“In the Heights” is a celebration of life and community, coupling theatrical bravado with slices of reality not usually shared in theaters. Credit: Macall Polay/Warner Bros via TNS
Lights up on Washington Heights: the highly-anticipated “In the Heights” brings Latino joy to the big screen.
“In The Heights” is a celebration of life and community, coupling theatrical bravado with slices of reality not usually shared in theaters. The film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical released June 10 in theaters and on HBO Max after pushing back its original June 2020 release date.
The story is set in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, following several figures within the Latino community. Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), the local bodega owner, dreams of moving to the Dominican Republic to re-open his late father’s bar.
Usnavi lives with Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), the matriarch of the neighborhood, and nervously drools over Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), a headstrong beautician with a plan to move downtown to become a fashion designer.
The neighborhood is ecstatic when Nina (Leslie Grace) comes home from Stanford University. As her ballad “Breathe” shares, she is “the one who made it out,” but it is quickly revealed that she no longer wants to attend Stanford, much to the dismay of her father Kevin (Jimmy Smits), the local taxi dispatch owner.
The heat rises as the story weaves in and out of different plot lines, taking a sudden turn when the neighborhood experiences a blackout on the hottest day of the summer. The community bands together to fight the heat, support each other and mourn the loss of a loved one.
Film adaptations of musicals have the tough job of translating a piece meant for the stage to a much bigger screen, where nuances typical of live theatre are now amplified. The grandeur of song and dance can sometimes become corny in this switch.
However, “In the Heights” does justice to the original piece. The hip-hop and poppy nature of the music holds up in theaters, despite most of the characters hailing from Broadway, and the dance numbers feel as though they are happening in real time.
A summer in Washington Heights is hot, and this summer blockbuster brings the heat with bright colors, animation and Latino pride, with nods to Latina icons such as Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and Puerto Rican Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor –– who is labelled “Boss.”
The film is groundbreaking in that it defies stereotypes of Latinos and offers stories of joy, success and universal struggles that come with going to college, caring for a loved one or running a business. The adaptation also strays from the original by including dialogue on undocumented immigrants and discrimination faced by the characters.
Ramos’ take on Usnavi fits like a glove. He brings youth and charisma to the role and he masters the balance of humility and swagger. Ramos, an alumnus of the original “Hamilton” cast, couples the bravado of his theatrical talents and subtle acting for the camera, an impressive feat when bringing the stage to the screen.
Merediz reprises her role as Abuela and her performance is even better than her Tony Award-nominated stint. Her voice is full, warm and embodies her character’s motherly care for the whole community.
“Paciencia y Fe” tells the story of Abuela’s mother leaving Cuba for New York. Filmed in crowded trains and subway stations, this ballad symbolizes the struggles of many Latinos as they adapt to life in America.
For fans of Miranda, the original Usnavi and creator of the Broadway-buster “Hamilton,” don’t worry — he appears just before the 4-minute mark as the Piragua Guy. There are also nods to “Hamilton” within the movie: the hold music for a phone call is “You’ll Be Back,” and Christopher Jackson, who originated the roles of Benny and George Washington, is featured as Mr. Softee, Miranda’s enemy in the film.
“In the Heights” is a packaged bundle of hope for audiences, especially coming out of the pandemic, and it is hopefully a kickstart to more positive Latino representation on the big screen. As Usnavi says, it is a sueñito come true.
