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Today we're discussing the movie

adaptation of Lin -Manuel Miranda's In the

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Heights.

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The film also weaved in serious elements that give the

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light and bright storytelling some drama

and weight.

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First of all, there's some racism and

discrimination that Nina experiences off

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camera, you know, as part of the

backstory.

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She goes off to Stanford, which is

portrayed as white dominant and her Latin

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background does not mesh with this

supposed white dominant.

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situation at Stanford in California and

Abuela experiences some discrimination in

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her backstory as well coming from Cuba.

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We have the element of DACA.

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So DACA is the Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals legislation that

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provides some backstory to Sonny. He turns

out to be undocumented and realizes that

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he can't go to college if he's

undocumented.

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And so the support for DACA is

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part of the themes that's weaved in.

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It's also economic hardship.

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Daniela has to move her salon further

uptown to the Bronx from where they are in

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Washington Heights.

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And Vanessa's issues renting an apartment

downtown.

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She's not rented to, she has to

get a co -signer for the lease.

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And so all of that's weaved in.

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It was good of Miranda to do this to give

it a little bit of heft to the story.

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There's got to be some conflict in any good story, so that was

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really good.

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And one thing to take away from this part

of it is, Abuela, her advice is to assert

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your dignity in small ways, and so that's

good advice for anyone, because we all

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experience some kind of

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some kind of hardship in the workplace or

wherever and bring your full selves to it

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and asserting your dignity in small ways

is certainly something to take away from

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the film.

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I do think it was good

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to not glamorize everything and make it sound like everything is happy and

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You know, he got real with it and

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showed various issues that occur throughout the Latin American community

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especially, not necessarily at

Stanford.

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I mean, that was just the school she

happened to go to, but, you know, being a

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first generation college student and the

awkwardness of everyone

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relying on you being the one, you're the

one who made it and the pressure that

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comes with it.

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And then getting to school and getting to

school and realizing that, you know, maybe

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this isn't for me because of, you know,

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because of other people’s perceptions of her

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and having to deal with that and the conflict of

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wanting to be successful and how to tell your family that’s not what you necessarily want to do or where you want to be at

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I think that was very, very well done.

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And even we didn't realize that Sonny was

a DACA kid until the end.

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But even how that tied in, you know,

that's very real.

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That's very, you know, something that's

being dealt with now.

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But yeah, I think that,

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the theme, like

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everybody's really had a dream and

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they all thought that their dreams were little, but

none of their little dreams were little.

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They were all big dreams and they all

deserve to see those dreams.

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through to fruition.

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One other thing that I read about was that Miranda was

asked about, there's not really gang

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elements in this film, even though New

York is famous for having sort of gang

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activity here, there, and everywhere.

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And he on purpose didn't have that kind of

stuff.

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Like you didn't want to do a West Side

story where, of course, the Hispanic

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people all have knives and they're like,

you know ready to rumble in the streets.

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That's a choice.

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And he finds other ways to kind of have

that in there.

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Like Graffiti Pete in the beginning is

like a villain, but then he gets this

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redemption story.

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But it was interesting to think like,

yeah, this isn't just like Spanish Harlem

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kind of thing where like, of course,

sharks and jets.

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All right, so let's put a bow on this one.

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Let's go around the room and give our

ratings for In the Heights.

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Ah Boogie, as usual, we'll start with you.

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So for the film version of In the Heights,

will you bring that funky flick back or

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leave it in the vault?

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Can't help but to bring this

funky flick back.

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I mean, I've already recommended to a few

people to check out already.

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So yeah, bring that funky flick back.

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All right, now, DynoWright Bring that

funky flick back or leave it in the vault.

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I'll bring this funky flick back.

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It did have some flaws.

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I thought it was a little long.

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And it was edited in a way that you almost

don't get to enjoy it.

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It's just sort of abrupt in some places.

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And big dance numbers are hard to film,

right?

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And shout out to Jon M.

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Chu, director of this film.

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He did really well with a tall task.

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But overall, it's really fun.

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So I bring this funky flick back.

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As for me, I think it goes without saying,

I am bringing this funky flick back.

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Sometimes I talk about this film

incessantly to my family.

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Yeah, I bring it up and my family starts

shaking their head like again, again, and

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like, I'm putting it on in the background.

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I love it.

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Yeah, this is one of my all time

favorites.

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I tell so many, like you said Boogie, I

recommended this to so many people.

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I'm like, have you seen In the Heights?

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Have you seen The Heights?

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No, no.

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a lot, check it out.

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And it's all the reasons we mentioned, you

know, the dancing, the choreography, the

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music, the storylines.

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There's some great heavy topics, light

topics.

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It's got it all to me and it's packaged

well.

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And I'm a huge fan of Lin -Manuel Miranda

in general, whatever he touches turns to

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gold.

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He does his homework.

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He's a hardworking guy.

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Loved it.

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Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your

HHMC's JB, Boogie, and DynoWright.

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Theme music by Boogie.

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Whether you're listening to the podcast or

watching us on YouTube, please give us a

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follow.

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It's a real power up for us.

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Thanks for tuning in.

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And Remember, don't hate, radiate.

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Hmm, yeah, yeah.

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Shine like the sun.

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Shine bright like a diamond.

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Yes!

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There you go!

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Yeah, radiate out in the sun, but be

careful with the harmful UV rays.

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Yes, get some SPF.