That realization that Alma’s flashback to the river is portrayed differently between when she’s telling the story at the start of the film and when she apologizes to Mirabel.
Not just because the latter recollection goes in more detail. But in how you see Alma react to Pedro’s death.
In the first flashback she’s sad, but it’s subdued. A cry cute version if you will.
In the second though, you can see how viscerally distraught she was (not to mention the miracle manifesting in itself is a lot more violent in how it wipes out the raiders).
Compare and contrast:
Which demonstrates how Alma had essentially bottled up and sanitized her own trauma most of her life.
Her telling the story in full to Mirabel at the end wasn’t just an explanation for why she was the way she way and did the things she did (without excusing herself); it was to finally air out her own wound, which was essential for not only allowing her to properly grieve, but to begin healing that generational trauma.
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