In Encanto, Mirabel is the only child in the Family Madrigal that doesn’t get a gift, and a small detail shows it may have been her fault.
Mirabel Madrigal doesn’t get a gift in Encanto, and a small detail may finally explain why. So, does Mirabel ever get a gift, or did she sabotage it? In Disney’s Encanto, Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) is the only child in the Family Madrigal that doesn’t get a magical gift. For instance, her sister Luisa (Jessica Darrow) has superhuman strength and can lift donkeys with one arm. Additionally, Camilo (Rhenzy Feliz), one of her cousins, has the power to shapeshift into other people, including their mysterious Uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo). However, when the magical house they live in starts to fall apart, Mirabel takes it upon herself to discover why.
Encanto, the 60th feature in the Disney Animated Canon, brings together a star-studded cast. In addition to Beatriz voicing Maribel and Leguizamo taking on Uncle Bruno, Doom Patrol’s Diane Guerrero voices Mirabel’s sister Isabel, and That ’70s Show’s Wilmer Valderrama takes on the role of Agustín, Mirabel’s father. Additionally, Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda is behind the soundtrack. The Tony-winner created several hits for the film, including “Surface Pressure” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which already reached the fifth spot on the Billboard charts.
While answering the question “does Mirabel ever get a gift?”, it’s usually a resounding “no.” It’s strange that Mirabel is the only child without a gift in the Family Madrigal, and it seems she may have done it to herself. In the film, the Madrigals have a ceremony when it’s time for someone to receive their gift. Encanto shows the children going to Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero), touching a magical candle, and then reaching for the door that will reveal their gift. However, a fan theory (via Reddit) points out that Mirabel wipes her hands on her clothes after touching the candle. This may finally explain why Mirabel doesn’t get powers.
Mirabel’s Gift May Have Accidentally Been Wiped Away During Her Ceremony
Though it’s a small detail, Mirabel’s hand-wiping moment is notable. After all, the film also shows Mirabel’s cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) receiving his gift, which is talking to animals. However, he doesn’t wipe his hands after touching the candle. Anything that sets Mirabel apart from her family could be a clue why she doesn’t get a gift, so hand-wiping is a possibility. Without knowing it, Mirabel simply brushed her magical gift away. Interestingly, Encanto shows Mirabel’s gift ceremony alongside Antonio’s, and the hand-wiping moment is one of the most significant differences between them. So the answer to “does Mirabel ever get a gift?” could be no, and it might’ve been her own fault.
Of course, there are other possibilities at play in Encanto. For instance, the Family Madrigal doesn’t truly understand their gifts and the miracle that gave them magical abilities. All Abuela Alma knows is that the magic came after her husband Pedro’s death, and it becomes part of a candle that would never go out. It’s not an exact science. So Mirabel could’ve been destined never to receive a gift in the first place. After all, Mirabel Madrigal’s true gift is walking in Abuela Alma’s footsteps, guiding the family, and helping when they’re in need. Abuela Alma even says she asked Pedro for help, and he sent Mirabel to her. In the end, Mirabel possibly gave up her gift by wiping her hands, but following Abuela Alma was her destiny, whether she had waxy fingers or not.
Does Mirabel Ever Get A Gift?
While many think the answer to “does Mirabel ever get a gift?” is a no, she potentially could have, as seen in Encanto‘s ending. Mirabel’s gift had to do with the family and the living house. She was the only one that could really communicate with the Magical Casa Madrigal, which could’ve been seen as a gift in its own right, despite what her family may have thought. Her true gift was to reconnect her whole family, and keep the magic of the house going. Without her journey, it’s unclear if the family would still be splintered from Bruno, and the mountain certainly wouldn’t have opened up either. In the end, Mirabel’s personality is her gift in Encanto, and that’s something that can’t be taken away, and what ultimately brought the family back together.
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