The IN THE HEIGHTS Film Adaptation Thread- Page 16

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 11:17am

This movie looks SO FREAKIN' good.  And yes, Miserent, I teared up when Olga Merediz sang. And I think it was great choice to go with a dancer like Jon Chu who knows how to film dancing scenes (even though they aren't the best movies, the dance scenes in the couple of "Step Up" movies he directed were amazing).  I will be there opening night and will be shaking from anticipation. 

[Jessetenny]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 11:56am

I've never seen or listened to In The Heights until now, and the movie looks good. My question is.. the music sounds almost identical to Hamilton.. why did everyone act like Hamilton was ground breaking and amazing when Lin literally already did that type of music with a different story? No need to be a d*ck, this is a serious question.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:24pm

HAMILTON and IN THE HEIGHTS don’t sound very similar to me. Yes, there’s rapping in both, but while IN THE HEIGHTS has some hip hop influence in it, the overall sound is based in Latinx music. HAMILTON is pretty strictly hip hop and R&B. Also, HAMILTON is almost completely sung through, while IN THE HEIGHTS is more of a traditional book musical. Saying they’re basically the same thing is.......incorrect.

[teddy1996]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:25pm

so it’s official. camila has been cut from the movie. it’s such a shame cause i loved her song enough. i think they cut camila to make the story more intriguing. especially between nina and her father. so apparently she was killed off before the story starts.

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:26pm

Jessetenny said: "I've never seen or listened to In The Heights until now, and the movie looks good. My question is.. the music sounds almost identical to Hamilton.. why did everyone act like Hamilton was ground breaking and amazing when Lin literally already did that type of music with a different story? No need to be a d*ck, this is a serious question."

I think it's a couple things. One, Hamilton is simply a more sophisticated musical work - LMM had years to hone his craft between writing the two, and it shows in the intricacy and skill. Second, the application is different. Telling a story about the Latinx community in Washington Heights makes sense in that musical ouevre, whereas using those same sounds to tell a story about the Founding Fathers was wildly unexpected and added extra layers of meaning.

[BigDisneyFan]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:26pm

>>why did everyone act like Hamilton was ground breaking and amazing when Lin literally already did that type of music with a different story?

Well that sound is Lin's "style".  You can hear it in Moana, Free Style Love and everything else he writes. The raps are ALWAYS the same cadence.  To me it is monotonous and cringe-worthy.  

The movie looks freaking great!  The colors look awesome.  The cast looks great.  The swimming pool!!!  That is a part of NYC most people never visit.  

 

Complaints: 

enny sounds majorly auto-tuned though.  Doesn't that sound bother anyone else?  All the Disney movies sound so bad like this.  I was so happy in Frozen 2 to hear real voices.  Ugh. 

Anachronisms???  This seems weirdly updated.... I don't know the entire history of DACA but this show predates the current DACA situation.  I don't think Beats were even introduced yet when this was on Broadway.  If it's updated how do the deal with the whole taxi dispatch story-line?  Uber has radically changed the way NYers use cabs.  I wonder how they will deal with the #Metoo stuff with the authentic catcalls featured in the original???

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:31pm

^Obviously the movie is set in modern times. The book was honestly the weakest part of the show, so I’m glad they’re not just plopping it onscreen and calling it a day. I’m sure all your questions will be answered on June 26th.

[teddy1996]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:50pm

seaweedjstubbs said: "^Obviously the movie is set in modern times. The book was honestly the weakest part of the show, so I’m glad they’re not just plopping it onscreen and calling it a day. I’m sure all your questions will be answered on June 26th."

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/in-the-heights-jon-m-chu-interview-trailer-breakdown/

everyone should read this article!!! 

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 12:53pm

why did everyone act like Hamilton was ground breaking and amazing when Lin literally already did that type of music with a different story? No need to be a d*ck, this is a serious question.

I ask that question constantly. I think a lot of people just weren't really aware of ITH because it didn't have that zeitgeist like Hamilton did. I also think it was harder for some people to connect with due to the Spanish lyrics. I was told that a lot of people left at intermission when the tour came here back in the day because of the Spanish (which wasn't translated).

Updated On: 12/12/19 at 12:53 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 1:00pm

 Quiara Alegría Hudes is the sole credited screenwriter for this, so I'll trust adaptation decisions such as updated setting, etc. 

[Marlothom]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 2:00pm

I am so excited!!! The opening always brings tears of joy - so great to see people like you (Latinx) on stage or screen,  

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 2:01pm

To quote The Princess and the Frog's Mama Odie, "Dis gon be good!!!!!".

I'm an interesting case when it comes to being a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda's work because I fell in love with In the Heights pretty much from the moment I first heard the music but can't stand the music for Hamilton, so of his two big productions, ItH is the one that I wish he got more recognition for.

Given my love for the show, though, seeing it come to life on the movie screen is something that I can't wait for, and the way they've updated and adapted the material has me seriously jazzed.

Losing Claudia is an interesting narrative decision that kind of fundamentally changes both Kevin and Nina's characters, but I personally like it when adaptations of things put a new spin on the material and this definitely qualifies as such, as does the addition of a framing device where Usnavi tells the story to a group of kids (who could possibly be his and Vanessa's since I got a distinct' family vibe' from them pressuring him for a story).

I'm curious as to why the film version didn't have Lin-Manuel Miranda reprise his role as Usnavi, but I'm glad he has at least a small part in the story as the Piragua Guy.

With the imminent end of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, I didn't know whether or not I was going to be anticipating any films for the coming year, but with the advent of this trailer, Summer 2020 can't come fast enough.

[Observation]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 2:33pm

What I love about this trailer is that it is showing that it is an unapologetic musical movie. I feel like a lot of previous musical trailers they minimize the music in the trailers or we don't see anyone singing. From the get go it is letting the audience know what they're in for. 

[hork]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 2:44pm

I cried when I watched the trailer. ITH is one of my favorite musicals and I did not have high hopes for this movie but it looks freakin’ amazing. I want it to come out right now.

[Fan123]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 3:20pm

I'm generally only a mild fan of ITH, but this does look good. And I love Anthony Ramos' work from the little I've seen of it before, so I reckon he will be amazing in this.

This will sound dumb, but as a non-American, I'll admit I had no idea that 'dreamer' had a specific meaning in this trailer, until I read a comment about it afterwards. Without that context, the "They're talking about kicking out all the dreamers" line felt a bit cheesy. Seeing that and the protest shots, my mind went "Okay, so they're adding a subplot about... maybe the government is repossessing properties in the neighbourhood for a public project? Or else they've simply chosen to cut together the trailer to make it look as though some new, big community struggle occurs?" (Maybe I'm unusual even for a non-American in not getting this? But if not, I wonder if they'll explain it a bit more in an international trailer at some stage.) 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 3:58pm

Fun and revealing trailer breakdown with John M. Chu in Empire Magazine. To answer one question:

In a new addition for the movie, he’s seen telling his story to a group of kids on a beach somewhere that looks decidedly unlike New York. “That's a new framing device,” Chu confirms. “We're in a different era. Washington Heights is past gentrification. It's happened. It's less about, 'Let's fight the mayor and make sure we stay in our building', and more about, ‘The change happened, so what are the most important things to pass forward?’ Our ancestors came here with bags in their hands. So what are we putting in our bags to pass on to our kids? I loved this idea of having an older Usnavi looking back on his life. It was really helpful for us in the structure of the movie.”

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 4:12pm

I am not a huge fan of ITH, I liked it fine, just didn't fall in love with it.  That being said, I thought the trailer looked absolutely terrific.  I LOVE the idea of it being revamped/updated/giving it more than just a love story.  I was even more impressed LMM handed over the reins to someone else to do that work.

REALLY looking forward to it now.

[teddy1996]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 5:46pm

daphne rubin vega said that daniela and carla will be girlfriends in this movie. hmmm that’s interesting.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 7:48pm

I wasn't that crazy about the stage version. The book is weak and the Act 2 is a bit of a snooze, but that trailer got me excited.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 7:53pm

The trailer is awesome! A lot of footage to process for me. Takes me being 17 when I saw the show on its national tour. And I’ve been wanting this movie ever since! I’ll be 27 in February

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 9:45pm

Personally, I'm concerned. It seems to me that the director or whoever comes up with the script does not trust the material and adds so many book scenes in a supposedly sung-through musical to make it "relevant." If it's not done well, the relevancy can easily seem forced and preachy. Also, from what the trailer shows, it looks too clean, too spacious that it loses the special kind of intimacy, messiness, homeyness, and the heady mixture of all these that made me fall in love with the musical. The musical is very personal, and that's what I love about it. When you usher in your political agenda, it might, although not necessarily if done right, lose the charm that makes the musical so special and alluring.

[hannhannham]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 9:54pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Personally, I'm concerned. It seems to me that the director or whoever comes up with the script does not trust the material and adds so many book scenes in a supposedly sung-through musical to make it "relevant." If it's not done well, the relevancy can easily seem forcedand preachy. Also, from what the trailer shows, it looks too clean, too spacious that it loses the special kind of intimacy, messiness, homeyness, and the heady mixture of all these that made me fall in love with the musical. The musical is very personal, and that's what I love about it. When you usher in your political agenda, it might, although not necessarily if done right, lose the charm that makes the musical so special and alluring."

The show has never been sung-through and never claimed to be - have you seen it? 

It was also fully shot (as far as I know) in the Washington Heights neighborhood, so it's about authentic as it can get. Being Latinx in America is a political matter in itself - why would they not address the current situation going on in our country? 

I can't wait, this looks amazing. Excited to see one of my favorite shows get a great adaptation.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 10:14pm

hannhannham said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Personally, I'm concerned. It seems to me that the director or whoever comes up with the script does not trust the material and adds so many book scenes in a supposedly sung-through musical to make it "relevant." If it's not done well, the relevancy can easily seem forcedand preachy. Also, from what the trailer shows, it looks too clean, too spacious that it loses the special kind of intimacy, messiness, homeyness, and the heady mixture of all these that made me fall in love with the musical. The musical is very personal, and that's what I love about it. When you usher in your political agenda, it might, although not necessarily if done right, lose the charm that makes the musical so special and alluring."

The show has never been sung-through and never claimed to be - have you seen it?

It was also fully shot (as far as I know) in the Washington Heights neighborhood, so it's about authentic as it can get. Being Latinx in America is a political matter in itself - why would they not address the current situation going on in our country?

I can't wait, this looks amazing. Excited to see one of my favorite shows get a great adaptation."

Sorry I mean In the Heights has significantly more songs than book scenes compared with most musicals. It seems almost sung-through to me, with book scenes sprinkled around.

Also, I'm not saying that being Latinx in the United States is NOT a political matter in itself, but the material does not seem to call for nor support the very approach the movie is taking, which might feel heavy-handed if the nuances and complexity of the subject matter are not addressed with caution and care.The show is as personal as it gets, and it shines because of how personal it is. I sincerely hope the movie would not trade this intimacy for broad political statements.

Yes, they shot the movie in Washington Heights, but the present day Washington Heights, or at least the way it is presented in the film, gives a different feel than when I saw the show when it was first on. It's unapologetically musical, but la la land-ish or musical operetta musical, not in-the-heights musical that Lin created. 

[Pashacar]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 10:23pm

SporkGoddess said: "why did everyone act like Hamilton was ground breaking and amazing when Lin literally already did that type of music with a different story? No need to be a d*ck, this is a serious question.

I ask that question constantly. I think a lot of people just weren't really aware of ITH because it didn't have that zeitgeist like Hamilton did. I also think it was harder for some people to connect withdue to the Spanish lyrics. I was told that a lot of people left at intermission when the tour came here back in the day because of the Spanish (which wasn't translated)."

I totally agree with all of this. At intermission of Hamilton, my friend and I turned to each other and were like, "This is basically In the Heights with a slightly better book."

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 10:37pm

Add me to the list of people who think the preview that I have seen looks incredible.  I cant wait to see it and I didn't even love the musical on Broadway.  Liked it, didn't love it.