In The Heights Will Give You The Idea Of The Passion And Heart About Being A Dominican

Review by Brandon Harris. Photo from The New Yorker.

I watched this movie titled, “In the Heights”. It was released June 10, 2021 and was directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. This has become really one of my favorite movies because it reminds me of my Dominican culture. In the Heights is about a man by the name of Usnavi de la Vega and begins with him telling a story to children about Washington Heights. Ten years earlier Usnavi owned a bodega in the neighborhood. 

After Usnavi chased a graffiti artist we get introduced to Abuela Claudia, the neighborhood matriarch who raised him, Kevin Rosario who runs a taxi company, Benny Kevin's employee, Usnavi's best friend the beauty salon ladies Daniela, Carla, and Cuca Sonny, Usnavi's teenage cousin, and Vanessa Usnavi's love interest. Usnavi gets told that his fathers business that is “El Suenito” which his father always stated is being sold in the Dominican Republic. Kevin’s daughter Nina returns from Stanford University, while she’s having dinner with her father she tells him they can’t afford tuition and he then walks off telling her “everything will be fine”. Nina then heads to the salon and says she dropped out of Stanford. Vanessa takes her lunch break where we then learn she wants to be a fashion designer and she takes her rental application downtown however it gets denied. Afterwards she heads to the bodega and Sonny asks her out for Usnavi, she accepts it and walks out. Sonny closes the bodega and while closing the bodega the phone rings and Sonny finds out someone won the $96,000 lottery ticket from their bodega. 

I can relate to Usnavi because I work so hard in order to make my mom proud. The events of when the blackout happened I can also relate to the struggles and that everyday isn’t always a good day. 

Honestly, I rate this movie a 10/10, and will definitely watch it again. In the Heights is available to watch on Prime Video, Apple TV, and more. 

Brandon Harris is a freshman at Friendship Collegiate Academy.