MovieChat Forums > Encanto (2021) Discussion > Isabella

Isabella

posted a year ago by MovieBooker94 (364)
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I'm probably gonna get lots of bad feedback for this... but I FUCKING hated Isabella. Like, I know the movie focuses on Abuela's treatment of her family (Mirabel included), but are we forgetting the fact that Isabella treated Mirabel EVEN WORSE? Like, she's been hitting her with flowers any chance she gets and not to mention that she complained about the pressure of being perfect for her family. The moment she said those words to Mirabel, I was like, "YOU'RE A SIBLING! FUCKING ACT LIKE ONE!"

On my post of Disney's Coco, I explained that I didn't like Abuelita Elena for hurting Miguel's feelings after breaking his guitar and called her toxic, but at the end of the day, it made sense within the context of that film since it started Miguel's journey to the World of the Dead where he would prove that music can be special if given to your family. Also, in the end of that movie, when Miguel sings the last reprisal of Remember Me to Mama Coco, she was moved to tears and that was when she decided to stop going overboard with the No Music rule.

In this movie, Isabella's behavior, aside from her complaints about being perfect, made no fucking sense within the context of what the movie established with the magic candle's connection to the house. Maybe the character could've been stronger had she understood Mirabel's motivations on wanting to fix the house and help confront Abuela. But nope, the producers/writers just decided to go with the "aloof bitch" route. Plus, the character herself had no remorse for her treatment towards Mirabel which pissed me off. Then again, I've seen other movies where certain female characters in animation have been WAY more toxic (looking at you, Sisu).

[–] Otter (24464) a year ago

It's not like Mirabel was perfectly nice to Isabel either, it's one of those relationships between young people where both are unpleasant to the other and each considers themselves the "bullied" party, but there's been so much obnoxious behavior on both sides for so long, that it's impossible to say who's been worse. But since we see it all through Mirabel's eyes, we think that Isabel is the bully, we dislike her because Mirabel does.

[–] MovieBooker94 (364) a year ago

But Mirabel had her reasons though. She didn't get her gift because of what Bruno predicted. And at the very least Mirabel didn't hurt people's faces with flowers.

[–] Otter (24464) a year ago

Again, we see the relationship from Mirabel's POV, and the sisters have a dysfunctional relationship for their entire lives. At the opening we see Isabel treat Mirabel with snotty contempt and Mirabel treat Isabel with anger and resentment, but we don't know which of them has done more to injure the other over the years.

We just know that the entire family has treated Isabella with massive favoritism, so the hostility between them not only isn't necessarily one's fault - it's more the family's fault than either of the sisters'! Because that's what happens when you play favorites with siblings, the non-favored kid resents the favored kid, and interprets any action on the part of the favored kid as arrogance and bullying, and totally fails to understand that the family is putting pressures they shouldn't on the favored kid. The favored kid has to live up to expectations that are probably unrealistic kid, while at least the unfavored kid gets to be themselves (been there).

[–] MovieBooker94 (364) a year ago

I see where you're coming from.

[–] Otter (24464) a year ago

It wasn't that long ago they were just kids, young enough that when little Mirabel said "Everyone treats you like you're better than me", little Isabel wouldn't have known any better than to say "Well I AM better than you!". And both would have walked away with hurt feelings, and neither would really have been at fault, because the favoritism was at fault.

[–] Furienna (3330) a year ago

Isabela is actually a good example of how being someone's favorite makes it hard for you to live your own life.
It went so far that she almost got engaged to somebody whom she didn't want to marry just to please Abuela.

Besides, Isabela could at least have a better relationship with Mirabel after she made that confession to her.
While we don't see her express remorse, it is good enough that she wanted to hug Mirabel and they reconciled.

[–] MovieBooker94 (364) a year ago

I understand where you're coming from. It's just that there could've been something else to her other than that.