Spoiler's ahead for Disney's "Encancto."
Disney's "Encanto" and the magical, fantasical Madrigal family is undoubtedly one of the highlights of of 2022 thus far. Aside from the hella catchy tunes and the adorable animation, the movie has really dredged up an important conversation around family dynamics. So many people have come forth and owned feeling like the "Luisa" of the family, shouldering all the pressure and burden on their shoulders. Others felt seen as having grown up under the influence of someone like Abuela in the family.
But me? I'm "Bruno" through and through. And, unsurprisingly, I have yet to see anyone really talk about what it is like to be the Bruno of the family.
First thing's first: I am in no way shape or form able to predict the future, so I can't vibe with Bruno on that one.
However, I can relate to just telling the truth and people feeling like I was setting out to "ruin" things for them … only to be proven right shortly after. Being the heavy dose of reality makes people want to avoid your opinion, or hide things from you, in order to avoid that reality. They blame you for your inability to sugarcoat anything rather than the issue at hand.
And eventually, you kind of feel like a Bruno; you're around, but it is easier for the family to pretend that you're not.
Psychologists say that apparently, this is pretty common for people who grew up in a household impacted by generational trauma.
Which, without a doubt, is something Abuela absolutely introduces to the family after brutally losing her husband, and unconsciously emotionally terrorizes them because of it. For the Bruno's of the family, an Abuela -type figure can be especially combative. Gerneraional trauma, for those who aren't aware, is when a family member experiences significant hurt and passes that pain along to their families. It can be things like significatly brutal events or ideals like racism or homophobia that can harm family members for years to come. With that, comes a lot of burying of emotions, especially because it can be complex to articulate when you don't openly communicate it; hence why Mirabel softens onces she learns her Abuela's true history.
But when you are a Bruno, ignoring these things is not a real option.
When Bruno is finally reunited with his family, there was a line in his song at the end that truly hit me:
"Pepa, I'm sorry 'bout your wedding, didn't mean to be upsetting
That wasn't a prophecy, I could just see you were sweating
And I wanted you to know that your bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it go"
Bruno here is just explaining to his sister that he just wanted her to know that it's OK to feel her nervous, bad-weather-inducing feelings, not tell her she's doomed to fail. It's against his moral code to not be honest with his family about their choices and their options in front of them. And while it sounds like a lot of them just didn't like when things would go rough, they blamed him instead of the circumstances that led them there.
The thing is, I'm honestly proud to be the Bruno of the family.
What Bruno and Mirabel did is break the generational traumatic cycle, and I pride myself on doing the same for my kid. We heal through growth, and facing things with clear eyes. Bruno just wanted to be there for his family in the way he best could, and TBH, the whole family would have been better off if they just talked about him.
Whether you are the Bruno or know the Bruno, the point is: talk it all out. Things can get better even for the messiest of families … all we have to do is open up to it.
