“In the Heights” film delivers enigmatic look into New York City's Latinx community

ANTHONY RAMOS as Usnavi and MELISSA BARRERA as Vanessa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “IN THE HEIGHTS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

By Paradise Thomas and Tom Hanks

After wowing audiences on Broadway and across the world, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes bring the film adaptation of their original play, In the Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) to theaters and HBO Max on June 11. 

In the Heights follows several members of a tight-knit Latinx community in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City through their daily lives, as well as their triumphs and trials. 

This musical film stars many familiar faces, but new to Hollywood, such as Anthony Ramos, Jimmy Smits, Corey Hawkins, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Leslie Garcia. 

The story follows the entire community but focuses on the community’s bodega owner Unsavi (Anthony Ramos) and his journey back to his homeland of the Dominican Republic which is his “sueño,” Spanish for dream, which is one of the main themes of the film. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), who is a co-screenwriter and plays Mr. Piragüero, said that this 13-year-long journey has allowed them to create two standalone pieces of the same story.

“I think the biggest break was when Quiara went off to write that first draft of the screenplay. She very much was like ‘let me take a crack at it by myself. I think I'll be braver and bolder if we're not both looking at it together and really felt a strong impulse to do that,’” Miranda said. “We did that and I think it's very much to the film’s benefit because she made such strong, bold choices that lets the movie live on its own terms.” 

The film is quite different from the Broadway show. In the film, a $96,000 lottery ticket was sold at Usnavi’s bodega to someone in the Heights community. While different from the stage show, it adds a new essence to the film that opens doors for a conversation about wealth, and how it can help – or hurt.

In the film, the money won by Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) is left to Usnavi. Usnavi then pays to help his cousin Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV) obtain legal status in order for him to follow his ‘sueño’ of going to college. 

Co-writer Quiara Alegría Hudes said that the addition of the lottery ticket does not change the story because she made sure to emphasize that money, while helpful, doesn't fix everything.

“One of the things I didn't want people to go away thinking was, ‘Oh, someone won the lottery, so all their problems are solved.’ So in fact, I pushed the reveal of the lottery much later and they had to solve their problems,” Hudes said.  

This film manages to shine light on the Heights community as a whole, while focusing individually on different members of the community. The audience gains insight on the dreams of several members from Nina’s dream of college to Usnavi’s dream of returning to the Dominican Republic. 

Other changes from the Broadway version to the film were the additions of new songs, such as Home All Summer and removals of old favorites such as Hundreds of Stories and Everything I Know. 

In The Heights presents a distinct and diverse version of Latino culture in the United States. Washington Heights is a tapestry of its residents’ homelands: a little bit of Vega Alta, a little bit of Santo Domingo, a pinch of Mexico City, and a potpourri of other places. Miranda and Hudes have captured a mosaic of a community that clings to what its members have in common, while remaining cognizant that there is still so much different about them.