In the Heights Parent Guide

Everyone, Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) assures us, has a sueñito – a little dream. The open-faced young man runs a bodega in the Washington Heights neighborhood of northern Manhattan, but he dreams of returning to his birthplace in the Dominican Republic and rebuilding his late father’s bar. In the meantime, he saves his money and tries to find the courage to ask Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), an aspiring fashion designer, out on a date.

Vanessa’s friend Nina (Leslie Grace) has her own challenges, struggling as her big plans meet harsh realities. A brilliant student, Nina’s first year at Stanford felt like a lonely exile, marked by cultural isolation and casual racism. Finally back in Washington Heights, she doesn’t want to leave again, but her father (Jimmy Smits) can’t bear to give up his dreams for her. And the dispatcher of his cab company, Benny (Corey Hawkins), is overjoyed to see his past girlfriend return home.

Adapted from the smash Broadway hit by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights will please fans of Hamilton and other works featuring the musician’s syncopated verbal beats and memorable melodies. This is a fiesta of a film – energetic, vibrant, sun-drenched and jubilant and it will have audiences dancing in their seats. (This presents a difficult choice: Watch in theaters with a big screen and restrict your dancing to your seat or watch at home on a smaller screen with the ability to dance around the room?) Overall, the movie is a colorful celebration of life, love, community, and Latino culture.

Although it’s a joyful production, In the Heights doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Not surprisingly, it addresses the issues of undocumented immigrants with a focus on dreamers. It examines the wounds inflicted by racism and how racist policies and attitudes stifle human potential. The plot also takes on gentrification, depicting the wounds to a community when rising rents scatter its businesses. The most interesting part of the film is its nuanced look at identity as the characters struggle to define themselves as Americans and as Dominicans or Cubans or Puerto Ricans. Trying to absorb and synthesize the divergent parts of their cultural and genetic legacies is work that takes time, thought, and deliberation but which delivers rich rewards.

Mixed in with the film’s fun is some unfortunate (and unnecessary) negative content. There are three dozen profanities, but the bigger problem is the amount of sexual innuendo. There are several conversations about “who’s sleeping with who” and some scenes of sexually suggestive dancing. There is also a coded conversation about the size of a man’s genitals. Another downside is the movie’s absurdly long runtime: it clocks in at almost two and a half hours. If you’re watching it in theaters, don’t order that super-size soda unless you’re sure you won’t need a pitstop.

Negatives aside, In the Heights has a lot to offer families. It has strong themes of self-reliance, generosity, sacrifice, commitment, love, community, self-esteem, and cultural pride. Parents will be happy to have their teens watch Usnavi, Vanessa, Nina, and Benny struggle to achieve their goals. And they will also appreciate the constant counsel of Usnavi’s adopted abuela (Olga Merediz) – paciencie y fe – have patience and faith. For teens (and adults) trying to reach their sueñitos, these are valuable traits.