Encanto: Why Doesn’t Mirabel Have A Gift?
Examining How The Film Argues That She Does
My toddler’s favorite movie is Disney’s Encanto and, as any parent can relate, I have watched this movie far too many times. Thankfully, I enjoy this film, but one question always nagged at me while my daughter and I were on our second time that day: why doesn’t Mirabel have a gift?
After much thought (and I cannot state this enough, repeated viewings) I think I have a theory that satisfies my curiosity and makes sense within the established world. That theory is this:
Instead of Mirabel’s gift being a consistent ability she could use all of her life, it was a one-time event to teach the family and sway them from going down a dark path.
Think this is too vague or doesn’t make sense? Allow me to explain.
What is a Gift?
The first thing that is notable about the world of Encanto is how the family’s unique traits are defined. There are never called “powers” or “abilities” but gifts. They are framed as something given to them to help and better the community.
With that in mind, Mirabel’s actions within the story could absolutely be considered a gift. She teaches her family to accept their mistakes and vulnerabilities which leads them to reconcile and fix their home. What could be a better gift than saving the entire town?
In addition, the family’s gifts seem to be based on their personalities. The audience sees this most blatantly in Antonio who loves animals and therefore is given the gift to speak to them. Tia Pippa is emotional so moods affect the weather. Camillo has a joking, anti-serious demeanor, so he can shapeshift.
Mirabel is an outcast who puts her family’s needs over her own. In the opening song, the audience sees how quickly she will praise her family over putting herself in the spotlight. She is kind and doesn’t let things like duty, which blinds her Abuela to abundantly clear problems, sway her from doing what she thinks is right.
In a way, Mirabel is more down-to-Earth while most of her family is stubbornly idealistic. Because Mirabel is different and empathetic, she teaches her family members about finding a balance between being thankful for the gifts they’ve been given without completely erasing themselves.
So, this is her gift. This was her way of bettering the community and her family and it reflects her personality wonderfully.
How Does One Receive A Gift?
The Familia Madrigal welcomes their youth into adulthood through a coming-of-age ceremony where they receive their gift and get a special door that unlocks a magical bedroom. The film makes it clear that the children touch the candle, then touch the doorknob and receive their gift.
When Mirabel went through this ceremony, she touched the candle, but when she grabbed the knob, the door disappeared. This would suggest that for some reason the magic didn’t work for her.
Or did it?
At the end of Encanto when the community is coming together to fix the house, the family gives Mirabel a doorknob with the letter M on it. When she places it into the door, the house comes back to life and all is well again.
Now, the obvious answer is that the M stood for “Madrigal”, but what if the knob actually meant “Mirabel”?
While the film doesn’t show the doors up close much, it does show that the knobs have letters corresponding to the family’s names. Returning to Antonio’s ceremony, it is clear in a close-up of him grabbing the knob that it has an A etched into it.
So, Mirabel did get her door in a way. Her door is the front gate of the Casa Madrigal because she used her gift to teach, heal and rebuild the family like the house was rebuilt.
Have There Been Other One-Time Gifts?
So, Mirabel’s feats and story fit the definition of a gift and she went through the ceremony albeit in a shifting fashion. So, the final thing to establish is if a gift like hers has happened before. When one examines the matriarch of the family, Abuela Alma, it becomes clear.
Throughout the film, Abuela seems to be the only member, besides Mirabel, that does not have a gift. Her role sticks to being the keeper of the candle and directing the happenings of the family. However, in a flashback, the viewers see that she did use a magical power once.
When Abuela recounts her tragic past to Mirabel, it is shown that her grief at losing her husband is what ignited magic into the candle and it thusly blasted away the men who were chasing them.
Abuela’s gift was creating a safe place for her family and community. This fits because it reflects her protective personality. Her biggest desire is to keep everyone in Encanto safe and happy, but it is also this desire that begins to lead her astray.
So, Mirabel’s one-time gift counteracts Abuela’s bringing everything back into balance. The film shows not only that gifts such as these have occurred, but they are essential to maintaining the miracle of the magic candle.
Conclusion
This theory isn’t foolproof by any means. I even found some contradictions while writing this. However, this is the best explanation I have thought of that explains Mirabel’s lack of a gift that also makes thematic sense within the story.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if there’s a rock-solid definition. Art is meant to be interpreted in multiples way and having different ideas allow discussion for better enjoyment. Encanto is a wonderful film because questions such as these can be dissected and provided multiple answers.
