A mom of two is going viral on TikTok after people noticed that she looks nearly identical to one of the beloved characters from Disney’s new movie Encanto.
Maribel Martinez saw the resemblance right away, and when she shared more of her own story, it became very clear why the movie is so popular and why the characters in the film matter so much.
‘Encanto’ is topping the movie and Billboard charts right now
If you have kids, chances are pretty high that you’ve watched Disney’s latest hit film Encanto. And you’ve probably already watched it more than once. It’s become wildly popular since it was released at the end of November.
It has all the makings of an incredible movie — the story is unique and rooted in culture, and the soundtrack might be the best movie soundtrack of all time (thanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda).
But another aspect that makes the movie noteworthy is the characters
We’re used to Disney movies holding important life lessons, and Encanto certainly follows that as well. The story is about the Madrigal family. (Almost) all the members of the family have a special gift they use to help the community. One of the members is Luisa, a middle child who has superhuman strength.
She doesn’t look like the typical characters we see in animated kid movies – or live-action films either. She’s tall and muscular, and she’s celebrated for her strength. But she’s not perfect, and in her song “Surface Pressure,” she sings about feeling like the world is on her shoulders and how she's always expected to fix the family "burdens." (Does this sound relateable to anyone?)
The character is a beautiful representation of masculine and feminine
And for Maribel Martinez, Luisa was exactly what she needed to see in a movie. "I was surprised to see a masculine-yet-feminine-presented female [character],” Maribel told BuzzFeed. “I’ve always been told I look too 'masculine' to be feminine, but seeing Luisa just made me feel comfortable with loving myself even more."
Maribel first heard about the movie and her resemblance to Luisa from her TikTok followers, so she watched it with her kids. “People kept commenting that I looked like [Luisa], so I saw one of her songs on TikTok,” she told Today. She saw the connection right away — Luisa does look just like her.
“I was shocked because I was so glad to see that I could see myself in somebody else,” she said.
But for Maribel, the connection to the character goes deeper than appearances
"Growing up as a middle child, I felt so much pressure to take care of my siblings and handle adult responsibilities,” Maribel explained to BuzzFeed.
“I never really had the opportunity to be just a child. I was my mom's emotional support and a role model to my younger siblings. I felt like I had no choice but to take on so much weight."
Maribel said the movie helped her reflect on her own childhood, which wasn’t an easy one
"As a child, I endured a lot of abuse and trauma. With that being said, I also adopted my siblings once I got old enough. It did provide healing,” she explained. “I realized it was OK not to always be strong and allow myself to feel emotional without having to feel insecure with expressing myself."
Maribel has been getting her Luisa cosplay together and sharing their connection on TikTok. Fans — young and old — are eating it up.
"I was surprised and shocked that so many people could also relate to Luisa," Maribel said. "Honestly, I feel honored to be called the real-life Luisa."