Movie of the Month

In the Heights

Rated PG-13

2 hour and 23 minutes

Drama, Music, Musical

7.4 Stars out of 10

“In the Heights” centers on a variety of characters living in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, on the northern tip of Manhattan. At the center of the show is Usnavi, a bodega owner who looks after the aging Cuban lady next door, pines for the gorgeous girl working in the neighboring beauty salon and dreams of winning the lottery and escaping to the shores of his native Dominican Republic.

The film opens on a beach, as Usnavi (Ramos) tells a group of children the story of Washington Heights. He tells them about the concept of a sueñito, a little dream that everyone has. He begins the story in the middle of the summer in Washington Heights, introducing the main characters of the film: Abuela Claudia (Merediz), the aged matriarch of the neighborhood who took him in and raised him, Kevin Rosario (Smits), who runs the taxi company, the salon ladies Daniela (Rubin-Vega), Carla (Beatriz) and Cuca (Polanco), his younger cousin Sonny (Diaz), who he employs, Benny (Hawkins), who is employed by Kevin at the taxi company, and Vanessa (Barrera), who works at the salon and is Usnavi's love interest, as they each pass by his neighborhood bodega for their morning coffee before they carry on with their day ("In The Heights").

Review by Heather McCoy Garcia

(Barbara McCoy’s daughter)

My husband, Eddie, and I watched this movie, and it was different than I thought it was going to be. I did not think it was going to be a movie that was singing through the whole movie. Even though it was singing throughout the whole movie, it was amazing and I really liked it. I do not know how Eddie felt about the movie but he watched the entire movie. If you like musicals, then this is a movie to watch.