Since its release on Disney Plus this Christmas, the Disney musical animation Encanto has proven a fast hit with viewers.
Much of the praise has focused on its state-of-the-art CGI animation and a musical score written by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.
What’s more, its magic-infused story has spawned a number of fan theories, with viewers speculating over the hidden meanings of some of the film’s key scenes.
Now, Encanto’s director, Bryon Howard, has revealed an ingenious aspect to one of the film’s musical numbers that would have flown over many viewers’ heads.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Howard discussed the song “Waiting on a Miracle”, which addresses Mirabel’s (Stephanie Beatriz) feelings of being left out while the rest of her family enjoy having magical “gifts”.
“It’s not your typical ‘I want’ song,” he said. “It’s a very angsty confession, something she hasn’t shared with anyone – it’s completely private when this happens.”
What’s more, he noted, there’s a subtle evocation of Mirabel’s feelings in the music itself, which is written in a different time signature to all the other songs – symbolising how out-of-step she feels with her family.
“There’s a Colombian song style called ‘bambuco’, which is in three-quarter time,” Howard explained. “It’s literally in a different rhythm than every other song in the film.”
Encanto is available to stream on Disney Plus now.
