Directed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Staring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry
Tick, Tick… Boom! tells the story of Johnathan Larson, a struggling artist living in a tiny apartment in New York City in 1990. He is going through an existential crisis as he tries to finish his science fiction rock musical on the eve of his 30th birthday.
Larson’s claim to fame was writing the global phenomenon musical Rent but this movie explores his artistic hardships pre-Rent. For those of you who are unaware, Larson’s life ended in tragedy as he passed away from an aortic dissection at the age of 35 just a day before the first preview of Rent. He would never see the massive success that his musical would become.
Born from the failure of his first musical, Superbia, Larson wrote a one man show called Tick, Tick… Boom! recounting that time in his life, which is used as a kind of framing device for this movie. As we are introduced to the characters in the film we see them introduced in the play. Susan (played by Alexandra Shipp) is a professional dancer and Johnathan’s girlfriend. As he becomes more and more obsessed with finishing his musical the more neglectful he becomes of Susan. Shipp does a passable job in a fairly basic and underwritten role. This movie doesn’t do any favours to its female characters. Vanessa Hudgens has a small role as one of Jonathan’s friends and frequent collaborators, but you barely even notice that she’s in the movie.
Robin de Jesus is good as the token gay best friend, Michael who opens Johnathan’s eyes to the seriousness of the AIDS crisis. The AIDS element of the movie is actually handled a little bit better than in Rent itself, although that’s not saying much. The movie is interested more in how Johnathan Larson was inspired by the AIDs crisis than the people who actually died during the AIDs crisis.
The centerpiece of the movie is the Johnathan Larson performance, if we don’t connect with Johnathan the whole movie falls apart. Luckily, this film has an ace up its sleeve. Andrew Garfield is amazing in this role, not only does he look just like Jonhathan Larson but he manages to embody Larson’s physicality and spirit. On top of all of that, he also sings all of the songs in the movie, which is not always a given in biopics. Garfield is a very talented actor and he’s had many memorable roles but I don’t think I’ve seen him in a role quite as all encompassing as this. If he doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar, that would be a shame and in all honesty, he should probably win.
Lin-Manual Miranda does a surprisingly good job at directing this movie. The transitions between real-life and musical numbers flow really well, which can be difficult to pull off in movies like this. There is also one fantastical scene that takes place in a swimming pool that is spectacular and basically acts as the climax of the film. The set designer should receive a special shout out. Jonathan’s tiny New York apartment and the Moondance Diner where he worked were both lovingly recreated with a mindblowing amount of detail.
This movie is a celebration of a life that was cut way too short. Miranda manages to make you feel the immense joy that Johnathan brought to people’s lives. There is a criticism that can be made against this movie that it doesn’t do enough to complicate Johnathan Larson’s legacy. That it glorifies Larson without pointing out the negative aspects of his character. And those criticisms are valid. But this is not an unbiased look on Johnathan Larson’s life, rather this is a loving tribute made by his friends and people who admired him. There is room for a movie like this to exist while also acknowledging the complexities of Larson’s legacy. As for the movie itself, it’s one of the most enjoyable movies I’ve watched all year.
