"In the Heights" pure joy for movie musical lovers and dreamers
In the Heights (2021) Before remixing American history with rap and casting non-white actors as the Founding Fathers in “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda created the music and lyrics for a little musical that celebrated his New York roots. Based on a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes (who adapts for the screen here), “In the Heights” is a big-screen treatment of the 2008 Broadway sensation of the same name, and it is 143 minutes of pure joy. There’s really no director better suited to helm this material than Jon M. Chu, who can handle the choreography in a “Step Up” movie and a splashy, big-hearted ensemble party like “Crazy Rich Asians.” Chu knows how to make a stage musical cinematic, and “In the Heights” is as vibrant, dazzling, and homegrown as one should be. Set in the predominantly Latinx New York neighborhood of Washington Heights, this slice-of-life is framed as a story about the meaning of a sueñito (“little dream”) being told to four children at a Santa Domingo beach bar. Pla...