Encanto is the start of a new franchise.
The film follows Mirabel Madrigal, a member of an enchanted family gifted with miracles. Every Madrigal would receive their gift on their fifth birthday, that is, everyone but Mirabel, who became the only family member without magical powers. On the same night, Mirabel's uncle Bruno receives a vision that shows the dire future of the house with Mirabel at the center of it. Bruno breaks the vision glass and runs away, never to be seen again.
Referencing comments made by Mark Kennedy, one of the film's story artists, Encanto director Jared Bush called his favorite moment in the Disney smash hit musical an emotional gut punch. The moment in question takes place during the scene in which Mirabel first meets her long lost uncle Bruno. After Mirabel has discovered Bruno's shattered vision glass, pieces of it are stolen by rats. She tracks the animals to a secret age in the wall where she discovers Bruno, who reveals that he never left the Madrigal home and has been living behind the walls of the house. Check out the tweet below to read the director's comments and to see stills of the original storyboard:
This brief moment in the scene reveals much of Bruno's character to Mirabel and to the audience. As Mirabel inspects Bruno's nook, she notices light streaming through a crack in the wall. She peeks through to find that Bruno's hidden home sits right outside of the dining room, in full view of the dinner table. Beneath the crack rests a table with a drawn replica of his dinner plate, complete with his name emblazoned on the rim.
This short-lived but impactful moment is crucial for Mirabel as the true nature of Bruno is finally understood. Leading up to Bruno's reveal, the outcast was shunned by the family and town. An entire song, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," is dedicated to the family's rejection of Bruno. He's treated like a curse of the Madrigal family, almost like a villain. But in this one moment, Bruno's true nature is revealed. Although he was carelessly instructed to leave to protect the family, he wouldn't depart because of his loyalty to the ones he loves. In many households, the dinner table is an important part of communication and connection within the family. Creating his own extension of that table shows that Bruno still thinks, still knows that he will always be a Madrigal. Encanto can be currently streamed on Disney+.
Source: Jared Bush
