www.thewrap.com: “Encanto,” Disney’s latest animated musical, is having a moment.
What’s so odd about this is that the movie was released back at Thanksgiving, but only now is reaching the kind of cultural critical mass that is usually associated with Disney’s most zeitgeist-capturing efforts. With the movie landing on Disney+ on Christmas Eve, its popularity exploded, particularly when it came to the songs by “Hamilton” mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda, which are now topping streaming charts along with the full album, featuring the lush original score by Germaine Franco.
6 comments:
I have to admit that I’ve not seen Encanto yet but I’ve been hearing very high reviews of the film, especially regarding its music. I think Germain Fanco has achieved highly in her work and as the article states, she is the first female composer for Disney Animation. I have always been attracted to and deeply moved by Disney’s songs, and reading this article I learned that Disney has a group of cultural advisors that work hard in researching cultural elements prior and during the making of their films. I find this to be so intriguing because I think it shows that the filmmakers have respect for different cultures and that they are not just making a movie about something distant and unfamiliar. I think this is perhaps also a big reason to why Disney movies can be to touching and heartwarming.
I watched Encanto as soon as it came out on Disney+ and I thought it was really good. I just thought the story was a little rushed, I wanted to dive into the characters more. I think that the diversity that Disney has added to its recent movies is lovely to see. I can’t wait to see what comes next. The opening statement of this article really hits home how powerful one person can be; “I’m very proud because I feel that I’ve opened the door for other women, other people from different cultures.” You can really tell when someone is so passionate about what they are doing because of how much their work shines. This movie truly will open the doors for more opportunities to have BIPOC stories told through the magical world of Disney. And these movies are such good teachers. I have learned things about cultures I would have not known before watching the movie. The catchy songs are just a bonus.
I do find it a little embarrassing how I still have not seen Encanto, considering how long the highly praised Disney film has been out; however, I am familiar with the critical acclaim for the movie’s soundtrack through the means of various social media platforms. I even saw an Instagram post a few days ago that said one of the songs from this film, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, has surpassed Frozen’s “Let It Go” in sales numbers; what an impressive feat! Finding out that Germain Fanco was Disney’s first female composer for an animated film was both encouraging and somewhat disappointing. It has been far too long for Disney to have finally hired a woman to fill the role of composer for one of their animated films, but regardless it is still a step in the right direction. I really will try and find the time to watch Encanto soon to experience Fanco’s musical creativity for myself.
I got to watch Encanto the weekend it came out after Thanksgiving, and it has been quite an experience watch this film go from a healthy following to a massive near-Frozen type of popularity. I can vouch on the opinion that the score fitted the movie beautifully. Although it is a little sad that just now we got the first female composer, and a Latina one too, I am happy it is happening. I’m Mexican, but I think the movie did a wonderful job at speaking about many Latino experiences. It is great to see that there seem to be more stories from POC artists by POC artists. That means a lot to me. The songs were amazing, I am still humming almost all of them on a daily basis which I think speaks of the impact movies like Encanto have. It makes me feel optimistic about the future we are entering.
I watched Encanto over break with my family a few times, and absolutely loved it. I’ve listened to the soundtrack on Spotify as well, I thought it was really well done and so fun to listen to. I didn’t know who the composer was, but I am so happy to learn about Germaine Franco and her work. She said she also worked on Coco but this was her first time doing a Disney animated film as a solo composer: making her the first woman to do so. As someone else said, this first should’ve been long, long ago but I’m so glad she did this project. I loved reading about her process and how she pulled friends and mentors to inform her work and help her create the musical world of Encanto. I can’t wait to see and hear more of her work in the coming years (maybe another animated film?).
I watched Encanto over the winter break with pretty much zero expectations coming in. It just released on Disney Plus and I hadn’t really seen any reviews or information about it. But oh my that movie made me cry multiple times. It’s not surprising to hear that the composer also worked on Coco because that movie also made me bring out tissues. It was amazing how almost everyone I talked to about it was able to relate to a character and certain family dynamics. Additionally, I’m glad there is more representation in Disney films of different cultures. Considering the support and success of Coco and Encanto, I’m sure there is much more to come. Although I was saddened to hear that it’s taken this long for a woman to compose a Disney animated feature, I’m ecstatic that this is opening the door for so many other women to share their talents and be heard.
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