In a Tight-Knit Community is a Story of the Generations Who Built It

Anthony Ramos in "In the Heights"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Over 15 years ago, Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda introduced audiences to their loving tribute to the neighborhood of Washington Heights with their musical, “In the Heights.”  It offered theatergoers an exuberant trip through a community of people who did what they could to pursue the American dream.  

Now, Jon M. Chu takes the reins to direct the film adaptation, an energetic and heartwarming traverse through the lives of hopeful characters as they celebrate the liveliness of their corner of New York City.

In Washington Heights, Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) owns a bodega and envisions reviving his late father’s business in the Dominican Republic.  His family and friends have their own dreams as well, and will also try to stay true to the place that made them who they are.  

Ramos delivers a star-making performance as the charismatic Usnavi, an individual who loves his community, but also has a certain future he wishes to pursue, one that might have him leaving his home.  Ramos displays a bigheartedness in his character as he presents someone who tries to do right by everyone.  His impassioned expressiveness opens his soul to you as you get to know him and how deeply he feels for the roots and memories that he has for Washington Heights.  This is a rich performance that shows how much home, family, and friends mean to the main character, and Ramos will transport you as his character chases his dreams.

The supporting cast is stellar and loaded with many fine performances.  There’s Melissa Barrera as Vanessa Morales, an aspiring fashion designer and Usnavi’s love interest; Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario, a young woman returning home from her first year of college; Corey Hawkins as Benny, a taxi dispatcher who’s in love with Nina; Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario, Nina’s father and Benny’s supervisor; Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia, the neighborhood matriarch; Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny de la Vega, Usnavi’s cousin and coworker; Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela, a salon owner; Stephanie Beatriz and Dascha Polanco as Carla and Cuca, respectively, who are two of Daniela’s hair stylists; Marc Anthony as Gapo de la Vega, Sonny’s father; and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Piragüero, the Piragua Guy.  The dedication to their performances gives you a rich view into the day-to-day happenings within their neighborhood and an understanding of what they want most in their lives.

However, out of all of this performances, the standouts are Merediz and Grace.  Merediz, who originated her role on Broadway, shows moments of tenderness and motherly guidance throughout the movie.  However, it’s her presentation of the song, “Paciencia y Fey,” that brings us into her past to see what she experienced in order to get to where is today, a prime example of the importance of appreciating the sacrifices that generations before us have made.  

Meanwhile, Grace makes what could be one of the finest film debuts of the year in a performance that’s filled with emotional energy.  There’s so much feeling in her voice whenever she performs a song, whether it’s her solo song, “Breathe,” or her duets with Benny for “When You’re Home” and “When the Sun Goes Down,” and this gets you to the point where you’re elated whenever she’s on screen.  This is a performance that show’s an acting career on the rise, and you’re sure to remember every minute of Grace’s work in this movie.

The screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, who cowrote the Broadway musical with Miranda, goes into in-depth when depicting the titular community.  The many narrative threads that he weaves together brings us through the world within the streets of Washington Heights.  The sprawling nature of the screenplay presents a lovingness that shows Hudes wanting to exhibit many facets of this community, and between the dialogue and songs, he’s able to familiarize us with the people, places, and ideals within the Heights and make us happy to be there.  The central theme about each generation passing on their hopes for a better life to the generation that comes after is explored in uplifting detail, and every storyline we traverse has an impactful journey through this topic.

Given the story’s mosaic-like approach, the only downside is that there are several plot points to resolve within the last half hour, so the pace feels kind of off in that portion.

Chu, who brought an abundance of visual flair for Singapore when he directed “Crazy Rich Asians” three years ago, offers just as much when depicting Washington Heights.  With the help from cinematographer Alice Brooks, the two of them bring the many songs to electrifying life.  There are the big musical numbers, like the opening song, “In the Heights,” that sweeps us away and introduces us to the sunny streets of Usnavi’s hometown; “96,000,” where the characters contemplate what they would to with their potential lottery winnings; “Blackout,” which shows the residents making the most of a power outage and lightning up their streets with fireworks; and “Carnaval del Barrio,” which is a celebration of the numerous backgrounds that make up Washington Heights.  Chu and Brook’s work with the smaller numbers is just as accomplished as it is with the bigger ones, such as with “Benny’s Dispatch,” “When the Sun Goes Down,” and “Champagne,” with each of these numbers being performed as duets that offer lower-key moments for the movie to slow down a bit and have a deeper analyzation of the characters within those musical sequences. 

Despite this movie being available on HBO Max, a theater is the best way to see this movie.  To experience the musical numbers and the individual stories of the characters unfold on a big screen is a sight to embrace, and if you’re looking to take a few trips this summer, make sure that one of them is to the Heights.

Grade: A-