Over the past couple of years, and especially with the most recent release of “Encanto,” Disney’s newest film, people have come to realize that the stories in these movies are not always what they seem. There can sometimes be hidden meaning and messages in the movies that you might not pick up on with the first watch.
Of course, the first example will be “Encanto.” This movie shows the magical Madrigal family and their special powers that they have. The “hidden” meaning of this movie is not too hard to find as many people have discussed it online already.
This story showcases generational trauma in a family, with both those being impacted by it and the one perpetuating it. Throughout the movie we, as an audience, are shown how abuela continues to place pressure on those with gifts (powers) to perform well for the benefit of the entire town. Many people on social media have stated how they relate to this part of the story and how it is prevalent in Latinx/Hispanic households and why it is so important to talk about it so it doesn’t continue.
Another film from Disney that has a hidden meaning is “Inside Out.” This movie is about Riley, a young girl that is moving into a new house in a new city. Quickly, the movie shows that everyone has these emotions inside their head that control how the person feels at the time. The most influential of these emotions being Joy and Sadness. Once Riley moves into this new house, she becomes depressed as Sadness takes over.
The whole film discusses mental health and why it is so important to feel emotions and be able to talk about what you are feeling at any time. When Riley is unable to identify the emotions she is feeling, she falls into a depression and lashes out at her parents. This accurately shows how people that experience depression might feel and react when in these states.
