to the table, Julieta carries her own. She knows that her daughter doesn't have to carry just about everything, even though she can.
• Mirabel confronting Luisa about the magic weakening, while Luisa tries to deny anything was wrong. Even in her song, while she does admit that the work is getting too much, she'll shoulder it all for her family. She also tells Mirabel to give her the work since she's the older one and has to look out for her. The "give it to your sister" lines also reflect the way the adults have told the other girls to entrust Luisa with burdens (your sister's stronger) and things she may be more mature to handle (your sister's older).
  • After the song, Luisa does seem to feel a bit better, as she hugs Mirabel in consolation after finally voicing some of her worries.
  • Luisa's first reaction after she accidentally blows up at her sister? She apologizes for raising her voice at her, then drops the donkeys she's carrying, so she can briefly pick her up. It's clear that Luisa and Mirabel have a better relationship than the latter has with Isabela. Luisa losing her gift even gives Mirabel extra motivation later on.
  • Also, during the song, after they rode on a piece of the Titanic's iceberg to shore, Luisa took the time to readjust her little sister's glasses. It's a small gesture, but it adds a sense of delicate touch that you wouldn't expect from the bruiser.
  • A subtle moment, but when Luisa tells Mirabel about her strength weakening, she states "when" Mirabel saw the cracks. She didn't say "if" (or anything similar to that). While it may not seem like much, but in that specific word choice, Luisa validated Mirabel's warning.
  • There's also something oddly cute about Luisa referring to her and Mirabel's parents, their aunt and uncle, and their grandmother (all of whom are half her size and roughly one third her mass) as "the grownups."
  • During the "Give it to your sister, your sister's older" verse, a Freeze-Frame Bonus shows Mirabel starting to have a fond smile while her older sister is holding her.
  • Also, during the bridge, as Luisa holds Mirabel's hands while they're floating in the sky, Mirabel can be seen smiling at her.
  • Mirabel's first reflex after Luisa voiced (sang) during 3 minutes that, basically, she's permanently on the verge of a mental burnout is to give her a big hug.
• The family photo Mirabel has in her room has Luisa with her arm around Mirabel's neck. Word of God states that Mirabel usually avoids participating in family photos due to feeling inadequate next to her magical family, and Luisa is willing to include her baby sister in at least one photo.
• As Mirabel wonders out loud why she's in Bruno's vision, a boom of thunder scares the daylights out of her, and she turns to find Pepa, who's literally thundering upon "the name [they] do not speak". Pepa actually takes the time to apologize to Mirabel for scaring her like that.
• "We Don't Talk About Bruno":
  • While most of the people in the song have beef against Bruno, Isabela recalls Bruno's prophecy to her that actually sounds fairly positive.
    • It's also worth noting that both Dolores and Isabela were old enough to remember Bruno, and while they agree to not discuss him, they still cared for him to some extent. Dolores even seems sympathetic with Bruno's powers, calling it "humbling" and a "heavy lift". It's also stated that Dolores knows how Bruno is living within the walls of the house, and even if she could easily call him out with her hearing, she chose not to.
    • During Dolores' part of the song, she pretty much calls the family out on treating him unfairly and misunderstanding him — "Always left Abuela and the family fumbling, grappling with prophecies they couldn't understand." She even asks Mirabel "do you understand?" as if wanting to make sure she has communicated that Bruno is NOT the dangerous villain everyone else makes him sound like.
  • Félix has such clear joy on his face when he says, "it was our wedding day", and despite having been married in a hurricane, he still recalls it as such a joyous day; he loves Pepa so much that the weather didn't matter so long as he was with her. Remembering the old superstition that rain on a wedding day is a good luck sign, he almost seems happy that Bruno "ruined" the wedding ceremony.
    • Félix's "joyous day" line becomes sweeter and more romantic in the Flemish (Dutch dialect from Belgium) version — His line, "It was a joyous day, but anyway" line is translated to "Toch de mooiste dag van mijn bestaan" ("Still the most beautiful day of my existence").
  • Also, during the song, it's very clear how close Pepa and Félix are as they dance in a tango-style dance, and when Pepa seems upset that she's being interrupted during the story, he apologizes by running his fingers up her arm while saying her Affectionate Nickname. The look on her face is one of pure adoration, showing she can't stay mad at him.
  • Camilo is the only relative to dance around Mirabel instead of flinging her from scene to scene. Even though he's clearly having the time of his life scaring her, he catches her when she falls and gently rocks her back and forth before putting her down just as.
  • Camilo doesn't just take on an eerie version of Bruno's appearance, he conjures Bruno's rats. He even gets them to squeak! He briefly hugs himself as he sings about them, indicating he knows Bruno cares for them. And the rat illusions continue as their shadows on the wall imitate his menacing gestures, then they drop back to the floor to dance in a circle around Mirabel...right in the spot where the floor gives way, and she falls.
  • It's also worth noting that Julieta doesn't have a line in "We Don't Talk About Bruno". Considering she's the one who says to him later in the film "We're just happy that you're here, okay?" it makes sense that she wouldn't disparage her brother in a song, or at all.
  • Mirabel mainly wants to see Bruno's prophecy to check if she is the one who ends up being the one to tear her family's gift away. However, as she passes by Luisa's door, she does a double take when she sees the lights flickering and then turns her head to see Luisa struggling to even drag a potted vase away. She then determinedly rushes towards a room, because she wants to protect her family, even if she won't like the prediction she sees.
• The loving and affectionate relationship between both Mirabel and Antonio. Their bond has been widely praised by many fans, with it being one of the many highlights of the film and one of the healthiest dynamics of the Madrigal family. Mirabel is nothing but an attentive, thoughtful Cool Big Sis to Antonio; from the other side, Antonio absolutely adores and looks up to Mirabel.
  • The fact that Mirabel knew Antonio's hiding spot when no one else did highlights how close they are. Not only does she know his location without trouble, but the fact that his hiding spot is Mirabel's bed implies he feels safest when with her or near whatever belongs to her.
  • Mirabel looking after Antonio when the boy gets scared for his ceremony and even gives him a stuffed jaguar since he wouldn't be sleeping next to her anymore.
    • Speaking of his stuffed jaguar, Antonio doesn't forget it even after getting his own pet jaguar to give to Bruno. In fact, in the film's novelization, he even makes it a point to tell Bruno he'll need it back. A tumblr account even made a post describing why it's a bigger deal than it first appears.
      it’s first presented to antonio to help calm him down. it’s a reassurance, handmade by mirabel, that no matter what happens, he will be okay. when he gets his gift – and for mirabel, it’s when, not if – antonio’s life will change. he’ll move out of the nursery, and he’ll get his own room, but mirabel gives him something to keep him company.\\(something to keep him from being as lonely as she was all those years ago, crying alone in an empty nursery, shutting her eyes, and trying to pretend that this was her own, special room and not the childhood walls she’d never get to leave.)
      but when he gets his gift, animals of all kinds flock to him, and when he opens the door, his room is a jungle.
      and the difference between this explosion of golden radiance, a lush, endless wilderness filled with all manner of wild beasts, and mirabel’s small stuffed animal is terribly tangible.
      encanto displays the unmatchable mysticism of the miracle and juxtaposes it right against mirabel’s best, but seemingly futile, efforts.
      mirabel must have felt it too – the shame of that terrible irony: to spend hours stitching together a fake animal for antonio, only for him to be gifted moments later with the real deal.
      however, we see this stuffed animal one more time, when antonio lends it to bruno while he’s trying to look into the future. though i can’t remember the exact line, antonio says bruno should use it to relax his nerves / have something to hold while using his powers.
      we see that he kept mirabel’s gift. why? because none of the thrill nor splendor of the miracle can replace mirabel’s love. what’s important is the people, not the powers.
  • While it crosses with Tear Jerker, Antonio isn't comforted at all by his family's repeated insistence that he has nothing to worry about and he's certain to get a gift because he's an awesome, special kid. The framing makes it very clear why: Mirabel's his favorite relative, so in Antonio's mind, if someone as awesome as her didn't get a gift, then anyone could be rejected.
    • Mirabel's also very obviously the only person in the family who has bothered to give Antonio any reassurance other than the promise that he's certain to receive a gift. He's five years old, and Mirabel's the only member of his family who takes the time to tell him that she'll love him just the same no matter what.
    • And during their conversation, Antonio sadly comments he wished she could have a door. And the wording of his statement is very sweet. He doesn't say "gift" just a "door". To Antonio, Mirabel is already a special person and doesn't any kind of power to prove it.
  • A nervous Antonio holds out his hand for Mirabel to help him go to his door. Mirabel understandably doesn't want to, given what happened at her gift ceremony and tries to explain to Antonio as nicely as she can. His response, "I need you". After hearing this, Mirabel immediately goes to hold Antonio's hand and helps him to his door. Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Mirabel, as she's willing to go through memories of the most traumatizing event in her life, and risk getting blamed if Antonio doesn't get his gift.
    • In some international languages, when Mirabel initially refuses Antonio's request, she refers to him as a "little bro".
    • Just the fact that it is Mirabel who he asks for help. She's the Butt-Monkey, downplayed Black Sheep, and odd one out of her family. And she doesn't get much respect from most of her family or the villagers. And yet Antonio doesn't care. All he knows is that he's nervous and he only feels safe and comfortable with Mirabel.
  • Jared Bush made this statement on Antonio and Mirabel's bond with one another and why it's so special:
    Love when people feel the warmth of the relationship between Antonio and Mirabel. He’s the ONLY member of the family born AFTER Mirabel didn’t get her “gift” - as a result, he’s only ever known her as his wonderful, empathetic cousin who he loves unconditionally.
  • "The Encanto Official Movie Magazine" shows the Madrigal family tree has a cute little note under Antonio's profile: He is Mirabel's favorite cousin and best friend.
  • In a writing sense, just how their bond subverts what would happen in the "older siblings figure is seen as a goof while younger sibling figure is doted on" dynamic. Mirabel was humiliated at her gift ceremony and was thus seen (both consciously and subconsciously) as a screw-up while Antonio had a successful ceremony and received nothing but praise. In that sort of dynamic one would expect Mirabel to be highly resentful and annoyed (possibly a Big Sister Bully) and Antonio to be a smug, annoying Bratty Half-Pint. But are they? No. While Mirabel may be understandably sad to an extent, she's nothing but encouraging and gentle with her little cousin; and Antonio is one of the few Madrigal members to fully respect and trust Mirabel with no hesitation. They're a dynamic duo.
• Antonio's ceremony itself is framed in a tense manner, as both the characters and the audience are aware that the previous ceremony (Mirabel's) failed. In fact, part of why Antonio's so nervous is because he's afraid that his door might not work just as Mirabel's didn't. Once Mirabel helps Antonio to his door, he reaches out and touches the doorknob — and this time it works, and the ceremony goes off without a hitch. The door lights up instead of disappearing, and Antonio immediately finds out what his gift is when a toucan starts talking to him and he discovers he can understand animals. Abuela Alma even breathes out an audible sigh of relief that this time the ceremony worked.
• Antonio's family being supportive of him, and Camilo even cracks some jokes as he shape-shifts to cheer his little brother up.
• Before the family can think of a way for Antonio to use his gift to help the community, they find out he already had one idea: having some coatimundi warm Alma's seat for her at breakfast.
  • While she's surprised and definitely a bit weirded out by the gesture, Alma sweetly thanks her youngest grandchild while calling him Toñito.
  • Félix giving a prideful thumbs-up to his son for his gesture.
• During the proposal dinner as Mirabel starts to freak out, Mariano's actually going over to ask if she was alright, not caring that she's "ruining" the event as he wants to make sure she's okay.
• Mirabel's father initially trying to hide Bruno's prophecy of Mirabel. When Alma calls him out for hiding this secret, he immediately puts his foot down and says he hid it with his daughter in mind. Alma may be the matriarch of the family, but Agustín will do what he can to protect his children.
  • He unintentionally summarizes the theme of the movie in this moment. Abuela Alma's focused on looking out for "the family"...but Augustin reminds her that Mirabel is part of the family too.
  • He also proves himself to be emotionally supportive of Luisa as he tries to comfort her when she runs out of the house upset over her gift fading. Unlike his mother-in-law, he knew a lot earlier that his children matter more than their special abilities.
• In the aftermath of Isabela's proposal, Camilo's shown trying to help Pepa calm down, reminding her to take deep breaths and bringing her a cup of tea.
• Antonio immediately offering to let Mirabel and Bruno use his room so Bruno can perform the vision.
  • While preparing for the vision, Bruno worries that if Mirabel sees an outcome she doesn't like, that she'll get mad like everyone else. Mirabel assures him that she doesn't think he's a jinx, and that the "weird" family members get a bad rap (Fridge Brilliance sets in when you remember that as being a Muggle Born of Mages, Mirabel is also a “family weirdo” like him). This gives him the strength to continue rather than give up yet again.
  • Antonio gives Bruno the stuffed jaguar that Mirabel gave him to help calm his nerves.
• When Mirabel is venting about her frustrations over the vision, Bruno takes a stern but loving tone with her. Even though this is the first time they have really interacted since she was very young, he makes it clear that he believes in her. (While he is doing this while he is trying to hide, it doesn't change the sentiment that he has full trust in her.) In return, she tells Bruno that she's bringing him home to everyone after she fixes things.
• Hell, the relationship between Mirabel and Bruno. Bruno shattered his final vision and left the entire family just to protect his youngest niece from getting shunned like he did. When Mirabel learns of this, she immediately encourages him to use his powers so she can figure out a way to not only save the house from breaking apart, but also help the family and finally bring Bruno back home. And during the finale, Bruno (not realizing that Alma and Mirabel have reconciled) comes riding in on horseback, fully prepared to stand up to his mother in order to protect his youngest niece. Bruno's final line to Mirabel before she restores the house further cements it.
  "You're the real gift, kid. Let us in."
  • Also, in the Japanese version of the movie, Mirabel refers to Bruno as "onii-chan", which translates into "big brother". In other words, Mirabel (at least in the Japanese version) views Bruno more as a big brother than her uncle, only adding more evidence to their deep bond.
• "What Else Can I Do?":
  • Isabela revealing that she actually prefers other plants besides flowers and starts growing different cacti, looking much happier than she usually does with just the flowers. Her entire song is her finally being truer to who she is, not the perfect image everyone perceives her to be.
    • During the song, Mirabel is preoccupied with trying to rather inorganically initiate a hug (since Bruno's vision showed that after said hug happens, the candle lights up brighter and the house is fixed) as Isabela is having her moment. However, once it clicks for Mirabel how stifled Isabela has felt by their family's expectations of her, she immediately casts all other concerns aside and becomes Isabela's personal hype girl, encouraging her to express her feelings and "show them what you can do." After over a decade of being at each other's throats (due to Mirabel being tired of being compared to the "golden child" and Isabela having to deal with the mess up), the two are acting like genuine sisters.
      Isabela: (teasingly throwing a flower at Mirabel's face and giggling) You're a bad influence.
    • Near the end of the song, Isabela gives Mirabel a hug (possibly the first one in ages) for helping her open up about her feelings, even saying "I owe this all to you." While she went there to try and save their home, Mirabel gives a genuine hug in return, which fulfilled Bruno's vision about them.
    • In the Spanish version of the song, Isabela sings how Mirabel gave her a sense of direction. In the French version of the song, Isabela sings the lyric "C'est toi mon cadeau" to Mirabel. What does that mean? You are my gift.
    • Adding to this, during the second half of the song, the two do a lot of things like they are children having fun; using a vine like a microphone, Mirabel eagerly encouraging Isabela's growing and being genuinely excited as they played in the pollen clouds Isabela is creating. It's made very clear that their relationship is for the better as Mirabel puts it; her mind was changed about her sister. All the while, Isabela has a a huge happy grin on her face instead of the usual smarmy smirk.
    • Special mention to Mirabel's part of the song. She holds out her hands for Isa to hold when she asks, "how far can you rise?" She could've tried to initiate the hug there, but she doesn't. It shows that her helping Isa there is out of genuine love for her sister, not just trying to fix Casita.
  • In the middle of the song, Mirabel opens up to Isabela about her feelings towards her. This opens up to the more joyous moment as they take each other's hand as they go up towards the sky.
    Mirabel: You just seem like your life's been a dream/Since the moment you opened your eyes... All I know are the blossoms you grow/But it's awesome to see how you rise
  • Isabela quickly grabbing Mirabel away from a carnivorous plant she grew. It's a quick moment, but it clearly shows she does care about her baby sister despite how aloof she came off as earlier in the movie. And it parallels Luisa's adjusting Mira's glasses earlier in her song.
    • This isn't the only instance of her protectiveness in that song, either, though the previous one is more subtle— remember that every plant that grows during "What Else Can I Do?" is created through Isabela's gift. So, when Mirabel gets brought up into the air on a giant strangling fig? That's Isabela's doing. When Mirabel falls off the fig only to be caught by the leg with a vine? That's also Isabela's doing. Apparently, Isabela doesn't even need to be consciously paying attention to her little sister to be looking out for her. Maybe that's why neither of them seems particularly concerned about throwing Mirabel around like a sack of potatoes near the end of the song?
  • Right before the song begins, Isabela admits that she never wanted to marry Mariano and was only doing so for the sake of the family. Mirabel states that this was a very serious confession and admits that now she actually does want to hug her sister. Unfortunately, Isabela is distracted by what happened when she admitted that - a tiny cactus sprouting amid her roses.
• Bruno expressing joy over his vision of Mirabel fighting and making up with her sister Isabela. Compared to some of his other visions, this was clearly one of the happier ones Bruno saw. Also, since he has sisters of his own, one whom he unintentionally upset on her wedding day, he may have been glad to see a pair of siblings reconcile and forge a stronger bond than before.
• While part of the confrontation against Alma is because Mirabel is the Black Sheep, what really, finally sets her off against her was when she is speaking up for her two older sisters being given a mountain of pressure by her to be perfect all the time. Seeing all the things both sisters do to try and get some appreciation is what really sets off her Berserk Button. Mirabel also does not take kindly to Alma’s accusation that Bruno didn’t care about the family, since she saw with her own eyes how her uncle lived in squalor for years while patching all the cracks in the house and scapegoated himself to spare her from being blamed.
  Alma: Bruno didn't care about this family!
  Mirabel: He loves this family! I love this family. We all love this family. You're the one that doesn't care. You're the one breaking our home!
• As the Casita falls apart around them, the Madrigals are quickly trying to get to each other and get out of the crumbling house, with highlights like Félix saving Antonio from being crushed under debris, as well as both Camilo and Isabela trying to get to Mirabel when she was going for the Candle by using their gifts to help her retrieve it (or using their gifts to get Mirabel out of the house). However, it is the Casita who saved them all; using the last of its power to get them all to safety.
  • Another moment of the Casita protecting the family: sprouting out railings to allow Camilo and Isabela to catch themselves to break their fall.
  • Mirabel stays behind the crumbling Casita in order to save the candle. Her family have been pushed outside Casita, but notice Mirabel is trying to get to the candle. Do they tell her to hurry and get the candle? No. Their concern is on Mirabel. They tell her to leave the candle and get out of the house. And with its last breath, the Casita forms a shield around Mirabel to protect her from the debris.
  • As they're being thrown out of the house, Félix is still protectively holding Antonio, Luisa catches Alma and the last people being pushed out are Mirabel's parents and Dolores.
    • If you look closely, Félix turns his body around so that he lands on the ground and not his young son.
  • Bruno goes out of his way to save his rats before escaping the collapsing house.
• Though it ends in heartbreak, Pedro and Alma's early life together had some genuinely sweet moments.
  • From the moment their eyes first meet, every look they give each other is one of adoration and love.
  • When Alma announces her pregnancy, she has Pedro close his eyes — when he opens them to see the paper shaped like a baby in her hands, he's shocked but overjoyed. When she opens the paper to reveal it's actually shaped like three babies, Pedro pretends to faint in mock surprise, with Alma falling on top of him and laughing.
  • The adoring way Pedro kisses his three babies on their heads as Alma holds them.
  • As tragic as it was to see his life with Alma cut short, Pedro's Heroic Sacrifice puts the very existence of the Madrigal's miracle into perspective. Alma and her children living on, the creation of Casita, three generations of Madrigals (Mirabel among them), all are legacies of Pedro and how much he loved his wife and children.
• Mirabel and Alma reconciling after the latter tells her story and apologizes for how she's treated the family (Mirabel especially) for so long, openly acknowledging that everything that's happened was her fault. After hearing all this, Mirabel gives her grandmother a You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech — saying that despite losing her home and husband, she persevered and made her family who they are. She also adds that they can heal the family together.
  • Alma, touched by her granddaughter's kindness and maturity, tells Mirabel that she asked for Pedro to send them a miracle. She then tenderly holds Mirabel's face and tells the latter that Pedro sent Mirabel to her. They then embrace in a warm and loving hug.
• After the fall of the Casita, Camilo can be heard with a heartbroken voice saying how he can't use his powers anymore. However, he hardly dawdles on his own pain, immediately asking how Antonio would be feeling about this, knowing how much his brother loved his animal friends.
• Throughout the movie, the Madrigal family has been tense, as everyone is unsure if Mirabel is directly tied to the fading of the magic or not. Despite this, everyone searches for Mirabel when she runs away. Then, when she finally returns home, the town rings the bells in celebration.
• Similar to the above point, many people speculated that the family would treat Mirabel poorly because of her being the only Madrigal child without a gift. In actuality, they all love and cherish Mirabel (with some being more open about it than others). Are they imperfect and Innocently Insensitive at times? Yeah, but not out of malice, and they love and care for Mirabel like any member of their family. Even Alma and Isabela, the ones who're the hardest on Mirabel, really do love and care about her (even if they're initially terrible at showing it).
• Right after Mirabel and Alma have reconciled, Bruno (not realizing this) comes to the aid of his youngest niece on horseback and is clearly fully prepared to take the blame for the family's magic dying and have a fight with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in person for at least a decade. Alma's clearly shocked to see her only son after so long, but rather than have a fight with him, the first thing Alma does upon seeing her son again is to grab him in a tight hug, call him "Brunito" and kiss him on the cheek.
• When Mirabel arrives at the remains of the Casita, she's preparing herself mentally for anything that happens; the first thing that happens is Julieta and Agustín going to her and hugging her, relieved that their baby girl is safe.
• A rather snarky example, when Mirabel reunites with her family in the remains of the house, the once again bee-stung Agustín assures her that they and the rest of the family will be okay, to which Camilo responds rather impertinently, “Uh, not if we don’t have a house.” This is his uncle by marriage, but it’s saying that the idea of breaking up the individual families doesn’t even cross Camilo’s mind. To him either they all have a house or none of them do.
• "All of You":
  • Mirabel sings about how constellations shift and burn instead of just shine and stay perfectly shaped; all the while giving affectionate gestures to Antonio, Luisa and Isabela; giving Antonio a little hug, helping Luisa lift some rubble while telling her that she's more than just her gift. Luisa looks like she is about to cry at being reassured like that.
  • Alma gives a heartfelt apology to her family for "holding on too tight," explaining that she was just so afraid of losing them like how she lost Pedro (her beloved husband). She then tells them that they were her miracle and shows the others that Bruno has returned.
  • Antonio is very happy when he sees Bruno. Despite not having met him until recently, it's clear the little boy is happy his long-lost uncle is finally able to see the others.
  • Bruno's first thing he did once he said "there's a lot to say about Bruno": He tells Pepa that he's sorry for what happened at her and Felix's, and he didn't intend anything malicious with his words when he made note of the "rain" during Pepa's wedding. He was trying to joke with her since she was sweating so much it seemed like it was raining and was trying to help her relax. He also told her that he loves her and just wanted to help.
    • He then adds that Pepa shouldn't hold back her emotions and just let herself actually be honest with her feelings and not bottle things up until a storm breaks out. Seems Mirabel is rubbing off on her uncle with helping sisters express themselves.
  • Pepa has held a grudge against Bruno for ruining her wedding day for the past 22 years. The last 10 of which Bruno had disappeared from the Casita, left the family, and hadn't interacted with them at all. Pepa still refuses to talk about him to this day, but when Bruno decides to return to the family...Pepa's the first one to embrace him and welcome him home.
    • Adding to this is when Bruno comes out of hiding when his mother is reintroducing him, both Pepa and Julieta were both shocked but overjoyed at seeing their missing brother finally back. Julieta even covers her mouth while Pepa makes an expression like she's about to cry.
  • Bruno says he feels like he still has a lot of apologies to give, but both sets of parents quickly squash that and just tell him that they're happy to see him again. Agustín even exclaims happily: "The triplets all reunite!" And Bruno gives that reluctant, pleasantly surprised little smile as they hug him.
  • It's revealed that Dolores knew where Bruno was the whole time. Despite his prophecy to her - that the man of her dreams would be out of her reach - she never gave him up and did her best to protect him.
  • As the family is reuniting, they hear something coming; Antonio shows them that it's everyone in the Encanto. After decades of the Madrigals taking care of them, the community wishes to help them rebuild their house as a way to truly show their appreciation. Even the Butt-Monkey Mariano has a shovel at the ready to help, despite being humiliated twice. The kids even come up to Mirabel happy that she's okay and get quickly to work after the man who gave her the "Not-Special-Special" earlier in the movie came to give supplies.
    Citizens of the Encanto: We have no gifts, but we are many. And we'll do anything for you!
    • Blink and you'll miss it: while Bruno is pouring sand around the casita, presumably to grow something (either that or it's part of a floor plan), he turns and receives a thumbs-up of encouragement from none other than the bald priest, along with Señor Guzman watching on with a warm smile on his face. The village truly does care for every member of the Madrigal family in spite of any previously perceived wrongdoings.
    • To add, Bruno is pouring a foundation for a new room (presumably his) and is using the same method of pouring the sand as he does when setting up his visions. This alludes that not just he, but his gift, are fully welcomed back into the Casita, the home of (now) all the Madrigals.
  • At the end of the movie, both Isabela and Mirabel are more openly affectionate with Luisa. Showing a deeper bond between the older and younger sister with the middle child.
    Isabela: You're so strong.
    Luisa: Yeah, but sometimes I cry.
    Mirabel and Isabela: (As they give her a hug) So do I!
  • As she sings "...but I'm getting wiser", Luisa winks at Mirabel and touches her little sister's arm with her elbow.
  • Isabela retains her new passion for gardening unusual plants even during her brief de-powered period and doesn't mind using fertilizer.
  • Julieta mentions her pride in Mirabel's growth, and Agustín simply sings "She takes after you".
    • When they sing this part, they are watching Mirabel becoming something akin to a community leader; just like her Abuela.
  • Mirabel and Isabela help hook up Mariano and Dolores. The two sisters give a giddy high five when they watch the two proclaim their feelings for each other.
    Mariano: Dolores, I see you.
    Dolores: And I hear you.
    • When Mariano says he wants to marry Dolores, she tells him to slow down. While this is mainly Played for Laughs, the fact that Mariano's smile remains just as wide shows that he is a genuinely Nice Guy who will not force his new girlfriend into anything she doesn't want. In fact, he may even like the fact that she stood up to him rather than let herself be controlled.
    • It's worth noting that Dolores learned to stand up for herself after seeing Mirabel stand up for her sisters.
    • When Dolores steps up to confess her feelings for him, Mariano looks bewildered at what's happening at first, but as she starts to list off all the things about him that she loves, his eyes widen a bit. At no point does she mention how physically attractive he is to her, so when he gets that look, it's because he realizes that she's fallen in love with him precisely because he's a genuinely Nice Guy.
  • The family surprising Mirabel with a doorknob to place on the front door of their house.
    • Antonio walking Mirabel to the door — mirroring how she helped him to his door during the gift ceremony.
    • As Mirabel walks to the front door, she watches her aunt, uncles, parents, older cousins, and older sisters sing about how proud they are of her and how they see how bright and brave she truly is.
      Camilo, Dolores, Félix and Pepa: We see how bright you burn...
      Luisa and Isabela: We see how brave you've been...
      Julieta and Agustín: Now see yourself in turn...
    • Finally, Bruno ushers her to establish her place among the healing family for real, for everything she had done for them...
      Bruno: You're the real gift, kid. Let us in.
    • After spending so many years feeling "lesser" than everyone else in her family and trying so hard to live up to the Madrigal name, Mirabel finally understands that her mother was right: she's perfect just the way she is.
      Alma: Abre los ojos; what do you see?
      Mirabel turns the doorknob and sees her reflection.
      Mirabel: I see...me. All of me.
• The Book Ends to a young Mirabel not getting her gift: the family letting her be the one to put the doorknob on the rebuilt house, reviving the Encanto. Mirabel says it best:
  Mirabel: Hola, Casita.
  • Not only that but the door the house creates is greater than any built before. Before each Madrigal got an individual door, Mirabel’s door includes the entire family together, including those who married into the family, Félix and Agustín, who thought they would never get a door. Although the two are unbelievably selfless and humble and never showed any resentment or inadequacy at being muggles in an extraordinary family, it must not have been easy for them to feel like outsiders excluded from sharing the magic of the house. Now the house recognizes them as an equal of the family.
  • Bruno’s original door, unlike the others, had him sporting a Thousand-Yard Stare, but the new door gives him the same serene expression as the rest of the family, symbolizing he is no longer the Black Sheep of the Madrigals.
  • In the new door, Isabela is depicted in her new dress. Shows how genuinely supportive Mirabel is of her sister expressing herself.
• As the Madrigals enter the newly reborn Casita, each of them revels in how they don't have to use their gifts in ways deemed as "perfect".
  • Isabela uses colored plant pollen to dye her lavender dress as well as her hair many creative colors and proceeds to decorate Casita in many assortments of plants. She gets a second chance to truly be herself. The most prominent colors are yellow, green, and blue which are the colors of the triplets, which symbolizes that the family is reunited once again.
  • As Luisa momentarily uses her strength to be helpful, Antonio with some help from the donkeys Luisa was taking care of earlier insists that she relax and kick up her feet for once. After using her super strength for the better part of her life to serve her fellowmen, Luisa does not argue with this change of pace.
  • Félix and Pepa happily dancing in a hailstorm. She's taking her brother's advice: she's going to experience the full spectrum of her emotions without fear of judgement. And just like he did with her wedding, Félix doesn't mind because he loves her.
    • Not only that but Luisa uses some of the hail in her drink, showing how even 'negative' aspects of their gifts can, in fact, be useful and welcomed.
    • And after that we get a shot of Bruno, Alma, and Mirabel looking at the display with smiles on their faces. The latter two are in lovingly embracing one another, a stark (and positive) contrast from their earlier distant relationship.
  • Remember when Antonio was expected to use his gift to serve the community somehow? One can imagine a lifetime of pressures were lifted from his shoulders with this new foundation. At five years old, not only has he regained his gift as quickly as he lost it, but he also gets to use it as he sees fit and not hold back.
• The ending family picture: All of the members are present, no one is showing off their gift (meaning they aren't defining their familial bond through magic but with love and closeness), and this is the beginning of them being honest with each other about their feelings and what they do with their lives.
  • As opposed to the first photo during Antonio's gift ceremony (where an excluded Mirabel could only watch on), it's all too sweet to see she's included in the photo this time, not for having a gift, but because her family loves all of her for who she is.
  • Heck, we'll talk about Bruno: for at least 10 years, he hasn't had a place in the family photo, living as a black sheep in the walls. The fact he gets to be included in the photo speaks volumes that he's no longer an outcast in his own family. He's once more part of the Madrigals!
  • The photo ends up becoming even more heartwarming when Casita gives a surprise "hug" when the camera clicks.
  • The photo, compared to the earlier family photo where everyone is posing properly, is a mess. Half the family have goofy "not-ready-yet" expressions (especially a shocked Bruno), Antonio is blurry because he moved...because the family is embracing imperfection and freedom now in a way they weren't before. Even better is that the reason it was so messy is because Casita moved the floor under them, as if Casita herself saw them still posing kinda formally and decided to shake them out of that. (Or it was her way of giving them a hug, either way it's adorable.)
    • And when Casita pulls them in for the picture, Alma and Mirabel are holding onto one another, with the latter steadying the former. And then Mirabel does the same thing for Bruno. And before Casita "hugs" them, both Alma and Bruno are shown holding onto Mirabel.
• While their interactions are limited, Agustín and Félix are as overjoyed as their wives to see Bruno again, with Félix calling him bro and Agustín embracing all three triplets. Both men make it clear they consider Bruno a brother.
  • It’s also implied that despite the taboo on Bruno’s name, both husbands were aware of the pain losing their brother inflicted on their wives, but they could never discuss it openly.
• A bittersweet one — The novelization reveals that Alma secretly thinks Mirabel is a lot like Pedro. (Becomes a Tear Jerker when one realizes she's been mistreating the only spiritual remnant of her beloved late husband for a solid decade.)
• A subtle example throughout the movie: most of the embroidery on Mirabel's skirt consists of symbols representing her family members. A candle for Alma, a hand lifting a weight for Luisa, a chameleon for Camilo, etc. Since Mirabel sewed all these images herself, they constantly show how much she loves her family. And the skirt includes flowers representing Isabela, even well before she and Mirabel fix their relationship.

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