Point of Review: In the Heights

Everyone has aspirations and goals that push them to succeed, but the pandemic has made many of us forget our motivation. Last month, Lin Manuel Miranda’s new movie, In the Heights, was released. This inspiring movie reminded us to keep running towards our dreams.

Characters:

In the Heights has a variety of characters, all with their own story. Despite their differences, the community unites together during one of the hottest summers they have faced.

• Usnavi, owner of the De La Vega Bodega, hopes to open a bar in the Dominican Republic. After spending some of his young life there, he claims they were the best years of his life. Abuela Claudia raised him after his parents died.

• Abuela Claudia is not Usnavi’s grandma. Everyone in the block calls her that because of her loving nature. Some would say she helped raise everyone in Washington Heights.

• Usnavi’s love interest, Vanessa, longs to move downtown to become a fashion designer, but she has been having financial problems of her own.

• Nina is one of the only people from the Heights that got into college. Although money was tight in the Rosario household, her father found a way to send her to college. After returning from Stanford University for the summer, Nina reveals that she struggled in college and dropped out.

• Nina’s love interest, Benny, works for her dad and is the only African-American in the Heights. Because of this, Nina’s dad does not accept their relationship. However, Benny also aims to open up his own business.

Summary:

In the close-knit community of Washington Heights lies the problem of destruction. Many characters want to leave the Heights and pursue their dreams, but don’t have the money. However, a winning lottery ticket of $96,000 is sold at the Bodega. The characters fantasize about what they would do with the money. With many of its members still leaving, the Washington Heights community could be falling apart. But a city-wide blackout in the middle of a heat wave might be just the thing that pulls the neighborhood back together.

Backstory:

Lin Manuel Miranda wrote the musical during his sophomore year of college to both showcase Hispanic culture and honor the block where he grew up. Miranda was amazed by the musical Rent and took a lot of inspiration from it. The Latinx culture and street dances reminded me of another musical, West Side Story. The cameos and easter eggs, as well as the rapping and hip-hop, are clearly drawn from Miranda’s other Broadway hit, Hamilton. The people from Washington Heights and Hamilton both have the desire to rise up from where they came from to pursue a better life. Miranda is also a lot like Hamilton, in the sense that he will never be satisfied. He kept fine-tuning and changing In the Heights long after its first success. Twenty-two years after its debut, In the Heights was turned into the movie everyone’s talking about.

Review:

In the Heights is not simply just a movie. It is a work of art with intricate choreography, a bright wardrobe, and an inspiring story. The costume design was phenomenal, especially Vanessa’s wardrobe. Everything she wore was vibrant and colorful. Jon M. Chu, director of the film, got most of his artistic inspiration from photographs he actually took in Washington Heights. “I’d go up and photograph things I saw on the street,” said Chu. With these inspiration pictures, he converted the Broadway musical into an authentic movie. Mitchell Travers, costume designer, said, “In the Heights…was about using color in a way that makes sense across large swaths of people versus just the specifics of one individual character.” He was able to make the costumes both trendy and cultural.

Christopher Scott, the choreographer, did a good job creating dance numbers that wowed the crowd. The songs Lin Manuel Miranda wrote had very powerful lyrics. Scott said sometimes he had to “let the music be the star of the moment” which is something I noticed. The movie had a lot of big dance ensembles, so paying attention to the lyrics was hard. Some songs weren’t as memorable because of this.

However, I could clearly see where Jon Chu, Christopher Scott, and Lin Manuel-Miranda got their inspiration. This film is a combination of three of the best musicals of all time, West Side Story, Hamilton, and Rent. I would recommend this movie to anyone that loves musicals. Chances are, the film will remind you of all your favorites. In the Heights was like a breath of fresh air after the year we have been through.

In the Heights is a must-watch movie that has already encouraged so many, including me. It took me back to my childhood home, San Antonio, where Hispanic culture blossomed. The cultural and personal connections are why so many people adored this film. Even if you did not grow up in the Heights, it feels like home.