Can we discuss the background dancers? Like how the white head wraps shift to pillbox hats on the dancers but still have the same silhouette? The cultural significance of the dancers outfits?
I haven't seen the show, just listened to the album, and I always imagined that number s something more small and private (maybe her alone watching the stars)
Nina and Benny do kiss. But did anybody else notice the "you'll be back" playing as the hold tone when Nina's dad was on hold with Stanford. Blew my mind. I loved it
My biggest gripe with the film was “Blackout” I didn’t like how cheerful and celebratory it was. The theme of blackout isn’t about making the best of the circumstances (that’s what carnaval is for.) The tone of blackout is supposed to be fear and dread and panic and seeing everyone safe in the house playing bingo and dancing around with fireworks really didn’t convey that. Also sonny panicking about the bodega was cut from the song which I thought further lessened the feeling of fear.
Maybe cuz of the looting relating to the issue of what happened last yr? And besides its quite a common thing to gather with family during times of blackout and it gives a softer transition to paciencia y fe with that the last thing abuela saw bfor she died is her family together which would give her reason that her work for her family n community is done and she can now leave the world in peace
@@whimpwhomp6260 that only works if you still want her arc to be dropped like it was and want the transition to be softer instead of as powerful as it was like yeah that scene IS a thing people do during blackouts but it's also not the point of the song Blackout and looting has been happening for centuries, it would make no sense if their motivation was to avoid "look at all the looting" criticism from people who are going to complain about looting even when it doesn't happen
Yes it is. It’s a movie adaptation buddy, so they make it happy and have them making the best of a bad situation to give it that good transition into Paciencia y fe
I’m still furious that they cut ninas mom from this. Her songs “Enough” was my favorite song and the song I related to the most being a gay Latino who has a bad relationship with his father. I truly felt like it was my mom singing to us and for them to cut it really infuriated me.
I'm a white person, who became a radical liberal in college. Enough feels exactly like the way my mom breaks up arguments between my Dad and and I. It's the song that makes me sob the most.
Sunrise is my favorite song of the musical it really represented my bilingual reality. And I felt it’s one of the most tender and loving romantic duets. I think bennys dispatched should have being cut instead. I guess they wanted when you are home to be the big romantic duet.
No sabía que eras parte del culto!!! Mi expectativas están muy altas para carnaval de barrio. Acá en Argentina HBO máximo se estrena a fin de mes y los cines siguen cerrados ... albanza a señor Cuevana!!!
I honestly feel like they removed it because of time. After seeing the movie it felt like Benny and Nina's romance songs wouldn't have fit in/ would have felt rushed. Its sad but it felt kind of needed to fit in everything else and the movie is still beautiful.
I think Benny’s Dispatch needed to be there to establish that Benny and Nina have a little thing going on with each other, I do wish Sunrise was in the movie though.
I think it’s mainly because when they were filming it, they might’ve had a tight budget and could only fit so much into every scene. They all did an interview with Playbill where one of the directors actually grew up in WH, and talked about how they had a tight budget for it and obviously when a movie is being made but the budget isn’t the biggest, you have to improvise, and sometimes cut out certain parts, so I think that’s why they did it.
it’s really strange to me that nina and benny have had their storyline cut down because i’ve always viewed them as the main characters align with usnavi, whereas roles like vanessa and abuela are big roles but still secondary. idk i just feel like a lot of the heart of the show comes from their relationship and all the sweet moments they have together.
The ending felt like Usnavi’s victory… but it didn’t feel like ours… in the movie we see he’s already so so close to getting to DR and with all that talk about dreams it’s like, “Oh great he’s getting his dream!” vibes. In the musical it’s so out of reach to Usnavi due to debt and he explains that in 96 000, as well as how he’s like to go but it’s a “silly” “hypothetical”. When Abuela wins the lotto and he can go of course he books the flights!! It’s what he THINKS he’s wanted his whole life, he’s never had to think about the real consequences because before it’s just been that hypothetical scenario. But as an audience… we’ve been introduced to all the reasons he should stay and we see what he doesn’t realise until the finale. So when he does realise in the finale… it’s a win for EVERYONE. The movie doesn’t hit the same way. Sure it’s what Usnavi wants but… what happened to his dream it just changed? When he was so close to achieving it? Just opinions.
You just described perfectly my problem with the end of the movie, plus you had the perspective of someone who has at least listened to the original soundtrack.
WOAH EVERYTHING I KNOW IS CUT??? That's the most emotionally packed song for me and it makes nina so relatable to me (aside from the fact that we share the same name)
@@joeye1772 I just watched it and it kind of does I'm not sure why they moved when abuela Claudia dies from after carnaval del barrio to blackout, it feels weird that she died and like 3 days later they were having a party. And not having "everything I know" diminishes the feeling of community of Nina and abuelas role in her education. They removed songs that allow you to peek into some of the characters thoughts and feeling s like "sunrise" and "inutil" too. Overall felt lukewarm about it.
Ultimately I feel like the reason they cut some things is because the movie is already almost two and a half hours long. If they left everything in, it would be probably like 3 hours. If not more.
@@Blue71974 wait did they cut inutil? That’s like the one song that gives you any insight into Kevin’s actions, it also creates the parallel between his story and Nina’s
I’m confused why they changed something that everyone loved? I get changing the problematic lyrics. But changing aspects of the story that were praised and perfect makes no sense to me
I feel like Nina and Benny's plot was better for the OG musical because it takes Lin out of the spotlight and more of a narrator. In the movie I was a fan of how "realistic" Usnavi felt. As a resident New Yorker and Latino, Anthony really portrayed the "young" bodega owner very well. Plus "champagne" has always been my favorite song anyway so I'm here for more Usnavi/Vanessa screen time lol
Yes!! And part of usnavi’s final conclusion is that he likes hearing and telling other’s stories. You could see it a bit in the movie but it’s more apparent in the musical.
--SPOILERS--- I really really disliked how they didn't reveal abuela won the lottery till the end.. idk I just didn't like that. it removed such a good chance for a theatre wide GASP
@@879SCSP she said "ay mama what do you do when your dreams come true? I spent my life inheriting dreams from you.. i made it through, I survived, I did it.. now do I leave or stay 🎶"
i think the opposite. they reframed abuela's story. Its about her and the community and the people she helped raise and the legacy she left behind. her winning the lottery makes it seem the only way to be prosperous is to have money.
@@lesterpadilla2220 I always took at as more of a tragic look at immigration in the original show. Like someone can work all their lives to finally reach that "American Dream" they were promised when they immigrated, but even if they find it, it might already be too late for them. In the end, the one who carries the legacy of those who immigrated are the next generation, hopefully using the lessons they teach us (Usnavi in "finding his island" and Nina in deciding to continue her school thank to "everything I know")
Okay couple things: *SPOILER* I appreciate your love for this musical first of all! And I love that you’ve seen it twice at this point of uploading and are taking your friends to see it. However, I would like to try and change your mind about a few things. It’s gonna be long. Benny/Nina: the focus wasn’t so much on their love story bc people can already relate to a classic “love story from the boy next door” but it’s so much more important to bring out the character of Nina, that so many latinx can relate to and to others who are not in that community need to understand, which is her being the 1st gen hispanic/american, the pressure that comes with, how she was raised, and her choosing to go back bc of Sonny and knowing even tho it’s hard to be who she is, she knows it’s so much bigger than her and she’s fighting doing what she’s can for her people. So if that means cutting their love story down a little, that everyone already has already seen in a thousand other stories, then so be it bc this is so much more important to be brought up on the big screen. It’s not everyday people of latinx community get to tell THAT story. I am sad bennys character being thinned out a little bit bc they don’t show him losing his job, learning Spanish (which is kinda a given if you grow up in a barrio like that) and so on but like I said, there’s a bigger story to tell. Abuela claudia/carnival: 1st. The audience didn’t need to get to know her more bc everyone already knows abuela Claudia bc everyone already has an abuela Claudia. She’s my abuela, she’s your grandma, she’s the barrios grandma. So I think them putting her song/story where they did was perfect cause you already have so many emotions going on with the dinner fight, the club, the blackout, fireworks and the barrio freaking out, it’s no surprise that something like this could be too much for her. 2) They paid beautiful respect to her with the candlelight outside her house, they stopped celebrating/fireworks to honor her because of how much they love her. Now, being a Hispanic and having had a tragic death happen in our family, after the funeral we all celebrated her life with a BBQ in the backyard, we were laughing and telling stories bc we were remembering and celebrating her. With Carnival, it’s not disrespectful to Claudia bc they’re celebrating their culture and the legacy that family like Claudia have left behind for them. It’s the perfect time to stand up and dance and be proud bc there’s no time to just sit and cry forever, you have to honor the people who have passed and celebrate their history and where they came from and what they’ve done to bring us here. And in hispanic culture, the way you celebrate and honor the ones you love is by dancing loud, singing loud, raising your flag high, and that’s the most respectful thing you can do to honor a loved ones life. I wrote a book, my bad. But I really hope you can read this and maybe get a different perspective about how it’s not about getting the Broadway show to the big screen but how it’s about getting the representation of a latinx community to the big screen, which we’ve been so deprived of, and telling the true story that ITH is truly about.
Sorry one more thing: **SPOILER** Let’s talk about how Sonnys character has grown into this beautiful young man who strives more for a change than most “Americans” do. He’s driven, compassionate, a dreamer and can relate to sooooo many young Latino kids on the block that we have no idea about because we’re so closed minded to people with this background. Having him represented with his story the way they did, was probably the most important part of the whole movie because these kids growing up now are the future and the change our world needs. It’s his story that’s going to fuel kids dreams and push them to make a change. You and I cannot relate to what it is like to be an immigrant kid with no papers and a dead beat dad. He should feel hopeless but he’s not. He’s hopeful, active and inspiring and not gonna let anything get In his way, and that far exceeds any other character in the film.
I agree with everything you said ESPECIALLY the mourning/celebration of Claudia's arc. In my family we often have a party as a reception after the funeral. Its a time to reminiscence and laugh. To drink and yes... WE DANCE. We dance hard through OUR tears and we LOVE. I cried the entire time from the moment Claudia began singing to the end of Carnevale. Honestly, it is my favorite part and the pacing was just beautiful. They mourned. And then they celebrated. I loved it. I also felt like Benny was even more fleshed out. I can be here for hours. Let's just say, the movie did not disappoint me with the changes. It was worth the wait. Lin and Chu did that!! They made an amazing movie and I am in love with Cuca!!!
YES! I agree completely with your points on Abuela Claudia (your other points too, but especially about Abuela). I felt like I knew Abuela. I don't know if there's anything that would have made me understand or relate to her any better. She is my Abuela. And for me, Carnaval del Barrio was one of the most emotionally riveting numbers. Singing and dancing is how we express emotion; it was reverential to Abuela and what she stood for. She would have been proud of her community. And it was a direct contrast to Paciencia y Fe. Where she spent her life keeping her head down and pushing through adversity because she had no choice in her time, Carnival is about standing proud and shouting to the world where you come from.
Wait. They CUT EVERYTHING I KNOW???? That’s literally the culmination of Nina’s arc. Like even if her and Benny’s relationship was reduced, wouldn’t you still try to give Nina her penultimate song? I’m excited to watch it, but some of these choices seem so odd to me.
So, this director has been given the role of directing the Wicked adaptation. Do you think he is a good choice after this movie, or do you think his style clashes with the sort of steam punk esque style of Wicked?
this probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but i feel like it'll either be really great or really terrible. it'll either work really well, or it absolutely won't. which is very unspecific, but just my thoughts
@@QuikVidGuy He didn’t destroy the story of ITH. Literally any changes that happened were made by Lin and Quiara and also even though things were changed, the changes aren't bad and it’s still a great movie and adaptation. There are actually some things in the movie that I prefer over the musical (Sonny's character is one of them. I feel like the movie did such a great job integrating him more into the story by connecting his storyline with other character's storylines) and vice versa. Overall, I wouldn't say that the story of ITH was destroyed, just changed a little bit and that's not a bad thing.
I had the same issues with this movie and I thought I was the only one, thank God. LOVED it, but the changes seemed so pointless. Also think the general theme was not the one they were pushing but okay? *spoiler alert* The Club/Blackout without the Benny/Nina conflict.... noooooo. whyyyy? Also they took all the emotion/heart out of When The Sun Goes Down with all that choreography and the dancing on the side of the building... they didn't even show their faces while singing, and I LOVE that song. Poor Cuca had not much to do. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE Dascha Polanco, but she was kind of... there. The Patrick Page cameo had me dead. I had forgotten he had a cameo in this so it was a pleasant surprise. Olga Merediz is a GEM. CHILLS during Paciencia y Fe.
Hmm I disagree with When The Sun Goes Down. I thought it was incredibly gorgeous and I probably got the most chills out of the entire film during the instrumental break of that song. It felt really heartfelt and romantic to me at least
ok, i haven’t seen the movie yet, i can’t until the actual premier, but the scene on the side of the building is when the sun goes down? i assumed it was sunrise, but i’m now finding out that they CUT sunrise? i’m trying to reserve judgement until i’ve actually seen the movie, but from the changes they’ve made and the songs that have been released on spotify i’m really nervous about this movie
@@LiterallyLike I loved it even with all these changes. I'm just being very picky because I was very much into the Benny/Nina storyline from the staged version. Still very heartwarming and def got emotional in several parts.
Super interested to see if there will eventually be a directors cut. Maybe they cut these songs from the get go, but part of me wonders if that didn’t happen during editing. It definitely changes the overall feel of the film - but I still LOVED this movie!!
yo, a big ass party after a family members passing isnt far fetched for latinos.. ive been to crazy wakes in my family alone where its a celebration of life... but i get what youre saying though
I also think the way in which the person died and how old they were affects that. The two funerals I've been to in my life were wildly different because one was for my grandpa, who tragically died of cancer at 64, and the other was for my cousin who committed suicide when he was 17. They were both sad, but one was more bittersweet and the other felt like the culmination of some of the worst moments of my life.
Not only that, they talked about it right before the musical number when Daniela was like "... Our matriarch bites the dust and this is how we move on? We are not power-LESS, we are power-FUL..." Way I interpreted that is that while yes Abuela Claudia has passed and it is sorrowful, as Latin Americans, they must remain strong and celebrate life just as Abuela Claudia did.
Answer to QOTD: I saw the movie twice, once in a virutal screening and another time in an early screening for Mothers' Day and IT WAS REALLY GOOD. I was absolutely blown away with the storyline and the music. The casting also was REALLY good and they slayed as their respective characters! I would highly recommend it.
Same here! Saw the Mothers Day early screening and actually won a "lotto" for free tickets. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still gasped during the buildup in 96000! The choreography was just...everything.
Lights up in Washington Heights, up at the break of day I wake up and I got this lil punk I gotta chase away. Pop the grate at the crack of dawn sing as I wipe of the awning. Hey y'all, g'morning.
@@keke9795 I am Usnavi and you prob'ly never heard my name Reports of my fame are greatly exaggerated Exacerbated by the fact that my syntax Is highly complicated 'cuz I emigrated From the single greatest little place in the Caribbean: Dominican Republic! I love it! Jesus, I'm jealous of it And beyond that Ever since my folks passed on I haven't gone back Goddamn, I gotta get on that...
Fo! The milk has gone bad, hold up just a second Why is everything in this fridge warm and tepid? I better step it up and fight the heat 'Cuz I'm not makin' any profit if the coffee isn't light and sweet! Ooo-oo! Abuela, my fridge broke. I got café but no "con leche." Try my mother's old recipe: one can of condensed milk. Nice Ay! Paciencia y fe...
@@keke9795 That was Abuela, she's not really my “abuela,” But she practically raised me, this corner is her escuela Now, you're prob'ly thinkin: "I'm up shit's creek! I've never been north of Ninety-Sixth Street!" Well, you must take the A Train Even farther than Harlem to northern Manhattan and maintain Get off at 181st, and take the escalator I hope you're writing this down, I'm gonna test ya later I'm getting tested; times are tough on this bodega Two months ago somebody bought Ortega's Our neighbors started packin' up and pickin' up And ever since the rents went up It's gotten mad expensive But we live with just enough In the Heights!
I saw the movie. Going to be honest, I’m not super familiar with In the Heights. Had heard some iconic songs, but I had always kind of shied away because it wasn’t my style of music. As a result, the changes that happened made sense to me and didn’t seem odd. Even Carnival. It felt like a wake. There was even an explanation for it. And I think Nina and Benny’s romance being a bigger part would have made the movie feel crowded. I liked Nina’s story though.
I don’t understand why they cut Sunrise and Everything I know. Sunrise let’s us see the depth of the emotional connection between Nina and Benny, and Everything I know was such a gorgeous tribute to Claudia and spoke so much to her character. The one scene with Marc Anthony seemed really pointless to me and didn’t enrich the story in any way. They could have just added a few seconds of dialogue explaining what a POS Sunny’s father was and it would have had the same impact.
Sad to hear about Benny/Nina, I love them in the original show. My mom and I were talking about my concerns about certain implied changes from the trailers, and she pointed out something interesting: that with Lin being the one to adapt this to screen, he might be adding elements he wanted to add to the original production but was unable to at the time for one reason or other, or is taking the opportunity to explore an alternate way the story could have gone, so that both versions of the story exist out in the world. Interested to behind the scenes stuff to see what the creators were going for with these alterations.
Quiara Hides did the screenplay adaptation not Lin although I’m sure he was informed of changes. I think main focus switched from Benny/Nina to Usnavi/Vanessa. Love the talented cast, amazing choreography but really missed Sunrise my favorite song. I missed Inuit, Hundreds of Stories ( big Abuela song! & Everything I know. I think hundreds of stores was s big song for Abuela
Idk if it's because I lived in Washington Heights in college, or because I practically grew up with the music from the musical, but I think this is my favorite movie. Idk why but it made me feel so special. I couldn't stop smiling.
Not me crying when you said Sunrise was cut from the movie 😂 That’s one of my favorite songs in the entire show. And I saw the 2016 West End production of the show that was staged in a railway style, one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. That set up worked so well for the show and the design in general was just incredible
I really like your take that it feels more like a new movie musical that draws heavily from the stage production, rather than a movie version of the stage production. I think the thinning out of Nina and Benny’s plot is at least in part because they didn’t want it to feel as much like an ensemble show as the original is? It seems like they wanted to make it more traditional cinema storytelling with 2 clear romantic leads, rather than the 2 pairs of leads telling 2 separate but intertwined stories we see in the stage show.
That does make a bit of sense. But i prefer musical romance the Rogers and Hammerstein way. But at least it made the story a bit more consistent. I'll give Quiara and Lin that
(SPOILERS) I don't know if this is going to make sense but, as a Latina myself and as someone who has only seen the most "known" numbers from the Brodway show, I didn't really need more from abuela Claudia's character because I see abuela Caludia in my own grandmother everyday, I feel like all Latinx people have some rendition of abuela Claudia. Her death almost felt like a sort of "do I stay or do I go" moment and it felt right at least to me to have her remember. Alabanza was the mourning period and Carnaval del barrio felt just right were it was because that actually how lots of us Latinx deal with the passing of someone, by celebrating life and what's to come, remembering the person that passed knowing that they would want us to move on. I fair to say that I loved the movie and, of course there could have been more representation specialy from the black latinx community and is good that the issue is being brought up, but it felt right to see the representation of something that I'm so used to seeing in my day to day life but that I had never seen on the screen.
Im pretty sure there was a time skip saying “3 days still blackout” after alabanza so the characters were not happily dancing in carnaval del barrio right after abuela claudia died٫so it's really not that random to be celebrating for the characters because 3 days have gone by already but since the movie doesn't show those 3 days that passed and what happened I get why it might have been a random and quick change for the audience
In the original Carnaval del Barrio goes before Alabanza. In fact, Carnaval del Barrio ends with Nina running to Usnavi to tell him something has happened with Abuela.
SPOILER!!!! I loved the movie so much, but I was really sad about them cutting Nina's mom and the song "Enough". I love that song, and I feel like the change to have Nina's dad be a widower wasn't as powerful as the message that Nina's mom brought to the show. Also, the random animation in the beginning of 96000 felt a little out of place.
I loved the movie too. I didn't like that they cut Camilla too because Enough is great and she's a great character. And she brought some good stuff to the story.
I actually like that they don’t have that fight anymore . It irked me in the play and it didn’t make sense that he was projecting his rage on something he knew that Nina didn’t know or approve of (her dad selling the business). Benny’s reaction in the movie was much more relatable to me . But I hate that they cut out Ninas big song
I’d really like to see the movie, I’m happy you’re a fan of it as well as the casting choices. My biggest gripe (without having seen it) is that they cut Camila just,, entirely?? I’m probably in a minority here but Enough is one of my favorite songs in the show, and I guess it makes sense that they’d cut that if they’re thinning out Nina’s plot in general, but I ??? Am just so confused by that. Weh.
Like Enough is the climax of Nina's plot and just removing it makes it feel hollow. Plus, Kevin's disapproval was, in my opinion, kind of a small little exploration into the kind of lowkey racism that exists within the latin community.
@@879SCSP the movie is more joyful and celebratory. They don't want to show the troubling aspects of society. I.E they turned the blackout/fireworks number into a positive number instead of focusing on the possible looting and panic.
@@aserr5660 but they added in a whole bunch of other troubling aspects of society that, while very real, weren't all that well-integrated into this particular script
In The Hights is one of those musicals Ive hear of, but never really looked in to. Ive heard like 2 songs, and dont really know the story. I dont know why, but the musical never really caught my intrest. So seeing this movie will be really interesting! Lets see if it was a huge mistake to not look this musical up way earlier! :-)
Its sorta the same for me. I've heard a decent amount of the soundtrack and I know some of the story but it never seemed too appealing to me. I'm sure eventually I'll get there tho, I usually do, it just hasnt been time for it for me yet I suppose
You are becoming a better creator every time you upload. I love how you’ve been talking about the business side of musical theater more and leveling critiques more often. Haven’t seen the ITH movie yet, but some of the changes you just revealed kind of floored me (carnival right after alabanza). I hope I still like it.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR JUNE!! Pride Month AND In The Heights?! YESS!! Also Kat you look gorgeous and I love the jacket!! Thanks for getting all of us theater kids through quarantine! You’re amazing 😊💜
I disagree about Abuela’s song placement. To me it makes it hit more emotionally. And the Carnival was meant to be a celebration of their culture as well as Abuela, like when Usnavi in the new lyrics says “Take a bottle and kiss it up to Claudia.” Just my thoughts on it.
In the Heights was the first Broadway musical I saw ON BROADWAY ever. I like that they changed it! It fits the time period. Things are not the same as they were 13 years ago and it highlights that. It shows us where we are now in time and what we should be focusing on.
[Spoiler] It's different from the show. There is no fight between Benny and Nina. And Vanessa is the one who sings the line "I don't need anything tonight..." So they just kiss in When the Sun Goes Down
Having never known anything about the musical, except hearing the title track on the Broadway station, and I thought it was very well done and was so happy to see the movie. I’m sure there’s plenty of differences and that’s one of my favorite things about adaptions, give me a reason to want to see the original!
Wow! 2021 has been a great year for movies so far! We got *Dear Evan Hansen* and *West Side Story* coming out later this year, *In The Heights* really soon!! We already got *Cruella* and *Mitchells Vs. The Machines* and so many others!!! Love you Kat! Thanks for warning us on spoilers(I haven’t seen the stage play yet😭)! Ilysm!
*spoiler* When I saw the movie I thought ok, Paciencia y Fe is now I Dreamed a Dream. This is Olga Merediz’s Oscar reel. I mean I can’t really be mad about that because the emotional impact was still there for me. So idk. I loved the movie. I even thought the changes *mostly* worked. I definitely plan to see it in theaters a lot this summer.
Gonna have to push back on paciencia y fe. The way this movie moved it to before she died instead of after 96,000, made the number so much more than just a “I am” song. The way this movie did it made the song Abuela’s final bow to her life. And that final “paciencia y fe” will just make you cry everytime because it’s the last thing she ever says. It’s beautifully appropriate. Also, Carnival Del Barrio is so beautiful because the barrio decides that it’s time to stop being depressed about everything and come together. It’s what Claudia would have wanted.
I was so angry about Camila’s character being written out (not just because of my name). But I don’t remember anyone in the film having 2 parents and I get that there needs to be representation of single parents and orphaned children but there also needed to be representation of how parents (especially those with kids who are the first in the family to go to college) act. The song “enough” felt exactly like something I think a lot of our parents have told us. “You’re exactly like your father… we need to discuss these things together…etc” I’ve heard these things all my life and Camila really was a strong character despite being more in the background but they decided they wanted Nina to only be with her dad to remove some sort of conflict and add a new one?? I don’t get it
Exactly! I feel like Latinos don’t really get to have stable or nuclear families in film, and Nina’s family was a really good example of a family dynamic that a lot of Latinos could relate to. I’m sad enough was cut, but I think inútil was also a pretty important song for the same reason, it’s totally something I have heard many immigrant parents struggle with. But yeah idk why Camila was cut
I’ve never been able to see it on stage but I have heard the soundtrack and immediately had a strong connection with it. If like I’ll enjoy it regardless but I’m still super excited. Great review.
I watched the film in a virtual screening and I did, for the most part, enjoy it. SPOILERS: I was also upset at the cut of Everything I Know and Benny and Nina's story in general but Patrick Page's cameo cheered me up a bit.
@@sillygoosetaur Given his more prominent theater role when this was filmed, his appearance is a little bit ominous. But if you’re up enough on theater to make that connection, you didn’t need the connection.
I think the most important thing everyone should take into consideration is that, you’re all aggressively comparing the Broadway musical with a feature film adaptation. Of course many things are going to be cut, changed, and frankensteined back together. This movie was beautiful, fit the spirit of the musical, had amazing writing and choreography, and had some of the best shot sequences I’ve seen in any movie. Everyone brought something special to this film, and if you didn’t gatekeep over the stage version of it, you’d appreciate the movie much more. Lin himself was heavily involved in making it, he knew what he was doing.
Being Latina myself, throwing a party after a beloved member of a comunity has died is precisely what we latins do hahahah. Is not that we don't feel pain. and yes we keep our mourning period, but a little get together to lift someone's spirit, gather the people just to talk about the beloved one that passed away laugh and cry even, is what we do best honestly
SPOILERS - - - - - I'm overly biased because I'm latina (I know you are as well lol) but I feel like there were some changes that were necessary or just nice that they added like they finally showed what Vanessa aspires to be/is which I'm glad we saw and also the dinner scene was a lot better in my opinion and it also wasn't Benny blaming Nina but more her father if that makes sense idk this could just be me. Paciencia y Fe had me absolutely sobbing because of the last little bit with the lyrics "I made it through I survived I did it" those words resonate so much with my Abuela and her story (I know this could be just me) but yeah that's my opinion on it. also I'm surprised you didn't like Breathe I loved it and I'm obsessed with Leslie Grace's voice
SPOILERS AHEAD!! but can we please talk about how they reveal that abuela claudia won the lottery till the end??? :/ whyyy i think as a whole, i see this as an amazing movie that everyone should go and see.. but i kind of don't see it as the same thing as the original production since they changed so many things that i love. i definitely agree with your feelings of frustration and disappointment lol
I remember being frustrated and disappointed when I first saw it because it's SUCH a big change, but thinking on it I feel like if I didn't know the plot already it would've hit me like a freight train. Which is saying a lot, because when I realized how "Ay Mama, OK" changed meanings completely I was a sobbing mess.
@@WJonesK_S yes!!! i think the reason why i feel the way i feel is because i am so attached to the original production. the movie is so good!! but yeah it’s different
@@WJonesK_S I'd have been sobbing either way because that scene was fucking incredible. I just think it's weird how she didn't even think about Usnavi and the money a single time at that moment
at first when I watched the changes made I was like HEY?? but then I really felt like it fit the format of a movie well and can see why they did some of the stuff they did/cut things out,,,hopefully we get some unseen/deleted footage to come soon!! as a big lover of the stage version I really felt like the movie did it justice and was just as fantastic even with the alterations made!!
I've gotten the honor of seeing it twice and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. I do agree with some of the changes you talked about in the video as some of them confused me a lot, especially with what you said about Nina and Benny's relationship in the movie. However, I think it was beautifully done and the cast was phenomenal. I actually really liked Breathe in the movie but that might just be because I'm leaving for my freshmen year of college in a few months so it's starting to hit a little different for me but I loved it so much. All in all, I loved it so much and I'm going to be blasting the soundtrack all summer. ***SPOILER BELOW*** One thing I'm really upset about is that they cut Hundreds of Stories that's my absolute favorite song in the show and I know it wouldn't have worked with how the song order was in the movie but I was still so upset that they cut that song.
That's what I thought too although I didn't like that they cut everything I know and Sunrise . And Abeula Claudia Thing not my fav . But I really liked breathe too . I just love that song and loved seeing it on screen .
After seeing it in the theater tonight, I came home and watched it again on HBO Max and there’s a shot of a green crab in the beginning when Usnavi is talking to the kids on the beach 😂 It’s Sonny’s crab!!!
Everything I Know was my favourite song I can't believe it was cut. I also wish they had included the mural of Abuela Claudia at the end. I also don't understand why they changed when we find out who won the lottery which led to many many lyric changes. And this is small but I wish in Champagne Vanessa had gone to storm out before kissing Usnavi.
I waited until after seeing the movie to watch your reaction, because I wanted to go in virtually blind (full disclosure, I've only seen a couple of numbers from the show, never the whole thing), and I absolutely adored it. I actually teared up during "Breathe" and I DEFINITELY cried after "Paciencia y Fe." The switch to "Carnaval del Barrio" didn't seem as jarring, possibly because they marked the time since the blackout on screen. Now after hearing your thoughts, I'm glad I waited because otherwise I would have known things were missing. Now I want to see a stage production to have the full experience! (This is totally the opposite of what I did with 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'... before seeing Darren Criss in the role I felt like I had to familiarize myself with the source material and John Cameron Mitchell, and now it's one of my favorite films AND musicals!)
I never saw the stage version so I didn't have anything to compare it to. I'm glad you double-tapped on the choreography! Same thing. Oh my God the choreography!! I was just exhausted at the end, just watching them. I loved 96 Thousand. I just felt like it was something we needed this summer. I loved it.
I think this may be an expectation bias with people who know the show. I know the music, but have never seen the production, and I was HUGELY impacted by Abuela Claudia in the movie. I bawled for a good twenty minutes after her death.
I was Nina in a Spanish version of No me diga. Just for one song, but it was the first time I felt represented (in terms of being the nerd) onstage. Also, that was the moment when you realize, the name USNAVI actually means U.S. NAVY. Latin people before thought it was someone very famous because most of the ships had the same name. You're welcome
I just went to see the movie on the big screen yesterday. My review is up on my blog Manny At the Movies. So Kat, i agree with you the movie is as beautiful as the original stage version. Except i think the script reworkings made the story flow more cohesively and kept me engaged throughout. I came in a bit prepared for Nina and Benny's romance to be put aside and wish it was still part of the main story along with Usnavi and Vanessa. With the exception of Cuca the third Saloon girl, there is no weak link in the cast. Having Usnavi tell the story to his kids added a very nice touch. And i do like Carnival Del Barrio set after Abuela Caludia's death because it keeps the mostly upbeat tone steady. Jon M Chu's direction is colorful and the music is just chef's kiss as ever. PS. I didn't stay for the post credits scene. I was in a hurry to get home.
Love your thoughts and critiques on this movie, you make good points! But one however I wanted to inform you on. When you said that throwing a dance party after someone’s death seemed disrespectful: many times in the Latin community and culture, when someone dies our loved ones celebrate as they are in a better place. This is the hope for those who pass, that we of course remain reverent to their passing and mourn the death, but after some time has passed; we celebrate the vibrant life they lived, and no better way than dancing- which is the music to our soul!
After watching the film, I completely agree with what you said! I found the ending to be really disconnected, and I really didn't think the romantic leads had any real chemistry. That being said, it was a fun watch for the most part!
My boyfriend who had never seen the stage adapt was upset they kept reminding the audience that a blackout was coming up. He felt it would have been more impactful to new viewers to be a surprise and I agree. I loved the film, but had similar wish-fors as you. I did like how they gave some of the characters deeper back stories.
It's so sad because they made it seem as if in the trailers that they were going to have a good plot line WAIT WAIT WAIT, THEY DID WHAT NOW FOR CARNIVAL DEL BARRIO????
I haven't seen the original musical, but I must disagree with your interpretation of the carnival scene as being disrespectful. It was clearly contextualised as them celebrating in spite of their sadness and hardship.
I watched it yesterday and as a Dominican, dude, i was sobbing and when i wasn't sobbing i was smiling so hard. I never got the chance to see the show live because i live in an entire different country, however, i had heard the music obvs and i was surprised of the changes however, i still felt like it did a good job putting everything together so it doesn't feel as long because I see why they didn't included each song, it would be so long and people already had a slight problem with the pacing so for people that are new to the musical it would have felt like a lot going on at the same time if that makes sense. It's hard for me to nitpick and find troubles with the movie when it represents so well our people. I'm not even an immigrant and that felt like home, I was crying because I never thought I would see my culture being accurately represented on a big screen with such high quality and production, it made me feel proud and at times made me dance and wish I had a flag, it reminded me of my family, specially my grandma and great grandma that had passed away and had Abuela Claudia's same charismatic light to her. I loved it, I cried so much, it's just *chef's kiss*
As someone who is not familiar with the stage show at all, I'm excited to see this movie. Thanks for making this review, Kat! Looking forward to the vlog, too. Gosh, I miss the theatres.
The first Broadway show I watched was in the heights when I was12/13. I didn't like it for personal reasons back then but now it's one of my favorite musicals of all time. Goes to show how much your mentality changes as you get older
Even though I was sad they cut down a lot of Benny and Nina, making Vanessa and Usnavi the main couple worked a lot better in my opinion. After all, Usnavi IS the main character. I also missed Camila, but other than that I think most of the changes were for the better. In the Heights is my favorite musical, but in my mind I tried to separate the movie from it, which made it a really enjoyable experience.
I agree with you, Katherine. The cinematography is incredible as well as the choreography. 🤯 The plot changes, which led to song ommissions, made me rate it 8/10. Back in 2008, the musical was so praised because it was bold and groudbreaking. The situation about immigrants has not changed and I think that is why they chose to modify/add such changes, to keep the message and allow this dialogue to continue. I love 'Hundreds of stories', but of course they had to take it out because it wouldn't make sense if Usnavi didn't know about the ticket. Loved the 3 cameos. Finally, I agree it got slow and disperse in the end. I didn't feel the same intensity with the final song in the movie as I do when I hear it in the cast recording. The final scene after the credits: 😍
i was so upset with how they altered the timeline with abuela because the way it hit SO hard was because it came from blackout, where everyone was scared and broken down, then to carnaval where finally theres some hope and joy brought back, and then reality hits AGAIN. its an instance of everyone distancing, then growing closer with carnaval, but finally coming together bc oh shit, we lost abuela, who are we without abuela she basically raised the whole barrio. turning blackout into the big connected almost party number didn’t work. however i did kind of like the whole paciencia y fe ending with her literally going to see her mama. that almost made me forget how disjointed it was because seeing her actually let go surrounded by family… oh that one hurt
I never saw the stage show, but I felt that Paciencia y Fe and the plot point directly after it worked for me. to me it was more of a shock realizing what was happening as it went on.
Kat I love how open minded you are with your critiques. It feels as though you want to love everything you watch, as opposed to so many other critics who seem like they're lying in wait to pounce with their claws. I get the feeling you're a great director to work with as well :)
Oooh I was scared with the title of the video, but the first second has really reassured me that it's not bad! I can't wait to see the film, I need to verify if this movie will be in theaters in France!
IMO. I think I like the choice of thinning out Nina and bennys arch to give room to the other characters like Vanessa and Sonny to be filled out. They wanted to write a movie about community and being immigrants being a 1st gen child I understand that my parents had nothing but dreams when they sought out to America. I guess what I’m trying to say is that they gave each character as much development as possible even if that meant to tone down ninas and bennys story (which I love) to make room for new ones.
Now this is my opinion as a white guy that just appreciates everyone’s struggle. The struggle of having a hard time affording college and having to work while going to classes hit me pretty hard. The switch to the racism and searching had less impact on me. And I wholly admit it might just because I don’t have those personal experiences. The first time I saw In the Heights it spoke to a reality I hadn’t seen anywhere else since Rent. There was a relatable tell it how it is aspect to it. Anyways I felt the same that some of the emotional impacts were dulled, when I’m the musical I had real jaw dropping moments Still love it, hope everyone sees it, hope there’s a new national tour soon.
In the heights has always been vocally prominent on its theme of family and community, from beginning to end, hence abuela’s passing being so painful to the community, so I’m really disappointed that they’ve changed that theme.
What bothers me the most is I feel like Nina's and Benny's relationship is TOO perfect. There's no conflict with Benny and Nina's dad, they cut the argument in The Club, which was my favorite part of the song, and I can't believe they cut Sunrise. Also, Abuela Claudia died way too soon and it was so underwhelming. It seemed like no one was effected by her death and I hate that they cut the line in her song revealing that she won the lottery bc that basically is what the whole show is about. Claudia is such a huge part of the show, everyone's story somehow ties back to her, and in the movie it's almost like she's reduced to a minor character.
IN THE HEIGHTS vlog is UP!! 🎉 ua-cam.com/video/Ob9i8YQcyuY/v-deo.html
AHHHH I WATCHED IT
You for got the s in “¿no me diga?”… but I’ll let it pass :)
Wait, it’s forgot… not for got…. F***
The choreographer deserves an award for Abuela Claudia's scene alone. It was everything
Agreed! I thought that change was so powerful.
Can we discuss the background dancers? Like how the white head wraps shift to pillbox hats on the dancers but still have the same silhouette?
The cultural significance of the dancers outfits?
Absolutely
I haven't seen the show, just listened to the album, and I always imagined that number s something more small and private (maybe her alone watching the stars)
Maybe it was too much
Nina and Benny do kiss. But did anybody else notice the "you'll be back" playing as the hold tone when Nina's dad was on hold with Stanford. Blew my mind. I loved it
yes yes yes
Yes I laughed out loud.
Yeah … pretty sure everyone noticed/heard that.
I loved that!
YES!
My biggest gripe with the film was “Blackout” I didn’t like how cheerful and celebratory it was. The theme of blackout isn’t about making the best of the circumstances (that’s what carnaval is for.) The tone of blackout is supposed to be fear and dread and panic and seeing everyone safe in the house playing bingo and dancing around with fireworks really didn’t convey that. Also sonny panicking about the bodega was cut from the song which I thought further lessened the feeling of fear.
yeah they really chopped that one up. The fireworks went from being a saving light from the darkness and fear into... kinda just fireworks
Maybe cuz of the looting relating to the issue of what happened last yr? And besides its quite a common thing to gather with family during times of blackout and it gives a softer transition to paciencia y fe with that the last thing abuela saw bfor she died is her family together which would give her reason that her work for her family n community is done and she can now leave the world in peace
@@whimpwhomp6260 in the heights was filmed in 2019 so it would probably have nothing to do with that
@@whimpwhomp6260 that only works if you still want her arc to be dropped like it was and want the transition to be softer instead of as powerful as it was
like yeah that scene IS a thing people do during blackouts but it's also not the point of the song Blackout
and looting has been happening for centuries, it would make no sense if their motivation was to avoid "look at all the looting" criticism from people who are going to complain about looting even when it doesn't happen
Yes it is. It’s a movie adaptation buddy, so they make it happy and have them making the best of a bad situation to give it that good transition into Paciencia y fe
I’m still furious that they cut ninas mom from this. Her songs “Enough” was my favorite song and the song I related to the most being a gay Latino who has a bad relationship with his father. I truly felt like it was my mom singing to us and for them to cut it really infuriated me.
I'm a white person, who became a radical liberal in college. Enough feels exactly like the way my mom breaks up arguments between my Dad and and I.
It's the song that makes me sob the most.
Bro I legit forgot Nina's mom existed lmao
Literally this 🙌🙌🙌
Sunrise is my favorite song of the musical it really represented my bilingual reality. And I felt it’s one of the most tender and loving romantic duets.
I think bennys dispatched should have being cut instead.
I guess they wanted when you are home to be the big romantic duet.
No sabía que eras parte del culto!!! Mi expectativas están muy altas para carnaval de barrio. Acá en Argentina HBO máximo se estrena a fin de mes y los cines siguen cerrados ... albanza a señor Cuevana!!!
I honestly feel like they removed it because of time. After seeing the movie it felt like Benny and Nina's romance songs wouldn't have fit in/ would have felt rushed. Its sad but it felt kind of needed to fit in everything else and the movie is still beautiful.
I think Benny’s Dispatch needed to be there to establish that Benny and Nina have a little thing going on with each other, I do wish Sunrise was in the movie though.
ESPERA QUÉ SACARON SUNRISE???????
THEY CUT SUNRISE!?!?!??!?!
It hurts me to know they’re cutting most of Nina & Benny’s arc. They were my favorite part 😔
I don’t understand why they would do that. Why would you even have the characters then. They are so interesting to me.
@@solcarlosofficial exactly!! I especially love their song sunrise. It’s very adorable & romantic 😭😭
Me too. It's like I'm bracing myself for the disappointment now
@@yomamabaker99 exactly my same point of view.
I think it’s mainly because when they were filming it, they might’ve had a tight budget and could only fit so much into every scene. They all did an interview with Playbill where one of the directors actually grew up in WH, and talked about how they had a tight budget for it and obviously when a movie is being made but the budget isn’t the biggest, you have to improvise, and sometimes cut out certain parts, so I think that’s why they did it.
it’s really strange to me that nina and benny have had their storyline cut down because i’ve always viewed them as the main characters align with usnavi, whereas roles like vanessa and abuela are big roles but still secondary. idk i just feel like a lot of the heart of the show comes from their relationship and all the sweet moments they have together.
Title: Says brutally honest
Kat in the first 2 seconds: I LOVE IT
She brutally likes it
Hey, it's still brutally honest
Just in a good way this time
Love Katherine but she has been really nice with her review of the movie. I had the same critics as her and I would never say I loved the movie
The ending felt like Usnavi’s victory… but it didn’t feel like ours… in the movie we see he’s already so so close to getting to DR and with all that talk about dreams it’s like, “Oh great he’s getting his dream!” vibes. In the musical it’s so out of reach to Usnavi due to debt and he explains that in 96 000, as well as how he’s like to go but it’s a “silly” “hypothetical”. When Abuela wins the lotto and he can go of course he books the flights!! It’s what he THINKS he’s wanted his whole life, he’s never had to think about the real consequences because before it’s just been that hypothetical scenario. But as an audience… we’ve been introduced to all the reasons he should stay and we see what he doesn’t realise until the finale. So when he does realise in the finale… it’s a win for EVERYONE. The movie doesn’t hit the same way. Sure it’s what Usnavi wants but… what happened to his dream it just changed? When he was so close to achieving it? Just opinions.
You just described perfectly my problem with the end of the movie, plus you had the perspective of someone who has at least listened to the original soundtrack.
Sometimes I wish he did go to DR. It would probably be a better ending.
WOAH EVERYTHING I KNOW IS CUT??? That's the most emotionally packed song for me and it makes nina so relatable to me (aside from the fact that we share the same name)
Same, that's my favorite song from the show! Ah well!
It seems like an odd choice, like i feel like that would cheapen Abuela Claudia’s death
@@joeye1772 I just watched it and it kind of does I'm not sure why they moved when abuela Claudia dies from after carnaval del barrio to blackout, it feels weird that she died and like 3 days later they were having a party. And not having "everything I know" diminishes the feeling of community of Nina and abuelas role in her education. They removed songs that allow you to peek into some of the characters thoughts and feeling s like "sunrise" and "inutil" too. Overall felt lukewarm about it.
Ultimately I feel like the reason they cut some things is because the movie is already almost two and a half hours long. If they left everything in, it would be probably like 3 hours. If not more.
@@Blue71974 wait did they cut inutil? That’s like the one song that gives you any insight into Kevin’s actions, it also creates the parallel between his story and Nina’s
I’m confused why they changed something that everyone loved? I get changing the problematic lyrics. But changing aspects of the story that were praised and perfect makes no sense to me
Wait what did they change again-? Sorry
me acabo de enterar que tienes canal, no sabía que te gustaban los musciales!
What were the problematic lyrics?
I'm guessing Trump --> Tiger Woods ("my caddie")
I didnt really cared that they changed some stuff i notice it but didnt care
I feel like Nina and Benny's plot was better for the OG musical because it takes Lin out of the spotlight and more of a narrator. In the movie I was a fan of how "realistic" Usnavi felt. As a resident New Yorker and Latino, Anthony really portrayed the "young" bodega owner very well. Plus "champagne" has always been my favorite song anyway so I'm here for more Usnavi/Vanessa screen time lol
My wife and I are bigger fans of the Usnavi/Vanessa relationship in the movie. Their performance in Champagne was done so well
Yes!! And part of usnavi’s final conclusion is that he likes hearing and telling other’s stories. You could see it a bit in the movie but it’s more apparent in the musical.
--SPOILERS---
I really really disliked how they didn't reveal abuela won the lottery till the end.. idk I just didn't like that. it removed such a good chance for a theatre wide GASP
Wait then what does she say at the end of Paciencia y Fe because the song literally ends with "What do I do with this winning ticket"????
@@879SCSP she said "ay mama what do you do when your dreams come true? I spent my life inheriting dreams from you.. i made it through, I survived, I did it.. now do I leave or stay 🎶"
i think the opposite. they reframed abuela's story. Its about her and the community and the people she helped raise and the legacy she left behind. her winning the lottery makes it seem the only way to be prosperous is to have money.
@@lesterpadilla2220 I always took at as more of a tragic look at immigration in the original show. Like someone can work all their lives to finally reach that "American Dream" they were promised when they immigrated, but even if they find it, it might already be too late for them. In the end, the one who carries the legacy of those who immigrated are the next generation, hopefully using the lessons they teach us (Usnavi in "finding his island" and Nina in deciding to continue her school thank to "everything I know")
Yes this was the one thing that disappointed me bc I loved that plot line, and I was waiting for that reveal. Beside that I loved it. ☺️
Okay couple things: *SPOILER*
I appreciate your love for this musical first of all! And I love that you’ve seen it twice at this point of uploading and are taking your friends to see it. However, I would like to try and change your mind about a few things. It’s gonna be long.
Benny/Nina: the focus wasn’t so much on their love story bc people can already relate to a classic “love story from the boy next door” but it’s so much more important to bring out the character of Nina, that so many latinx can relate to and to others who are not in that community need to understand, which is her being the 1st gen hispanic/american, the pressure that comes with, how she was raised, and her choosing to go back bc of Sonny and knowing even tho it’s hard to be who she is, she knows it’s so much bigger than her and she’s fighting doing what she’s can for her people. So if that means cutting their love story down a little, that everyone already has already seen in a thousand other stories, then so be it bc this is so much more important to be brought up on the big screen. It’s not everyday people of latinx community get to tell THAT story.
I am sad bennys character being thinned out a little bit bc they don’t show him losing his job, learning Spanish (which is kinda a given if you grow up in a barrio like that) and so on but like I said, there’s a bigger story to tell.
Abuela claudia/carnival: 1st. The audience didn’t need to get to know her more bc everyone already knows abuela Claudia bc everyone already has an abuela Claudia. She’s my abuela, she’s your grandma, she’s the barrios grandma. So I think them putting her song/story where they did was perfect cause you already have so many emotions going on with the dinner fight, the club, the blackout, fireworks and the barrio freaking out, it’s no surprise that something like this could be too much for her. 2) They paid beautiful respect to her with the candlelight outside her house, they stopped celebrating/fireworks to honor her because of how much they love her. Now, being a Hispanic and having had a tragic death happen in our family, after the funeral we all celebrated her life with a BBQ in the backyard, we were laughing and telling stories bc we were remembering and celebrating her. With Carnival, it’s not disrespectful to Claudia bc they’re celebrating their culture and the legacy that family like Claudia have left behind for them. It’s the perfect time to stand up and dance and be proud bc there’s no time to just sit and cry forever, you have to honor the people who have passed and celebrate their history and where they came from and what they’ve done to bring us here. And in hispanic culture, the way you celebrate and honor the ones you love is by dancing loud, singing loud, raising your flag high, and that’s the most respectful thing you can do to honor a loved ones life.
I wrote a book, my bad. But I really hope you can read this and maybe get a different perspective about how it’s not about getting the Broadway show to the big screen but how it’s about getting the representation of a latinx community to the big screen, which we’ve been so deprived of, and telling the true story that ITH is truly about.
Sorry one more thing: **SPOILER**
Let’s talk about how Sonnys character has grown into this beautiful young man who strives more for a change than most “Americans” do. He’s driven, compassionate, a dreamer and can relate to sooooo many young Latino kids on the block that we have no idea about because we’re so closed minded to people with this background. Having him represented with his story the way they did, was probably the most important part of the whole movie because these kids growing up now are the future and the change our world needs. It’s his story that’s going to fuel kids dreams and push them to make a change. You and I cannot relate to what it is like to be an immigrant kid with no papers and a dead beat dad. He should feel hopeless but he’s not. He’s hopeful, active and inspiring and not gonna let anything get In his way, and that far exceeds any other character in the film.
I agree with everything you said ESPECIALLY the mourning/celebration of Claudia's arc. In my family we often have a party as a reception after the funeral. Its a time to reminiscence and laugh. To drink and yes... WE DANCE. We dance hard through OUR tears and we LOVE. I cried the entire time from the moment Claudia began singing to the end of Carnevale. Honestly, it is my favorite part and the pacing was just beautiful. They mourned. And then they celebrated. I loved it. I also felt like Benny was even more fleshed out. I can be here for hours. Let's just say, the movie did not disappoint me with the changes. It was worth the wait. Lin and Chu did that!! They made an amazing movie and I am in love with Cuca!!!
These are wonderful, thoughtful observations.
YES! I agree completely with your points on Abuela Claudia (your other points too, but especially about Abuela). I felt like I knew Abuela. I don't know if there's anything that would have made me understand or relate to her any better. She is my Abuela. And for me, Carnaval del Barrio was one of the most emotionally riveting numbers. Singing and dancing is how we express emotion; it was reverential to Abuela and what she stood for. She would have been proud of her community. And it was a direct contrast to Paciencia y Fe. Where she spent her life keeping her head down and pushing through adversity because she had no choice in her time, Carnival is about standing proud and shouting to the world where you come from.
I was hoping someone would explain this to her from the Latinx perspective. Everything you said is spot on.
Wait. They CUT EVERYTHING I KNOW???? That’s literally the culmination of Nina’s arc. Like even if her and Benny’s relationship was reduced, wouldn’t you still try to give Nina her penultimate song?
I’m excited to watch it, but some of these choices seem so odd to me.
So, this director has been given the role of directing the Wicked adaptation. Do you think he is a good choice after this movie, or do you think his style clashes with the sort of steam punk esque style of Wicked?
this probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but i feel like it'll either be really great or really terrible. it'll either work really well, or it absolutely won't. which is very unspecific, but just my thoughts
@@buduhanfamily2419 really Great or really bad is like, the Definition of Jon Chu's work though
@@QuikVidGuy He didn’t destroy the story of ITH. Literally any changes that happened were made by Lin and Quiara and also even though things were changed, the changes aren't bad and it’s still a great movie and adaptation. There are actually some things in the movie that I prefer over the musical (Sonny's character is one of them. I feel like the movie did such a great job integrating him more into the story by connecting his storyline with other character's storylines) and vice versa. Overall, I wouldn't say that the story of ITH was destroyed, just changed a little bit and that's not a bad thing.
Good question...
I think he can make it work
i love the musical but i’m so scared to see the movie
Ditto
Me too
Don’t be. As a big fan of the musical, I think it’s insanely good.
I'm terrified that they're going to change the ending
Same
The title scared me then I heard the first sentence and sighed a huge sigh of relief
I clicked faster than Lin Manuel Miranda could write an amazing musical
So... Faster than 9 years?
@@monosTVsports yes
@@monosTVsports are you really gonna sit there and argue that it took them more than 9 years to click?
@@collin3987 I mean, I said quite the opposite. Nothing to argue
I had the same issues with this movie and I thought I was the only one, thank God. LOVED it, but the changes seemed so pointless. Also think the general theme was not the one they were pushing but okay?
*spoiler alert*
The Club/Blackout without the Benny/Nina conflict.... noooooo. whyyyy?
Also they took all the emotion/heart out of When The Sun Goes Down with all that choreography and the dancing on the side of the building... they didn't even show their faces while singing, and I LOVE that song.
Poor Cuca had not much to do. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE Dascha Polanco, but she was kind of... there.
The Patrick Page cameo had me dead. I had forgotten he had a cameo in this so it was a pleasant surprise.
Olga Merediz is a GEM. CHILLS during Paciencia y Fe.
i know right?? nina and benny are the best part of the club/blackout and I don't really like how they made usnavi and vanessa the "main couple"
Hmm I disagree with When The Sun Goes Down. I thought it was incredibly gorgeous and I probably got the most chills out of the entire film during the instrumental break of that song. It felt really heartfelt and romantic to me at least
ok, i haven’t seen the movie yet, i can’t until the actual premier, but the scene on the side of the building is when the sun goes down? i assumed it was sunrise, but i’m now finding out that they CUT sunrise? i’m trying to reserve judgement until i’ve actually seen the movie, but from the changes they’ve made and the songs that have been released on spotify i’m really nervous about this movie
@@LiterallyLike I loved it even with all these changes. I'm just being very picky because I was very much into the Benny/Nina storyline from the staged version. Still very heartwarming and def got emotional in several parts.
Super interested to see if there will eventually be a directors cut. Maybe they cut these songs from the get go, but part of me wonders if that didn’t happen during editing. It definitely changes the overall feel of the film - but I still LOVED this movie!!
yo, a big ass party after a family members passing isnt far fetched for latinos.. ive been to crazy wakes in my family alone where its a celebration of life... but i get what youre saying though
Yeah I will agree with that. In certain cultures/customs they do that. My family they have the funeral people are sad but the party still does happen.
I also think the way in which the person died and how old they were affects that. The two funerals I've been to in my life were wildly different because one was for my grandpa, who tragically died of cancer at 64, and the other was for my cousin who committed suicide when he was 17. They were both sad, but one was more bittersweet and the other felt like the culmination of some of the worst moments of my life.
Not only that, they talked about it right before the musical number when Daniela was like "... Our matriarch bites the dust and this is how we move on? We are not power-LESS, we are power-FUL..." Way I interpreted that is that while yes Abuela Claudia has passed and it is sorrowful, as Latin Americans, they must remain strong and celebrate life just as Abuela Claudia did.
Answer to QOTD: I saw the movie twice, once in a virutal screening and another time in an early screening for Mothers' Day and IT WAS REALLY GOOD. I was absolutely blown away with the storyline and the music. The casting also was REALLY good and they slayed as their respective characters! I would highly recommend it.
Same here! Saw the Mothers Day early screening and actually won a "lotto" for free tickets. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still gasped during the buildup in 96000! The choreography was just...everything.
I LOOOOVED IT! looking fwd to watching it again in the BIg screen on Thursday.
Lights up in Washington Heights, up at the break of day I wake up and I got this lil punk I gotta chase away. Pop the grate at the crack of dawn sing as I wipe of the awning. Hey y'all, g'morning.
Ice cold piragua! Parcha, china, cherry, strawberry... and just for today, I’ve got mamay!
Oye, piragüero, como estas?
Como siempre, Señor Usnavi.
@@keke9795 I am Usnavi and you prob'ly never heard my name
Reports of my fame are greatly exaggerated
Exacerbated by the fact that my syntax
Is highly complicated 'cuz I emigrated
From the single greatest little place in the Caribbean:
Dominican Republic!
I love it!
Jesus, I'm jealous of it
And beyond that
Ever since my folks passed on
I haven't gone back
Goddamn, I gotta get on that...
Fo! The milk has gone bad, hold up just a second
Why is everything in this fridge warm and tepid?
I better step it up and fight the heat
'Cuz I'm not makin' any profit if the coffee isn't light and sweet!
Ooo-oo!
Abuela, my fridge broke. I got café but no "con leche."
Try my mother's old recipe: one can of condensed milk.
Nice
Ay! Paciencia y fe...
@@keke9795 That was Abuela, she's not really my “abuela,”
But she practically raised me, this corner is her escuela
Now, you're prob'ly thinkin:
"I'm up shit's creek!
I've never been north of Ninety-Sixth Street!"
Well, you must take the A Train
Even farther than Harlem to northern Manhattan and maintain
Get off at 181st, and take the escalator
I hope you're writing this down, I'm gonna test ya later
I'm getting tested; times are tough on this bodega
Two months ago somebody bought Ortega's
Our neighbors started packin' up and pickin' up
And ever since the rents went up
It's gotten mad expensive
But we live with just enough
In the Heights!
I saw the movie. Going to be honest, I’m not super familiar with In the Heights. Had heard some iconic songs, but I had always kind of shied away because it wasn’t my style of music.
As a result, the changes that happened made sense to me and didn’t seem odd. Even Carnival. It felt like a wake. There was even an explanation for it.
And I think Nina and Benny’s romance being a bigger part would have made the movie feel crowded. I liked Nina’s story though.
I don’t understand why they cut Sunrise and Everything I know. Sunrise let’s us see the depth of the emotional connection between Nina and Benny, and Everything I know was such a gorgeous tribute to Claudia and spoke so much to her character. The one scene with Marc Anthony seemed really pointless to me and didn’t enrich the story in any way. They could have just added a few seconds of dialogue explaining what a POS Sunny’s father was and it would have had the same impact.
I wanted to see more of Anthony too.
Agreed, why have Marc in it too and now have him sing? Bet that took a chunk out of the budget too lol 😅
Whatching the black and white parts without sound was a whole new experience, I could feel the feelings but I didn't know what caused them
Sad to hear about Benny/Nina, I love them in the original show. My mom and I were talking about my concerns about certain implied changes from the trailers, and she pointed out something interesting: that with Lin being the one to adapt this to screen, he might be adding elements he wanted to add to the original production but was unable to at the time for one reason or other, or is taking the opportunity to explore an alternate way the story could have gone, so that both versions of the story exist out in the world. Interested to behind the scenes stuff to see what the creators were going for with these alterations.
Quiara Hides did the screenplay adaptation not Lin although I’m sure he was informed of changes. I think main focus switched from
Benny/Nina to Usnavi/Vanessa. Love the talented cast, amazing choreography but really missed Sunrise my favorite song. I missed Inuit, Hundreds of Stories ( big Abuela song! & Everything I know. I think hundreds of stores was s big song for Abuela
Idk if it's because I lived in Washington Heights in college, or because I practically grew up with the music from the musical, but I think this is my favorite movie. Idk why but it made me feel so special. I couldn't stop smiling.
Not me crying when you said Sunrise was cut from the movie 😂 That’s one of my favorite songs in the entire show. And I saw the 2016 West End production of the show that was staged in a railway style, one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. That set up worked so well for the show and the design in general was just incredible
I really like your take that it feels more like a new movie musical that draws heavily from the stage production, rather than a movie version of the stage production.
I think the thinning out of Nina and Benny’s plot is at least in part because they didn’t want it to feel as much like an ensemble show as the original is? It seems like they wanted to make it more traditional cinema storytelling with 2 clear romantic leads, rather than the 2 pairs of leads telling 2 separate but intertwined stories we see in the stage show.
that feels like a great way to balance out my constant attempts to figure out what's "right" and "wrong" with the adaptation
That does make a bit of sense. But i prefer musical romance the Rogers and Hammerstein way. But at least it made the story a bit more consistent. I'll give Quiara and Lin that
(SPOILERS)
I don't know if this is going to make sense but, as a Latina myself and as someone who has only seen the most "known" numbers from the Brodway show, I didn't really need more from abuela Claudia's character because I see abuela Caludia in my own grandmother everyday, I feel like all Latinx people have some rendition of abuela Claudia. Her death almost felt like a sort of "do I stay or do I go" moment and it felt right at least to me to have her remember. Alabanza was the mourning period and Carnaval del barrio felt just right were it was because that actually how lots of us Latinx deal with the passing of someone, by celebrating life and what's to come, remembering the person that passed knowing that they would want us to move on.
I fair to say that I loved the movie and, of course there could have been more representation specialy from the black latinx community and is good that the issue is being brought up, but it felt right to see the representation of something that I'm so used to seeing in my day to day life but that I had never seen on the screen.
Im pretty sure there was a time skip saying “3 days still blackout” after alabanza so the characters were not happily dancing in carnaval del barrio right after abuela claudia died٫so it's really not that random to be celebrating for the characters because 3 days have gone by already but since the movie doesn't show those 3 days that passed and what happened I get why it might have been a random and quick change for the audience
In the original Carnaval del Barrio goes before Alabanza. In fact, Carnaval del Barrio ends with Nina running to Usnavi to tell him something has happened with Abuela.
SPOILER!!!!
I loved the movie so much, but I was really sad about them cutting Nina's mom and the song "Enough". I love that song, and I feel like the change to have Nina's dad be a widower wasn't as powerful as the message that Nina's mom brought to the show.
Also, the random animation in the beginning of 96000 felt a little out of place.
Yesssss! I haven't seen the movie yet but I was devastated when I found out they cut Camila out!
I loved the movie too. I didn't like that they cut Camilla too because Enough is great and she's a great character. And she brought some good stuff to the story.
I’m still kind of leery of this as it doesn’t have Dame Judi Dench, Idris Elba and James Corden transformed into felines.
The fact that James Corden isn't Abuela Claudia is ridiculous. What's wrong with Jon Chu
How are you doing Kat? Noticed you haven’t been uploading. Perfectly okay if you are taking a break from uploading. :) I just hope you are doing okay.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that died of laughter from Chris Jackson. Love that guy
Benny and Nina didnt kiss??? They have the best kiss in the play... What
Also how do they not have a fight in the club? Its legit in the lyrics
I mean it’s pretty easy they just removed the lyrics lmao. They do kiss near the end though if that helps
They kiss at the end of ‘When the Sun Goes Down’
Some of the song in the club is cut. Actually, in the film, Usnavi and Vanessa argue and then the power goes out.
They do kiss in the movie, just after the end of 'When The Sun Goes Down'!
I actually like that they don’t have that fight anymore . It irked me in the play and it didn’t make sense that he was projecting his rage on something he knew that Nina didn’t know or approve of (her dad selling the business). Benny’s reaction in the movie was much more relatable to me .
But I hate that they cut out Ninas big song
I’d really like to see the movie, I’m happy you’re a fan of it as well as the casting choices. My biggest gripe (without having seen it) is that they cut Camila just,, entirely?? I’m probably in a minority here but Enough is one of my favorite songs in the show, and I guess it makes sense that they’d cut that if they’re thinning out Nina’s plot in general, but I ??? Am just so confused by that. Weh.
Like Enough is the climax of Nina's plot and just removing it makes it feel hollow. Plus, Kevin's disapproval was, in my opinion, kind of a small little exploration into the kind of lowkey racism that exists within the latin community.
@@879SCSP the movie is more joyful and celebratory. They don't want to show the troubling aspects of society. I.E they turned the blackout/fireworks number into a positive number instead of focusing on the possible looting and panic.
@@aserr5660 but they added in a whole bunch of other troubling aspects of society that, while very real, weren't all that well-integrated into this particular script
In The Hights is one of those musicals Ive hear of, but never really looked in to. Ive heard like 2 songs, and dont really know the story. I dont know why, but the musical never really caught my intrest. So seeing this movie will be really interesting!
Lets see if it was a huge mistake to not look this musical up way earlier! :-)
You should check out the musical soundtrack whenever you can, 😄
Its sorta the same for me. I've heard a decent amount of the soundtrack and I know some of the story but it never seemed too appealing to me. I'm sure eventually I'll get there tho, I usually do, it just hasnt been time for it for me yet I suppose
You are becoming a better creator every time you upload. I love how you’ve been talking about the business side of musical theater more and leveling critiques more often.
Haven’t seen the ITH movie yet, but some of the changes you just revealed kind of floored me (carnival right after alabanza). I hope I still like it.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR JUNE!! Pride Month AND In The Heights?! YESS!!
Also Kat you look gorgeous and I love the jacket!! Thanks for getting all of us theater kids through quarantine! You’re amazing 😊💜
This is why June's the best month
Don't forget about the demos for Little Miss Perfect The Musical being released and The Owl House season 2 premiering. June is going to be AMAZING!
and also don't forget the loki tv series!!!!
@@emmacarter6033 im sorry... LITTLE MISS PERFECT WHAT?!
...it's already almost the end of June guys
I disagree about Abuela’s song placement. To me it makes it hit more emotionally. And the Carnival was meant to be a celebration of their culture as well as Abuela, like when Usnavi in the new lyrics says “Take a bottle and kiss it up to Claudia.” Just my thoughts on it.
In the Heights was the first Broadway musical I saw ON BROADWAY ever. I like that they changed it! It fits the time period. Things are not the same as they were 13 years ago and it highlights that. It shows us where we are now in time and what we should be focusing on.
Me: *mutes to avoid spoilers*
My brain: tRy To ReAd HeR lIpS yOu KnOw YoU wAnT tO
Not gonna lie, them cutting Sunrise makes me wanna scream.
Title: brutally honest
First second of the video: I LOVE IT!!!
Kat I'm so glad and relieved you love it, but omg ...
Changing the screen to black and white when spoilers get discussed is an ingenious method! I wish more UA-camrs would use it.
If Nina and Benny don’t kiss then how does Blackout end?? 😐😦
I literally was thinking about this too!!!
Actually they do just after the fire escape dance number.
[Spoiler]
It's different from the show. There is no fight between Benny and Nina. And Vanessa is the one who sings the line "I don't need anything tonight..."
So they just kiss in When the Sun Goes Down
@@yasmingomes2507 interesting...
@@yasmingomes2507 what the hell…. That literally takes away from their characters and the intensity of the whole number.
Having never known anything about the musical, except hearing the title track on the Broadway station, and I thought it was very well done and was so happy to see the movie. I’m sure there’s plenty of differences and that’s one of my favorite things about adaptions, give me a reason to want to see the original!
Wow! 2021 has been a great year for movies so far! We got *Dear Evan Hansen* and *West Side Story* coming out later this year, *In The Heights* really soon!! We already got *Cruella* and *Mitchells Vs. The Machines* and so many others!!! Love you Kat! Thanks for warning us on spoilers(I haven’t seen the stage play yet😭)! Ilysm!
And don’t forget Everybody’s talking about Jamie. Coming later this year.
@@iratattelman5156 omg thx for reminding me!
@@iratattelman5156 is that a musical?
@@QuikVidGuy yes. Watch the trailer on UA-cam
*spoiler*
When I saw the movie I thought ok, Paciencia y Fe is now I Dreamed a Dream. This is Olga Merediz’s Oscar reel. I mean I can’t really be mad about that because the emotional impact was still there for me. So idk. I loved the movie. I even thought the changes *mostly* worked. I definitely plan to see it in theaters a lot this summer.
Gonna have to push back on paciencia y fe. The way this movie moved it to before she died instead of after 96,000, made the number so much more than just a “I am” song. The way this movie did it made the song Abuela’s final bow to her life. And that final “paciencia y fe” will just make you cry everytime because it’s the last thing she ever says. It’s beautifully appropriate.
Also, Carnival Del Barrio is so beautiful because the barrio decides that it’s time to stop being depressed about everything and come together. It’s what Claudia would have wanted.
Some of the changes you mentioned were what I was worried about. Changes that didn’t need to happen. But I do love a good musical spectacle.
I was so angry about Camila’s character being written out (not just because of my name). But I don’t remember anyone in the film having 2 parents and I get that there needs to be representation of single parents and orphaned children but there also needed to be representation of how parents (especially those with kids who are the first in the family to go to college) act. The song “enough” felt exactly like something I think a lot of our parents have told us. “You’re exactly like your father… we need to discuss these things together…etc” I’ve heard these things all my life and Camila really was a strong character despite being more in the background but they decided they wanted Nina to only be with her dad to remove some sort of conflict and add a new one?? I don’t get it
Exactly! I feel like Latinos don’t really get to have stable or nuclear families in film, and Nina’s family was a really good example of a family dynamic that a lot of Latinos could relate to. I’m sad enough was cut, but I think inútil was also a pretty important song for the same reason, it’s totally something I have heard many immigrant parents struggle with. But yeah idk why Camila was cut
Carnival felt right in that area because so many of the latin funerals I’ve been to are a party honoring their loved ones
I’ve never been able to see it on stage but I have heard the soundtrack and immediately had a strong connection with it. If like I’ll enjoy it regardless but I’m still super excited. Great review.
I watched the film in a virtual screening and I did, for the most part, enjoy it.
SPOILERS:
I was also upset at the cut of Everything I Know and Benny and Nina's story in general but Patrick Page's cameo cheered me up a bit.
PATRICK PAGE IS IN THIS?
@@sillygoosetaur He owns the dry cleaners, yeah
@@sillygoosetaur Given his more prominent theater role when this was filmed, his appearance is a little bit ominous. But if you’re up enough on theater to make that connection, you didn’t need the connection.
bruhhhhhh Benny and Nina don't have the same plot ?????? I'm so sad rn
I think I know the moment in 96,000 you are talking about. If it was the “underwater” moment, my jaw may have it the floor
YEESSS, I really think she meant that one, my mind was blown after seeing that, it was one of the best interpretations in the movie
YESSSSS I THOUGHT SO AS WELLL SO WELL ADAPTED AS TO WHY THEY LOWER THEIR VOICE ON STAGE
I believe there was a Hamilton Easter egg when Ninas dad called Sanford. The waiting music sounded exactly like ‘you’ll be back’
I noticed that as well.
My hamilgeek almost freaked out
I’m sorry but that smooth transition into the ad had me-
I think the most important thing everyone should take into consideration is that, you’re all aggressively comparing the Broadway musical with a feature film adaptation. Of course many things are going to be cut, changed, and frankensteined back together. This movie was beautiful, fit the spirit of the musical, had amazing writing and choreography, and had some of the best shot sequences I’ve seen in any movie. Everyone brought something special to this film, and if you didn’t gatekeep over the stage version of it, you’d appreciate the movie much more. Lin himself was heavily involved in making it, he knew what he was doing.
I have been excited for this movie for sooo long. Can't wait to finally see it :)
hey kath, you doin alright? you haven’t uploaded in a while
Being Latina myself, throwing a party after a beloved member of a comunity has died is precisely what we latins do hahahah. Is not that we don't feel pain. and yes we keep our mourning period, but a little get together to lift someone's spirit, gather the people just to talk about the beloved one that passed away laugh and cry even, is what we do best honestly
I love that
SPOILERS
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I'm overly biased because I'm latina (I know you are as well lol) but I feel like there were some changes that were necessary or just nice that they added like they finally showed what Vanessa aspires to be/is which I'm glad we saw and also the dinner scene was a lot better in my opinion and it also wasn't Benny blaming Nina but more her father if that makes sense idk this could just be me. Paciencia y Fe had me absolutely sobbing because of the last little bit with the lyrics "I made it through I survived I did it" those words resonate so much with my Abuela and her story (I know this could be just me) but yeah that's my opinion on it. also I'm surprised you didn't like Breathe I loved it and I'm obsessed with Leslie Grace's voice
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
but can we please talk about how they reveal that abuela claudia won the lottery till the end??? :/ whyyy
i think as a whole, i see this as an amazing movie that everyone should go and see.. but i kind of don't see it as the same thing as the original production since they changed so many things that i love. i definitely agree with your feelings of frustration and disappointment lol
I remember being frustrated and disappointed when I first saw it because it's SUCH a big change, but thinking on it I feel like if I didn't know the plot already it would've hit me like a freight train. Which is saying a lot, because when I realized how "Ay Mama, OK" changed meanings completely I was a sobbing mess.
@@WJonesK_S yes!!! i think the reason why i feel the way i feel is because i am so attached to the original production. the movie is so good!! but yeah it’s different
@@WJonesK_S I'd have been sobbing either way because that scene was fucking incredible. I just think it's weird how she didn't even think about Usnavi and the money a single time at that moment
at first when I watched the changes made I was like HEY?? but then I really felt like it fit the format of a movie well and can see why they did some of the stuff they did/cut things out,,,hopefully we get some unseen/deleted footage to come soon!! as a big lover of the stage version I really felt like the movie did it justice and was just as fantastic even with the alterations made!!
I've gotten the honor of seeing it twice and it absolutely exceeded my expectations.
I do agree with some of the changes you talked about in the video as some of them confused me a lot, especially with what you said about Nina and Benny's relationship in the movie. However, I think it was beautifully done and the cast was phenomenal. I actually really liked Breathe in the movie but that might just be because I'm leaving for my freshmen year of college in a few months so it's starting to hit a little different for me but I loved it so much. All in all, I loved it so much and I'm going to be blasting the soundtrack all summer.
***SPOILER BELOW***
One thing I'm really upset about is that they cut Hundreds of Stories that's my absolute favorite song in the show and I know it wouldn't have worked with how the song order was in the movie but I was still so upset that they cut that song.
That's what I thought too although I didn't like that they cut everything I know and Sunrise . And Abeula Claudia Thing not my fav . But I really liked breathe too . I just love that song and loved seeing it on screen .
After seeing it in the theater tonight, I came home and watched it again on HBO Max and there’s a shot of a green crab in the beginning when Usnavi is talking to the kids on the beach 😂 It’s Sonny’s crab!!!
Everything I Know was my favourite song I can't believe it was cut. I also wish they had included the mural of Abuela Claudia at the end. I also don't understand why they changed when we find out who won the lottery which led to many many lyric changes. And this is small but I wish in Champagne Vanessa had gone to storm out before kissing Usnavi.
Omg I was getting a headache from looking at my phone and the ad came up and reminded me to wear my blue light glasses. Lol thank you Kat
I waited until after seeing the movie to watch your reaction, because I wanted to go in virtually blind (full disclosure, I've only seen a couple of numbers from the show, never the whole thing), and I absolutely adored it. I actually teared up during "Breathe" and I DEFINITELY cried after "Paciencia y Fe." The switch to "Carnaval del Barrio" didn't seem as jarring, possibly because they marked the time since the blackout on screen. Now after hearing your thoughts, I'm glad I waited because otherwise I would have known things were missing. Now I want to see a stage production to have the full experience!
(This is totally the opposite of what I did with 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'... before seeing Darren Criss in the role I felt like I had to familiarize myself with the source material and John Cameron Mitchell, and now it's one of my favorite films AND musicals!)
I never saw the stage version so I didn't have anything to compare it to. I'm glad you double-tapped on the choreography! Same thing. Oh my God the choreography!! I was just exhausted at the end, just watching them. I loved 96 Thousand. I just felt like it was something we needed this summer. I loved it.
Abuela Claudia was always my favorite character because of her emotional impact on the show and on me specifically. She deserves so much better
I think this may be an expectation bias with people who know the show. I know the music, but have never seen the production, and I was HUGELY impacted by Abuela Claudia in the movie. I bawled for a good twenty minutes after her death.
I was Nina in a Spanish version of No me diga. Just for one song, but it was the first time I felt represented (in terms of being the nerd) onstage. Also, that was the moment when you realize, the name USNAVI actually means U.S. NAVY. Latin people before thought it was someone very famous because most of the ships had the same name. You're welcome
I just went to see the movie on the big screen yesterday. My review is up on my blog Manny At the Movies. So Kat, i agree with you the movie is as beautiful as the original stage version. Except i think the script reworkings made the story flow more cohesively and kept me engaged throughout. I came in a bit prepared for Nina and Benny's romance to be put aside and wish it was still part of the main story along with Usnavi and Vanessa. With the exception of Cuca the third Saloon girl, there is no weak link in the cast. Having Usnavi tell the story to his kids added a very nice touch. And i do like Carnival Del Barrio set after Abuela Caludia's death because it keeps the mostly upbeat tone steady. Jon M Chu's direction is colorful and the music is just chef's kiss as ever. PS. I didn't stay for the post credits scene. I was in a hurry to get home.
Love your thoughts and critiques on this movie, you make good points! But one however I wanted to inform you on. When you said that throwing a dance party after someone’s death seemed disrespectful: many times in the Latin community and culture, when someone dies our loved ones celebrate as they are in a better place. This is the hope for those who pass, that we of course remain reverent to their passing and mourn the death, but after some time has passed; we celebrate the vibrant life they lived, and no better way than dancing- which is the music to our soul!
At most what I’m hoping is that this movie will set off everyone’s In The Heights phase and get people obsessed with the musical again 🥰
After watching the film, I completely agree with what you said! I found the ending to be really disconnected, and I really didn't think the romantic leads had any real chemistry. That being said, it was a fun watch for the most part!
My boyfriend who had never seen the stage adapt was upset they kept reminding the audience that a blackout was coming up. He felt it would have been more impactful to new viewers to be a surprise and I agree.
I loved the film, but had similar wish-fors as you. I did like how they gave some of the characters deeper back stories.
It's so sad because they made it seem as if in the trailers that they were going to have a good plot line
WAIT WAIT WAIT, THEY DID WHAT NOW FOR CARNIVAL DEL BARRIO????
I haven't seen the original musical, but I must disagree with your interpretation of the carnival scene as being disrespectful. It was clearly contextualised as them celebrating in spite of their sadness and hardship.
I watched it yesterday and as a Dominican, dude, i was sobbing and when i wasn't sobbing i was smiling so hard. I never got the chance to see the show live because i live in an entire different country, however, i had heard the music obvs and i was surprised of the changes however, i still felt like it did a good job putting everything together so it doesn't feel as long because I see why they didn't included each song, it would be so long and people already had a slight problem with the pacing so for people that are new to the musical it would have felt like a lot going on at the same time if that makes sense. It's hard for me to nitpick and find troubles with the movie when it represents so well our people. I'm not even an immigrant and that felt like home, I was crying because I never thought I would see my culture being accurately represented on a big screen with such high quality and production, it made me feel proud and at times made me dance and wish I had a flag, it reminded me of my family, specially my grandma and great grandma that had passed away and had Abuela Claudia's same charismatic light to her. I loved it, I cried so much, it's just *chef's kiss*
As someone who is not familiar with the stage show at all, I'm excited to see this movie. Thanks for making this review, Kat! Looking forward to the vlog, too. Gosh, I miss the theatres.
In the Heights is my all-time favorite so I’m excited but also really scared because of the changes
The first Broadway show I watched was in the heights when I was12/13. I didn't like it for personal reasons back then but now it's one of my favorite musicals of all time. Goes to show how much your mentality changes as you get older
Even though I was sad they cut down a lot of Benny and Nina, making Vanessa and Usnavi the main couple worked a lot better in my opinion. After all, Usnavi IS the main character. I also missed Camila, but other than that I think most of the changes were for the better. In the Heights is my favorite musical, but in my mind I tried to separate the movie from it, which made it a really enjoyable experience.
I agree with you, Katherine. The cinematography is incredible as well as the choreography. 🤯 The plot changes, which led to song ommissions, made me rate it 8/10. Back in 2008, the musical was so praised because it was bold and groudbreaking. The situation about immigrants has not changed and I think that is why they chose to modify/add such changes, to keep the message and allow this dialogue to continue. I love 'Hundreds of stories', but of course they had to take it out because it wouldn't make sense if Usnavi didn't know about the ticket. Loved the 3 cameos. Finally, I agree it got slow and disperse in the end. I didn't feel the same intensity with the final song in the movie as I do when I hear it in the cast recording. The final scene after the credits: 😍
i was so upset with how they altered the timeline with abuela because the way it hit SO hard was because it came from blackout, where everyone was scared and broken down, then to carnaval where finally theres some hope and joy brought back, and then reality hits AGAIN. its an instance of everyone distancing, then growing closer with carnaval, but finally coming together bc oh shit, we lost abuela, who are we without abuela she basically raised the whole barrio. turning blackout into the big connected almost party number didn’t work. however i did kind of like the whole paciencia y fe ending with her literally going to see her mama. that almost made me forget how disjointed it was because seeing her actually let go surrounded by family… oh that one hurt
I never saw the stage show, but I felt that Paciencia y Fe and the plot point directly after it worked for me. to me it was more of a shock realizing what was happening as it went on.
Kat I love how open minded you are with your critiques. It feels as though you want to love everything you watch, as opposed to so many other critics who seem like they're lying in wait to pounce with their claws. I get the feeling you're a great director to work with as well :)
Lucky I’m not like those critics
Oooh I was scared with the title of the video, but the first second has really reassured me that it's not bad! I can't wait to see the film, I need to verify if this movie will be in theaters in France!
IMO. I think I like the choice of thinning out Nina and bennys arch to give room to the other characters like Vanessa and Sonny to be filled out. They wanted to write a movie about community and being immigrants being a 1st gen child I understand that my parents had nothing but dreams when they sought out to America. I guess what I’m trying to say is that they gave each character as much development as possible even if that meant to tone down ninas and bennys story (which I love) to make room for new ones.
Now this is my opinion as a white guy that just appreciates everyone’s struggle. The struggle of having a hard time affording college and having to work while going to classes hit me pretty hard. The switch to the racism and searching had less impact on me. And I wholly admit it might just because I don’t have those personal experiences.
The first time I saw In the Heights it spoke to a reality I hadn’t seen anywhere else since Rent. There was a relatable tell it how it is aspect to it.
Anyways I felt the same that some of the emotional impacts were dulled, when I’m the musical I had real jaw dropping moments
Still love it, hope everyone sees it, hope there’s a new national tour soon.
In the heights has always been vocally prominent on its theme of family and community, from beginning to end, hence abuela’s passing being so painful to the community, so I’m really disappointed that they’ve changed that theme.
What bothers me the most is I feel like Nina's and Benny's relationship is TOO perfect. There's no conflict with Benny and Nina's dad, they cut the argument in The Club, which was my favorite part of the song, and I can't believe they cut Sunrise.
Also, Abuela Claudia died way too soon and it was so underwhelming. It seemed like no one was effected by her death and I hate that they cut the line in her song revealing that she won the lottery bc that basically is what the whole show is about. Claudia is such a huge part of the show, everyone's story somehow ties back to her, and in the movie it's almost like she's reduced to a minor character.
I don't have strong feelings/emotions about the musical, have only heard the cast recording. I can't wait to see it!
Kat Their relationship gets really thinned out
Me NOOOOO
Last time I was early Beetlejuice was still alive!