Bruno Madrigal
Bruno Madrigal | |
---|---|
Encanto character | |
First appearance | Encanto (2021) |
Created by | |
Voiced by | John Leguizamo |
In-universe information | |
Family |
|
Relatives | |
Nationality | Colombian |
Bruno Madrigal is a fictional character who appears in
Bruno's name was chosen by songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda as it was the best fit for the rhythm of the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno", in which family members and townsfolk share gossip and anecdotes explaining why they fear Bruno's prophecies. Initially introduced only from the other characters' perspectives within the verses of the song, Bruno appears later in the plot when Mirabel finds him secretly living in the walls of the family house with the rats. He helps her to save the magic in the house and eventually reconciles with the family.
Following the release of the film, Bruno achieved viral popularity on social media. Leguizamo has also received praise from critics for his humorous and tragic portrayal of the character. Therapists have theorised that Bruno may be
Development
Concept and writing
After finishing their work on
The development phase for Encanto took five years with the story being repeatedly reworked by its six writers. According to Bush and Howard, a key addition to the team was writer and playwright Charise Castro Smith, whom they brought in two years into the project and a year later asked to be co-director. Castro Smith said that she spent a lot of time working on the character development with Bush and rewriting the screenplay "1700 times".[3] The writers decided to focus the story on an unusually large cast of 12 main characters. According to Bush, the team conducted research by consulting therapists and psychologists: "One gave us an interesting stat: In a four-person family, each was asked 'Who is treated the best by the parents?' Their answers were never the same. It’s about how you perceive yourself in the family."[4]
During development, a team of five Disney employees took a research trip to Columbia, including writers and co-directors Bush and Howard. Alejandra Espinosa was the local guide for Disney on a four-day tour of Barichara, after which she was contracted as a cultural consultant.[5] Rendon and Osma were the film's main consultants on Columbia and accompanied the team to Bogotá and Cartagena so that various aspects of Columbian culture could be incorporated into the film. They introduced the team to local artisans, architects, botanists and chefs to educate the team on Columbian history and culture and expose them to everyday life. In addition to the consultants, a group of Latin American Disney employees were consulted, who watched the film and provided feedback. Castro Smith said that this was beneficial to the film's development.[1] The original story concept was to focus on a large diverse family that represented Afro-Colombians, while the character Bruno represented the indigenous people of Columbia, whom Espinosa commented are "invisible and nobody talks about them".[5]
Bruno was originally younger, around the same age as Mirabel, and depicted as "kind of a chubbier, funnier uncle who she met earlier in the movie", according to Howard. Bruno's role changed once the writing team realised that his gift of precognition would cause other characters to reject him with tragic consequences. This story concept provided an interesting idea for Miranda to write a song that focused on the character being absent for ten years and developing a reputation based on gossip and misperception.[6] Bruno was previously named Oscar, but the creative team looked for other names to avoid any potential legal issues with real-life Oscar Madrigals in Colombia.[7] Miranda chose Bruno from a list of potential names, including Arlo, Andre, Anko, Marco, and Emo, because it allowed for the catchy line "We don't talk about Bruno no no no" in the Encanto song "We Don't Talk About Bruno".[7][8] For Bruno's character development, story artist Mark Kennedy conducted research on people who have been confined or have no human communication: "I thought about what it would be like for Bruno to be burdened with this gift of being able to see the future - how would that affect his personality? How are people affected when they are shunned by their families?"[9]
Design
A team of designers worked on Bruno's character design, including visual development artist Meg Park, who created his costume. Costume design lead Neysa Bove said that he was originally designed wearing a garment similar to a fortune teller in the 1900s, but after consulting with a team of Columbian experts, the design was changed to a traditional poncho. Emerald green was chosen as Bruno's main color because of the emerald trade of Colombia and for its mystical properties, such as the usage of emeralds to predict the future. The Quimbaya were used as a resource in designing the iconography on his poncho. Other details reflect Bruno's circumstances, including small holes added to his poncho caused by rats eating through the fabric and a grey tone added to his skin caused by a lack of sun exposure from living indoors.[10] One idea for Bruno's costume was to have him wear a rug he found around the house.[8] The final version of his costume is a ruana[8] "meant to be the old ceremonial outfit that Bruno used to wear when he was having visions of the future for the people that came to see him", according to Park.[11]
Voice
American actor John Leguizamo, who was born in Bogotá, Columbia, voices Bruno in Encanto. He joined the cast after receiving a call from Miranda.[12] He said that the film appealed to him due to it being an all-Latinx Disney movie, which he did not think he would see happen in his lifetime.[13] Like Bruno he experienced similar feelings of being an outsider within his family: "I always would say what nobody wanted to hear, like Uncle Bruno. And I'm gonna get ostracized for that; for telling the truth, and for things coming true that are negative. I had a little bit of that negativity going on." He described Bruno as a "quirky offbeat guy who had bad social skills" and when voicing the character he was allowed to "go to the weirdest places because my intonations are really bizarre and offbeat".[14] Leguizamo worked with Howard and Bush on his portrayal of the character, which changed over time. He said that at the start Bruno was a little cockier but he ended up being more vulnerable and awkward.[15] Leguizamo was given room to improvise according to Castro Smith, particularly in a scene in which Bruno recounts the plot of his constructed rat telenovela to Mirabel.[16] Leguizamo admitted that he struggled with the singing part of the role. While recording a short rap section he asked Miranda for help: "we did it like a million times. I think it took two days to get it done."[17]
Appearances
Encanto
Bruno is a member of a set of fraternal
Merchandise
Bruno is featured in official Encanto merchandise, including clothing, toy sets and plush dolls.
Theme parks
Bruno and the members of the Madrigal family appeared in a projection show of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for a limited time on the facade of the
Reception
Analysis
"Everything [Bruno] predicts is super predictable. There's no malice in any single prediction. And I wanted that to be clear on your second and third viewing. Like, Oh, goldfish die. Oh, of course it was going to rain on her wedding day; she controls the weather and she's stressed out. Yeah, you grow a gut because we’re getting older and your metabolism goes. There's actually no malice in any of these predictions. They're all super-lame predictions. But they're being described as if he's the worst."
Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy wrote for
Critical response
Leguizamo's portrayal of the character has also received praise. USA Today writer Brian Truitt said that Bruno is voiced "endearingly well" and that, despite being absent at the start of the film, Bruno is a "scene-stealing" oddball character.[44] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times found Leguizamo's Bruno to be "hilariously eccentric".[45] Forbes staff writer Scott Mendelson considered Leguizamo's voicing of the character to be the film's standout performance, highlighting both its comedic and tragic elements.[46] The Times of India described Leguizamo's voice work as "remarkable" and Bruno as a "scene-stealer" within the character's limited screen time.[47] In an IGN review of the film, Andrea Towers praised Leguizamo's performance for balancing humour with the character's deep-seated resentment, hurt and shame.[48] Pete Hammond writing for Deadline said that Bruno is voiced "immaculately" by Leguizamo and praised Bruno for "stealing the whole show".[49]
Impact
Following the release of Encanto, therapists discussed the way family secrets exemplified in the Madrigals' stories about Bruno are common signs of
Accolades
Leguizamo received several award nominations for voicing Bruno, including Best Voice Acting (Feature) category in the 2022 Annie Awards,[53] Best Voice Acting category in the Austin Film Critics Association Awards 2021,[54] Best Animated or VFX Performance category at the 5th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards[55] and Best Actor in a Feature Film category in the 2022 Imagen Awards.[56]
References
- ^ a b c d Brown, Tracy (November 29, 2021). "'Encanto' is Disney's first Latino musical. How the filmmakers got Colombia right". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (December 3, 2021). "Lin-Manuel Miranda on Creating Disney Magic With the Music of 'Encanto'". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (November 24, 2021). "Encanto Directors Explain the Disney Movie's Magical Origins". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c Gray, Tim (February 28, 2022). "'Encanto' Writers on Bruno's Viral Popularity and the Madrigal's Complex Family Dynamics: 'We Spoke to a Lot of Therapists'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Santaeulalia, Inés (January 26, 2022). "The real story behind the Disney hit movie 'Encanto'". EL PAÍS English. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Travis, Ben (January 28, 2022). "We Don't Talk About Bruno: The Making Of Encanto's Biggest Hit Song". Empire. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Spencer, Ashley (January 13, 2022). "We're Going to Talk About 'Bruno,' Yes, Yes, Yes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c Dominick, Nora (February 2, 2022). "27 "Encanto" Scenes, Lyrics, And Character Designs That Were Actually Cut From The Final Version Of The Film". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ Jones 2021, p. 139.
- ^ Bové, Neysa; Bové, Lorelay (March 2, 2022). "How a Pair of Real-Life Sisters Brought Encanto to Life Through Clothing". Elle (Interview). Interviewed by Sarah Nechamkin. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ Jones 2021, p. 138.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (November 22, 2021). "John Leguizamo: 'If you're in a Disney movie, you exist in so many ways' (exclusive)". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Song, Katie (November 5, 2021). "'Encanto' Star John Leguizamo on Why the Film Is So Important: 'I Never Thought I'd See This In My Lifetime'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Hullender, Tatiana (November 22, 2021). "Stephanie Beatriz & John Leguizamo Interview: Encanto". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Radish, Christina (November 25, 2021). "Stephanie Beatriz & John Leguizamo on 'Encanto,' Performing the Music of Lin-Manuel Miranda, and How the Story Evolved". Collider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Correa, Joshua (February 16, 2022). "10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts, Specifically About The Cast Of "Encanto"". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Eisenberg, Eric (December 4, 2021). "Encanto's Stars Reveal What It Was Like Performing Songs By Lin-Manuel Miranda". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ LeGardye, Quinci (January 25, 2022). "The Magic of 'Encanto,' Explained". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (November 25, 2021). "Encanto Ending Explained by the Disney Movie's Co-Director". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Bradley, Bill (March 4, 2022). "Encanto: Details In Bruno's Room Make His Story Even Sadder". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Simons, Roxy (February 2, 2022). "The True Meaning Behind 'Encanto's' 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' Explored". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Silverio, Ben F. (November 25, 2021). "Encanto Ending Explained: Generations, Divided". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Radulovic, Petrana (February 4, 2022). "Encanto's final song is getting overlooked". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Davis-Friedman, Samantha (August 31, 2022). "Everyone's going to be talking about the new Encanto merch". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Lascala, Marisa (November 12, 2022). "Your Kids Are Going to Flip Over This 'Encanto' Advent Calendar". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Kennzie, Jada (November 8, 2022). "Our favorite Walmart toys from the 2022 most-wanted list that you can still get". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Pyne, Holly (April 22, 2022). "Best Encanto merchandise: top gifts, toys and dolls to buy right now". Radio Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Reyes, Mike (April 4, 2022). "Disneyland Is Celebrating Encanto's Oscar Win In A Special Way, And It's All About Bruno". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Caramanna, Carly (October 8, 2022). "I paid $179 to go to Disney's Oogie Boogie Bash, and the Halloween event is totally worth it for adults". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Chris (February 2, 2022). "'Encanto' completes Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2021 musical hat trick". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Shoichet, Catherine E. (January 18, 2022). "Why therapists ARE talking about Bruno – and all the other 'Encanto' characters". CNN. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Kumamoto, Ian (February 20, 2024). "We should talk about Bruno — and how families reject their own". Mic. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Robles-Ramamurthy, Barbara (January 31, 2022). "Healing Lessons From 'Encanto'". Psychology Today. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- – via MEDLINE Complete.
- ^ Abate, Michelle Ann (July 3, 2023). ""Where All the People are Fantastical and Magical"—and Hurting: Intergenerational Trauma and Social-Emotional Learning in Encanto". Springer Nature – via SpringerLink.
- ^ Colangelo, B. J. (January 19, 2022). "Who Is Bruno And Why Does Disney Hate Him?". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ George, Daniel (February 7, 2022). "What "Encanto" Tells Us About Our Chains | Psychology Today United Kingdom". Psychology Today. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (March 7, 2022). "How the 'Encanto' Soundtrack became a Smash". The New York Times.
- ^ Thompson, Mychal (February 8, 2022). "10 Reasons Why Every Millennial Can Relate To Bruno From "Encanto"". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Lopez, Kristen (November 15, 2021). "'Encanto' Review: Disney's Lavish Animated Musical Is Beautiful but Trite". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ El-Mahmoud, Sarah (February 23, 2022). "We Do Talk About Bruno: Why We Need An Encanto Spinoff About The Disney Favorite". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Weekes, Princess (December 30, 2021). "We Should Talk About Encanto's Bruno Madrigal". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Knight, Rich (October 4, 2022). "From Luigi To Bruno: A Celebration of John Leguizamo's Highly Diverse Career". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (November 15, 2021). "Review: Disney's 'Encanto' enchants with awkward teen heroine, catchy Lin-Manuel Miranda songs". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (November 22, 2021). "'Encanto': Joyful, colorful Disney musical teaches the value of family". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott (November 22, 2021). "'Encanto' Review: A Terrifically Unconventional Disney Toon". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Towers, Andrea (November 15, 2021). "Encanto Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (November 15, 2021). "'Encanto' Review: Walt Disney Animation's 60th Movie Doesn't Reach The Heights Of Their Best, But Still Has Some Magic For The Family". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Soichet, Catherine (January 18, 2022). "Why therapists are talking about Bruno -- and all the other 'Encanto' characters". CTVNews. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Kids should talk about Bruno". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Blake, Lucy (February 2, 2022). "Yes, We Do Need to Talk About Bruno". Psychology Today. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (March 13, 2022). "'The Mitchells vs. the Machines' Wins Big at Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Whittaker, Richard (January 4, 2022). "Austin Film Critics Association Announces 2021 Awards Short Lists". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Erik (March 1, 2022). "5th Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Awards winners: 'CODA' named Best Picture, Andrew Garfield and Kristen Stewart nab lead acting prizes". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (August 15, 2022). "Imagen Awards Nominations: 'Encanto', Eugenio Derbez & 'West Side Story' Among Top Contenders". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
Works cited
Jones, Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster (November 23, 2021). The Art of Encanto. San Francisco: