In the Disney movie Encanto, Dolores Madrigal has a supporting role. The oldest of Félix and Pepa’s children, she is also the older sibling of Antonio and Camilo. Her supernatural talent is enhanced hearing.
Encanto
Dolores, the second grandchild of the Madrigal family, is the quiet one. She doesn’t like to converse much because she has such exceptional hearing that she can hear pins drop over the background noise of her everyday life. She struggles to keep the secrets she overhears despite her abilities.
Description
Dolores is Pepa and Félix’s quiet daughter, and she knows everything there is to know about everyone in the family.
Dolores’ voice actress, Adassa, gives us insight into her role: “I love the character. Charise Castro Smith, Byron Howard, and Jared Bush did an amazing job writing this character because she has all the secrets; she can hear everything. But sometimes, you know, her well-placed heart is somewhat out of order when she speaks up, and she can’t help it.”
Physical appearance
Dolores wears a scarlet ribbon to secure her bun of dark brown, curly hair. Her hair is blond, and her eyes are brown. Her long red skirt is paired with a ruffled white and yellow blouse with gold sound wave designs, signifying her improved aural abilities. She accessorizes her crimson lip with a gold gem choker and heart-shaped stud earrings.
Personality
Dolores, the daughter of Pepa and Félix, acts as a kind of surrogate mother or father because she is mature and helpful. She knows more about everyone else’s lives than anybody else does because of her magical super-hearing, but she doesn’t like to make any more noise than necessary.
She usually gets noticeably nervous and even squeaks whenever she overhears something embarrassing and discloses what she overhears. According to Bruno’s prophecy, Dolores developed a crush on Mariano. Still, he was engaged to Isabela and never paid any attention to Dolores, as evidenced by her mild irritation with Isabela and her even more reclusive behavior during the proposal dinner. However, she is thrilled to meet Mariano finally and lets her guard down, becoming noticeably less morose and even more outspoken.
History
Early Life
Dolores Madrigal was born on August 31[4], twenty-one years before the film’s events. She is the first child of Pepa & Félix Madrigal. Dolores’s two younger cousins, Isabela (who is only a few weeks older) and Luisa (who is two years younger), were often around when she was a baby, and they all shared a room in the Casita’s nursery. Dolores and Luisa were left in the nursery as Isabela moved into her room after turning five and receiving her extraordinary gift. Dolores was given a better hearing on the eve of her fifth birthday. She graduated from the nursery and into her enchanted room with much fanfare.
An Unrequited Love
Dolores’s uncle Bruno appeared to her in a vision at one point and told her that the “guy of her dreams” would be engaged to someone else and so out of reach. Thanks to her newfound aural understanding, she gives Mariano Guzmán her undivided attention and quickly develops romantic feelings for him.
Antonio’s Gift Ceremony
Dolores is shown at the beginning of the film, helping out around the house on the morning of Antonio’s gift ceremony. Alejandra told Alma that Mirabel was ready to say to her and the other kids about her extraordinary gift as Mirabel wrapped up her discussion about her family in the song “The Family Madrigal.” However, Dolores later told the kids that Mirabel hadn’t received a magical gift.
Just before Antonio’s ceremony that night, Dolores, her parents, and her first younger brother, Camilo, all arrive to greet him. Dolores interrupts her parents and Camilo’s conversation with Antonio to report that Alma has declared it time to get going. A few minutes later, the entire family, including Dolores and Isabela, stands around Alma, listening to her speech. Dolores and the rest of Antonio’s family were overjoyed when he opened his present, as evidenced by their expressions of joy and relief and by the fact that Dolores could be seen covering her ears in response to the clapping and fireworks.
Trouble with the Magic
At breakfast the following day, Mirabel asks “Dolores” if she knows what’s going on with the magic, much to the displeasure of the actual Dolores and their father, Félix. However, “Dolores” shifts into Camilo. Dolores, who has overheard Mirabel’s worries, reassures her by saying that nobody else is afraid of the magic except for her, the mice in the wall, and Luisa (since her eye has been twitching all night).
At breakfast, Alma announces that she has discussed Isabela’s engagement with the Guzmáns; when questioned, Dolores reveals that Mariano plans to propose to Isabela that evening and wants five children. Dolores leads the family in the “La Familia Madrigal” chant after breakfast.
The Talk About Bruno and Dinner With The Guzmáns
Pepa initiates the topic in the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” after Mirabel discovers Bruno’s vision. Dolores mentions Bruno in her verse, comparing him to the sound of sand blowing. She admits that Bruno’s talent is more of a liability and that the family was “fumbling” because they didn’t grasp Bruno’s forecasts. Dolores later mentions Bruno’s prophecy that the guy of her dreams is unattainable in the same song. Once more, she insists that she can hear Bruno. Dolores assists the rest of the family get ready for dinner with the Guzmáns near the song’s end.
Dolores overhears Mirabel discussing Bruno’s vision with Agustin shortly before supper. Dolores, to their chagrin, admits that she heard what they said before quickly leaving. At dinner, Mirabel stares Dolores down, making her feel awkward; when they finally break eye contact, Dolores uses the chance to tell Camilo that Mirabel has discovered Bruno’s vision.
Dolores’ panic-stricken declaration that Mirabel had discovered Bruno’s vision, that she had been included in it, that she intended to destroy the magic, and that they were “all doomed” only added fuel to the fire during the meal.
The Magic Fades
Dolores and the rest of the family are out in the courtyard later that day when they overhear an argument between Alma and Mirabel. As the enchantment wanes and the house begins to crumble, Casita orders everyone out except Mirabel. Dolores is seen assisting Alma to a seat after the collapse of the house.
Dolores assists the family in their search for Mirabel after she goes missing. Dolores tries to take advantage of her heightened hearing, but since the enchantment has worn off, she can no longer hear anything beyond the surrounding vicinity.
Rebuilding the Casita
When Mirabel and Alma, and Bruno get back, they all sing “All of You” together. Dolores prods Camilo’s arm as they reunite with Bruno, explaining that she had heard Bruno every day since he disappeared and knew he had never left.
While the Madrigals are working to restore the Casita, the rest of the Encanto’s residents pitch in to help. At some point during Casita’s reconstruction, Mirabel comforts a distraught Mariano and introduces him to Dolores. As the topic shifts to Dolores’s direction, she tells Mariano how she feels about him, and he reciprocates her feelings, to her great joy. However, she cautions him to take things slowly when he offers them to be married.
The Magic is Restored
Dolores, her parents, and brother Camilo sing at the end of “All of You” how “bright [Mirabel] burns” after the Casita has been reconstructed. Mirabel restores the enchantment to the home by reattaching the doorknob to the front door, and she watches alongside her family and the rest of the community. After taking one more family shot, the family begins to chant, “La Familia Madrigal,” and Dolores joins in.
Powers and Abilities
Because of her heightened hearing, Dolores can pick up on the tiniest sounds, like an eye twitch. Mirabel claims in her song that she can hear a pin drop and a chorus from a mile away. But her skill also means she can pick up on everyday conversations, which may be distracting, and when people cheer or clap loudly as they did when Antonio accepted his present, she had to put her hands over her ears to muffle the noise. Also, she noticed someone clapping with her fingers as a signal that the enthusiastic ovation was too loud for her.
Theory Regarding “Encanto”: Dolores Is the Bad Guy Who Ruined the Magic
Regarding multicultural storytelling, Encanto shows no signs of slowing down for Disney. Fans identify with the Madrigal clan since each member has unique skills and characteristics. However, recent speculation places the blame for the candle’s lack of enchantment in Encanto on Dolores (Adassa’s voice).
Dolores is Mirabel’s Oldest Cousin in ‘Encanto’
Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), a Colombian teen, is the protagonist. Every member of the Madrigal family benefits from the abilities bestowed upon them by the family’s magical candle. In contrast, Mirabel was the only one of her peers who did not receive a present when she turned 18. She quickly learns that the abilities of her loved ones are dwindling, and she must figure a how to prevent their complete extinction.
When at Encanto, visit Mirabel’s older cousin Dolores. She is a side character with enhanced hearing abilities. Because of this, Mirabel is in trouble when she realizes that Bruno’s vision about the disappearing magic being her fault is overheard.
The “Encanto” Theory Claims That Dolores is the Bad Guy Who Destroyed the Magic
Dolores being the antagonist in Encanto, is a theory put up by the Film Theorists YouTube channel. The evidence shows that she has reasonable cause to want the family’s magic extinguished.
This idea highlights how enhanced hearing seems like a fantastic gift on paper but is so potent that it is causing Dolores unhappiness.
Dolores’s reaction to the pyrotechnics and her ability to hear every blink from her family are only two examples of many in Encanto that illustrate this point.
The amygdala is a part of the brain responsible for processing emotional responses, and its function is discussed in The Film Theorists. Due to her hypersensitivity, Dolores often feels overwhelmed by the noise and activity in Encanto. Because of this, she always has a heightened sensitivity to her surroundings.
There is a lot that Dolores has chosen to keep secret from her loved ones back in Encanto. She had heard Bruno behind the walls all those years, but she kept her secret. She also has the opportunity to defend Mirabel after hearing the house crack, but she decides not to. She “weaponized” Mirabel by telling the family her secret regarding Bruno’s vision, knowing it would drive a wedge between them.
In Encanto, Isabela (played by Diane Guerrero) and Mariano fall in love (voiced by Maluma). Dolores, on the other hand, has feelings for him. Destroying the magic would allow her to be free of the enhanced hearing and give her a fighting chance with Mariano. After all, Isabela receiving Mariano’s love is something she resents.
Once the house is reconstructed, the film’s actual ending becomes clear, as The Film Theorists explains.
As the enchantment wears off and Mariano pays attention to Dolores, she becomes considerably happier in Encanto. The final door displays the happy Madrigal family, although Dolores looks downcast. She’s the only one who doesn’t have a snarled expression.
Disney typically includes a villain arc.
In most of their films, the bad guy gets redeemed towards the end of the story. That’s why some readers root for the bad guys instead of the heroes. However, Encanto stands out due to the lack of a clear antagonist. Instead, it’s a tale about the importance of family and learning to appreciate one another’s unique qualities.
This perspective, nevertheless, helps provide light on why Dolores is the antagonist in Encanto. While her motivations aren’t exactly clear, it’s still apparent that she has her agenda, unlike in most Disney movies. Although Disney hasn’t acknowledged it, fans are starting to wonder if the new film might feature a villain.
