In the Heights
Composite Score: 82.47
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, Noah Catala, and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writers: Quiara Alegría Hudes
Genres: Drama, Musical, Romance, Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and suggestive references
Box Office: $45.14 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
In the Heights is the film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, from Lin-Manuel Miranda. It follows the stories of the residents of Washington Heights, a barrio in New York City that is home to many Latin American immigrants, in the summer days leading up to and following a major area blackout. It stars Anthony Ramos as its lead, Usnavi, Corey Hawkins as his friend Benny, Leslie Grace as the returned golden child, Nina Rosario, Melissa Barrera as Usnavi’s love interest, the fashionista Vanessa, Olga Merediz as the neighborhood’s matriarch, Abuela Claudia, and many more as well. The film serves as a love story to Latin American culture, immigrant culture, and the barrios of New York City – full of music, characters, and situations that reflect the original creators’ (Miranda and Hudes) own upbringings. Of the films based on acclaimed musicals set in New York about Latino immigrants that released in 2021, I’m inclined to give this one the edge over the West Side Story remake in terms of both originality and poignancy.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Since the release and subsequent smash success of the musical Hamilton, certain areas of Hollywood and the entertainment industry have entered into what I have seen called a “Linaissance”, featuring the work and offshoots of the work of Lin-Manuel Miranda prominently in many different areas. From animated films to musicals to podcasts to awards shows, his stamp can be seen everywhere, and for many, that stamp has become maybe a little overplayed (see Miranda’s cringey singing at an Encanto red carpet for reference). In the Heights was Miranda’s first big success, and though it doesn’t have as much of his borderline saccharine optimism, it still contains a lot of positivity that some audiences may find difficult to believe. The situations of the characters in this film are difficult to say the least, but each of them deals with their hardships with an almost cartoonish sense of purpose, refusing to back down in the face of anything. On the one hand, this is a highly encouraging look at the immigrant spirit and an optimistic take on handling the curveballs that life inevitably throws your way. Taken another way though, the characters’ optimism can come off as too light considering the subject matter, not inviting the film’s most likely more well-off audience to consider the difficulties facing such individuals in reality because they clearly are going to be okay and overcome if they just put their minds to it. It is perhaps a less well aged take on the American dream considering the past three to six years.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
As much as it is a critique of the film’s content, In the Heights’s optimistic spirit makes this a highly entertaining and rewatchable film. Characters worth rooting for facing relatable situations and complications are the hallmarks of a quality feel-good film, and this one has those in spades. Usnavi’s desire to build something for himself and help those in his community, Benny’s dreams of being an entrepreneur and settling down with Nina, Nina’s dreams of giving back to her community and representing them well to the rest of the world, and Vanessa’s dreams of becoming a successful fashion designer and living a happy life all find some resonance in the hearts of the film’s audience. As the film progresses and we see each of their dreams play out in some way on the screen, the warm feelings that the script brings out manifest, and by the end, you are glad that you watched this wholesome film that encourages you to follow your dreams, appreciate where you come from, and help others pursue their dreams as well.
In addition to its refreshingly positive message, In the Heights features some excellent production design – its sets, costumes, arrangements, and musical numbers. The sets immediately take the audience into a stylized version of Washington Heights, setting the stage for some beautifully successful musical numbers in the process. The film’s costuming feels authentically New York and authentically Latin American, giving each featured character their own unique style and look that carries over consistently from scene to scene. Obviously, as an award-winning musical, the songs and arrangement for the songs in this film are phenomenal – catchy, fun, and moving in a way that only a few playwrights/musical directors can accomplish. Supplementing the good music are a few really excellent musical numbers – the opening number, the pool number, and the fireworks number to be specific. When put all together, these aspects bring the stage musical to life on the screen in a wonderfully successful way that begs to be watched.
In the Heights is a beautifully crafted adaptation of the original musical, staying true to the optimistic vision thanks to some authentic storytelling and a well-cast ensemble of characters, earning a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. Though Lin-Manuel Miranda’s seemingly eternal optimism might have worn on some viewers, this film’s balance of optimism with healthy doses of reality help ground it and keep it worth coming back to. It is currently available to stream on HBO Max for anyone who is interested. Check it out.
