Disney's Encanto--Harry Potter with more color

Don't read further if you prefer to know absolutely nothing about a film or book before you watch or read it.  I myself prefer other things over the plot, such as how pieces fit together, and what was creator's inspiration.

Fixation on only the actions in plot can lead people to ignore other important elements, what famous readers' advisory librarian NANCY PEARL (she's got her own action figure!) calls "the four book doorways" she explains in March 16, 2012 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY  https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/nancy-pearl/article/51109-check-it-out-with-nancy-pearl-finding-that-next-good-book.html --character, setting, and language I love in my favorite writers' work (a few are refered to below, linked to this movie).

Like many writers, Shakespeare himself is well-known for finding ideas for his own plays in history and other stories, and creatively transforming them, like powerful sorcerer Prospero in his final play THE TEMPEST with famous Ariel's song "a sea change, into something rich and strange".  Right there you may see where Disney's LITTLE MERMAID got her name.

Disney's 2022 movie ENCANTO is about girl who feels she doesn't fit into her family.  She wears round glasses, and lives in magical house similar to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.  Puzzling prophecies are also in both stories.  

ENCANTO uses frequent trope of Harry Potter books:  someone is believed to be dangerous & scary--but turns out to be misunderstood and likeable---or sometimes the reverse, illustrating lessons to be learned of passage in Biblical Sermon on the Mount:  "By their fruits you will know them.  Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" 

Chameleon Camilo changes while Casita crumbles, reminds me of man with baby's head in confusion at Department of Mysteries in HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.  Following rats carrying smashed prophecy, Mirabel finds that framed painting on the wall is actually a door--like entrance to Gryffindor Common Room.  

And scene where Mirabel chases mysterious cloaked figure through scaffolding behind walls of Casita, sure looks like when Draco Malfoy & Harry fly their broomsticks under the stadium during a Quidditch match, while trying to catch Snitch while avoiding rogue bludger in CHAMBER OF SECRETS movie.  Round door to Secret Chamber in Bruno's room also looks familiar. 

By the way, Mira-bel, (look well/good sight?) might be translated Seeker, Harry's position on Team sport and throughout the story.  Also in CHAMBER film, Ron gets line complaining about Hagrid's directions to "follow the spiders", saying something like, "Why can't it be follow the butterflies?" which in fact is said during new prophecy in ENCANTO.  

Song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" might combine Wizarding World's stigma about "He who must not be named" and leaping to conclusions about "predictions" that it really doesn't need second sight to perceive are very likely, as when Hermione tries to apply logical reasoning to dispell Lavender Brown's belief that fate of bunny Binky fits vague warning by Divination prof.

 

"Free entertainment" pretend telenovela has tag line:  "Their love could never be." (subs:  "Su amor nunca fue posible"/spoken "Su amor fue prohibido".)  Intro to MundoFox broadcast of 1994 Colombian TV classic CAFE CON AROMA DE MUJER begins:  "Hay amores que parecen imposibles." (which basically almost means the same thing), "There are loves that seem impossible" or "Their love seemed impossible". 

Next bit explaining "Rats-terpiece Theater" is also similar, tho it's not due to amnesia, but because (I think) female protagonist's mother only reveals who the father of her daughter is after secret codicil to male protagonist's grandfather's will is opened four years after death of latter (in first episode), leading both viewers and characters to come to the same (false) conclusion. 

(Above "explanation" is deliberately hard to follow to throw inexperienced off the track.) 

Don't say it's a spoiler, but rather a relief from anxiety about what direction story is going.  In CAFE, characters are shocked, feel defrauded & betrayed, when just as telenovela they've been watching (because it reminds them of our heroine's own life), instead of expected happy-ever-after ending, has leading lady eliminated by her ex in front of her bridegroom.  

As Pamela Regis states in her scholarly book  A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ROMANCE NOVEL, these always "end happily--readers insist on it", one of the eight essential narrative elements of the genre she explains with many examples including PRIDE & PREJUDICE.    

Incidently, puppet theater leading lady has long wavy blonde hair like female star of CAFE CON AROMA DE MUJER--who just happened to be first wife of famous Colombian singer CARLOS VIVES who sing in Spanish about his beloved homeland on ENCANTO soundtrack.

Protagonists of CAFE end up having 5 children, same number that young man courting one of the Madrigal sisters says he wants to have.   Magical flower-growing sister who is effortlessly lovely & vain is like Fleur de la Cour who annoys most of the Weasley family. 

Another sister is like over-achieving Hermione Granger and Rose in Rowling's stage play HP & the Cursed Child.  Like in CAFE, when man wants to marry girl he just met, she tells him not so fast (in former is necessary so they can gain wisdom, strength and maturity). 

Longer, "scientific" explanation on seemingly magical attractions is included in  GoodReads review of ENCHANTED HACIENDA (to find, "search review text" for keyword "Hollywood") to counter sceptism of other reviewers on "illogic of  Insta-Love"--for centuries known as love at first sight, being shot by Cupid's arrow--in Spanish "flechada". 

Dolores, who can hear sounds other people can't--and has a "forbidden" love--is like Queenie in FANTASTIC BEASTS movies who can read minds and is forbidden to marry a Muggle.  Pair that finally "see" & "hear" each other might also parallel Harry's finally noticing Ginny. 

 

Tho am pretty sure children aren't reading this, some remarks more suited for older readers were moved to review for romance novel THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA that seems pretty obvious was inspired by ENCANTO, but with grownup problems that will bore the young.

Borrower review of SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE screenplay includes some suggested books for young Harry Potter fans, tho mainly aimed at older mature readers.  

Here's some more boring bits that youngsters will skip, but may interest parents.

 

Sound & subtitles:  Even before pandemic, I rarely went to movie theaters/watched recently made movies because soundtracks were just too loud for me to enjoy.  I'd comment that if a film has explosions, it's not for me.  (First DOWNTON ABBEY film might be last movie I saw in theater.) 

Thinking about it, extreme noise in films or TV shows seem linked to a story's focus--these tend to be violent, shallow, so rapid paced to prevent dwelling on character development.  Quote from ALICE IN WONDERLAND could apply (substituting film or TV show for book): "And what use is a book, Alice thought, without pictures or conversation?"

Years ago, parents already looked for films not too stimulating for children with sensory issues (including sudden loud noises).  Good luck with that now--to me, even Disney's ENCANTO was too loud during the pounding music interludes.  

Sub-titles in Spanish on the DVD don't seem transcribed from the spoken Spanish dialogue mostly recorded by the same adult actors, more like translation from the English.  Interestingly, likeable lesser-known 1955 Disney movie THE LITTLEST OUTLAW featured famous Mexican actors who filmed movie twice, for versions with dialogue in Spanish and American-sounding English rather than sub-titles or dubbing.)   

Noise pollution is an increasing problem.  Hearing loss may be linking to exposure to high decibels. Another cause of hearing loss with age may be high blood pressure--which might be linked to anxiety from stress, including a noisy environment. 

 I've been reading about people who even before portable electronic entertainment loved living in quiet wilderness areas.  Recent guidebooks for hikers remind such to avoid playing loud music in consideration for others.  Despite complaints, illegal fireworks have been set off for months prior to 4th of July by those who don't get the message:  not everyone loves loud, which can be harmful for all.         

End of article in THE ATLANTIC magazine June 2023 titled "Why is Everyone Watching TV with the Subtitles on?" by Devin Gordon explains one reason is a technical matter:  sound level is geared to loudest range (such as explosions), so "normal" conversation becomes so faint as to cause viewers to strain their ears to hear. 

But subtitles can still be useful in language learning.  There are actually study courses assigning subtitled movie and TV viewing, and even books about the "Netflix method".  Much more likely to be enjoyable viewing something primarily intended as entertainment, than video lessons whose first objective is to teach grammar and vocabulary.  Latter tend to be very bland, unengaging and even soporific (sleep inducing). 

I hope at least some of the above may intrigue some readers and viewers.  Or if not, have a nice nap.