The Madrigal family are extraordinary. The head of the house is Abuela Alma, who was forced out from her house by “unknown forces” before. The second generation includes, Pepa who can control the weather with her emotions, Bruno who is unspoken of but was said to see the future until he disappeared and Julieta who can heal people with her meals. The third generation includes Mirabel’s cousins, Dolores with super hearing, Camilo the shape shifter and Antonio who later receives his gift of being able to speak to animals. The third generation also includes, the burly Luisa who possesses superhuman strength and the perfect Isabela who has the ability to make flowers burst into bloom. Mirabel is the only Madrigal who hasn’t been blessed with magic, she is an outsider in her own family, similar to other Disney animation heroines (such as Elsa and Moana). However, Mirabel is the one who must save the magic of the family - that is her true gift. 

This musical is set in the mountains of Colombia, the film explores a lot of cultural issues such as the pressure of family expectations - Luisa who is the strong eldest sister and Isabela who has to always be perfect. The audience see the crushing weight of these expectations in both there songs “Surface Pressure” and “What Else Can I Do?”. It also covers sibling rivalry which is a typical thing in all families, the audience see this between Isabel and Mirabel. Moreover, the story perhaps explores the Latin American trauma of displacement, Abuela loses her home twice.