History YMMV / InTheHeights

* WatchedItForTheRepresentation: The film's cast and crew have stated in interviews they want the film to be a cultural touchstone for Latinos the same way ''Film/BlackPanther'' was for America's Black community and ''Film/CrazyRichAsians'' was for the Asian community. Enthusiastic reviews on social media prove that they mostly succeeded, except for the aforementioned UnfortunateImplications and the [[AcclaimedFlop low viewership]].

* UnfortunateImplications: While it's agreed the film is great representation for Latino-Americans, there has been discussion that the film and show excludes [[https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126 Black and darker-skinned Latino people]] who comprise a much larger percentage of the real Washington Heights' population. Granted, there are plenty of Afro-Latino and darker-skinned people as background characters and dancers, as well as Nina's actress Leslie Grace being Afro-Latina, and Daniela makes it a point to mention her Black background in the film's salon scene. That being said, all other main characters are either white or [[LatinoIsBrown brown]] and Benny, the only Black character as part of the main cast, is non-Latino. Creator/JonMChu claims it wasn't an intentional choice and that they did audition several Afro-Latino actors for the main roles. He simply chose to cast the film based on AbilityOverAppearance. Lin-Manuel Miranda also [[https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1404565413116141570 tweeted an apology]] for the lack of Afro-Latino representation.

* AlternativeJokeInterpretation: Carla's line in "Carnival de Barrio," "I'm Chile-Domini-Cu-Rican, but I always say I'm from Queens!" can be interpreted differently based on how the actress sings it. In most stage productions, Carla stumbles to pronounce the portmanteau of her parents' ethnicities, with the joke coming across as if she's coming up with it on the spot and she just says she's from Queens because it's too complicated to explain her mixed ancestry. However, the film has Carla recite the "Chile-Domini-Cu-Rican" line without any struggle, with the new implication being that she's had to explain this enough that she's already crafted this word for her identity... but she'd rather say she's from Queens because she considers that her true home.

** In the film version, many fans feel that "Carnival del Barrio" rivals or surpasses "96,000" with its fun lyrics and stirring sense of identity.

** "Blackout". The whole neighborhood goes dark (in the middle of a heatwave, no less!) and immediately, there are robbers in the street. AdultFear runs rampant as the cast try to find each other (particularly Benny, Nina, Usnavi and Vanessa, who spend the first half of the song crying out to each other in vain); Usnavi hurries to Abuela Claudia, who is at home by herself; and Sonny and Pete are left to protect the bodega alone with only a baseball bat and some fireworks.

* FoeYay: More of SitcomArchnemesis-yay. Piragua Guy in the film shoots a DeathGlare at Mister Softee, which is practically smoldering. They then get into a WimpFight when Piragua Guy whacks the guy's truck, and Mr. Softee retaliates by tossing sprinkles at him. In the end, they call truce when [[spoiler:the truck breaks down]].

** The main Aesop of the play is altered as well. The message of ''In the Heights'' is generally agreed to be on the importance of community and never forgetting your roots. The film instead focuses heavily on following your dreams and asserting dignity in small ways. While those themes were present in the original, they weren't the main ones.

* MinorityShowGhetto: Sadly why the film adaptation spent years in DevelopmentHell.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Many musical fans took issue with how Benny's story was significantly cut down (an unfortunate necessity as the film runs just short of two and a half hours as it is). Even some unfamiliar with the show noted that it felt like parts of his development were missing.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Stagings in TheNewTens, and the subsequent film adaptation, replace a song line involving Benny wanting to play golf with UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump with a reference to professional golfer Tiger Woods. With the film release being delayed, this became somewhat bittersweet when in February 2021, Woods got into a severe single-car accident, with many speculating that it may mean the end of his professional golf career.

* SignatureSong: "96,000" is one hell of a showstopper that contains some of the most hardcore, take-no-prisoners rapping in Lin's career, and tends to get a lot of airplay on showtune radio stations; the Broadway cast performed an edited version at the Tony Awards, and it's the most common choice from the musical to play at any Broadway singalong since it's a great way to rouse the crowd.

* ScapegoatCreator: Based on all the backlash he endured, you'd think Lin Manuel Miranda was solely responsible for this film's casting.

* AlternativeJokeInterpretation: Carla's line in "Carnival de Barrio," "I'm Chile-Domini-Cu-Rican, but I always say I'm from Queens!" can be interpreted differently based on how the actress sings it. In most stage productions, Carla stumbles to pronounce the portmanteau of her parents' ethnicities, with the joke coming across as if she's coming up with it on the spot and she just says she's from Queens because it's too complicated to explain her MixedAncestry. However, the film has Carla recite the "Chile-Domini-Cu-Rican" line without any struggle, with the new implication being that she's had to explain this enough that she's already crafted this word for her identity... but she'd rather say she's from Queens because she considers that her true home.

* WatchedItForTheRepresentation: The film's cast and crew have stated in interviews they want the film to be a cultural touchstone for Latinos the same way ''Film/BlackPanther'' was for America's Black community and ''Film/CrazyRichAsians'' was for the Asian community. Enthusiastic reviews on social media prove that they mostly succeeded, except for the aforementioned UnfortunateImplications.

* AcclaimedFlop: The movie didn't do very well money-wise, making far less than its budget. Still, it was critically acclaimed, gaining a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

* Acclaimed Flop: The movie didn't do very well money-wise, making far less than its budget. Still, it was critically acclaimed, gaining a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

** "Don't make me laugh, I've been trying all night! You've been shaking your ass for, like, half of the Heights!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]One of Usnavi's lines to Vanessa during the duet the movie gives them during "Blackout"; Anthony Ramos' dramatic delivery inspired viewers to recreate the whole duet themselves.[[/labelnote]]

* MemeticMutation: The fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda is playing the Piragua Guy and Christopher Jackson is playing Mr. Softee has lead to several jokes where Alexander Hamilton is trying to outsell George Washington with his piraguas or that Washington is not on his side this time.

** The film version of the blackout scene adds a scarier moment, as [[spoiler:Abuela Claudia dies during the blackout. We see her lying down suffering from the intense heat, and while she does go peacefully after her DeathSong, Usnavi frantically attempting to awaken her before screaming at Daniela to call 911 is distressingly realistic.]]

** Lin Manuel collaborator and friend Creator/ChristopherJackson playing an enjoyably smug Mister Softee.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** One of [=LMM=]'s early Website/YouTube videos was him rapping about the show (in between its Off-Broadway and Broadway runs) in a parody of "Bet on It" from ''Film/HighSchoolMusical 2''. He even directly calls out director Kenny Ortega and the movies themselves. Two years later, when who is cast but Corbin Bleu of ''HSM'' fame, in the role of Usnavi no less. The 2018 Kennedy Center production added another level, when lead ''HSM'' actress Music/VanessaHudgens landed the role of [[CastingGag Vanessa]] -- opposite Creator/AnthonyRamos as Usnavi, who'd later star in the film adaptation.
** The video also featured Creator/JonathanGroff, who was playing Melchior in ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'' - which was on Broadway when ''Heights'' opened. Cut to 2015, and Groff was in [[Theatre/{{Hamilton}} Miranda's next Broadway outing/smash hit]] at the same time as the revival of ''Spring''.
* MemeticMutation: The fact that Lin Manuel Miranda is playing the Piragua Guy and Christopher Jackson is playing Mr. Softee has lead to several jokes where Alexander Hamilton is trying to outsell George Washington with his piraguas or that Washington is not on his side this time.

* UnfortunateImplications: While it's agreed the film is great representation for Latino-Americans, there has been discussion that the film and show excludes [[https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126 Black and darker-skinned Latino people]] who comprise a much larger percentage of the real Washington Heights' population. Granted, there are plenty of Afro-Latino and darker-skinned people as background characters and dancers (and in the film's salon scene, Daniela makes it a point to mention her Black background), and Nina's actress Leslie Grace is Afro-Latina, but all other main characters are either white or [[LatinoIsBrown brown]]. Benny, the only Black character as part of the main cast, is non-Latino. Creator/JonMChu claims it wasn't an intentional choice and that they did audition several Afro-Latino actors for the main roles. He simply chose to cast the film based on AbilityOverAppearance. [=LMM=] also [[https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1404565413116141570 tweeted an apology]] for the lack of Afro-Latino representation.

** One of [=LMM=]'s early Website/YouTube videos was him rapping about the show (in between its Off-Broadway and Broadway runs) in a parody of "Bet on It" from ''Film/HighSchoolMusical 2''. He even directly calls out director Kenny Ortega and the movies themselves. Two years later, when who is cast but Corbin Bleu of ''HSM'' fame, in the role of Usnavi no less. The 2018 Kennedy Center production added another level, when lead ''HSM'' actress Music/VanessaHudgens landed the role of [[CastingGag Van]][[TheDanza essa]] -- opposite Creator/AnthonyRamos as Usnavi, who'd later star in the film adaptation.

* UnfortunateImplications: While it's agreed the film is great representation for Latino-Americans, there has been discussion that the films exclude [[https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126 Black and darker-skinned Latino people]]. Granted, there are plenty of Afro-Latino and darker-skinned people as background characters and dancers (and in the film's salon scene, Daniela makes it a point to mention her Black background), and Nina's actress Leslie Grace is Afro-Latina, but all other main characters are either white or [[LatinoIsBrown brown]]. Benny, the only Black character as part of the main cast, is non-Latino. Creator/JonMChu claims it wasn't an intentional choice and that they did audition several Afro-Latino actors for the main roles. He simply chose to cast the film based on AbilityOverAppearance. [=LMM=] also [[https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1404565413116141570 tweeted an apology]] for the lack of Afro-Latino representation.

* UnfortunateImplications: While it's agreed the film is great representation for Latinos, there has been discussion that the films exclude [[https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126 Black and darker-skinned Latinos]]. Granted, there are plenty of Afro-Latinos and darker-skinned people as background characters and dancers (and in the film's salon scene, Daniela makes it a point to mention her Black background), and Nina's actress Leslie Grace is Afro-Latina, but all other main characters are either white or [[LatinoIsBrown brown]]. Benny, the only Black character as part of the main cast, is non-Latino. Creator/JonMChu claims it wasn't an intentional choice and that they did audition several Afro-Latino actors for the main roles. He simply chose to cast the film based on AbilityOverAppearance. [=LMM=] also [[https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1404565413116141570 tweeted an apology]] for the lack of Afro-Latino representation.