Tick, Tick…Boom! – A Truly Exceptional Movie
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Writer: Steven Levenson (Screenplay) Jonathan Larson (Musical)
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Henry, Jonathan Marc Sherman
Plot: On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.
Tagline – How much time do we have to do something great?
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Tick, Tick…Boom! Starts as we meet aspiring playwright working in a small diner Jon (Garfield) as he looks to complete the play he has been working on for years, starting to think he is getting too old to make the impact many others have in the industry.
As Jon is given a chance to build his latest musical, he starts to turn heads in the industry, but it will come at a price, as he starts to see his friendship, relationships being put on the backburner, as the pressure grows to become a success.
Thoughts on Tick, Tick…Boom!
Characters & Performances – Jon is about to hit 30-years-old chasing his dream in New York city of becoming a playwright, he has surrounded himself with fellow dreamers, but has doubts over his potential to become the star he wants to become. He has been working on his project for years now, before he gets the shot to present it, seeing it as his last chance to make that impact. Jon must see his friends pass away around him, his girlfriend drifts away, while his best friend starts to take his life more seriously, giving up on his dreams, piling the pressure on Jon to ignore the warnings around him. Andrew Garfield gives a career best performance here, where he brings this man to life in the creative genius he was. The story is Jon’s here, we do meet the supporting people in his lives, his girlfriend Susan, best friend Michael and new star Karessa who all have their own problems in life, problems that Jon didn’t make time for and have different reactions to his involvement in their lives. The supporting cast are excellent too, with Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus and Vanessa Hudgens shining through their big musical numbers.
Story – The story here follows the life of Jon Larson an aspiring playwright who believes he is running out of time to succeed on his breakthrough play, as he turns his dream into his latest play telling the story of the difficult years. This is a brilliant way to tell the story, using the concept of the shorter play to transition into the different moments that led us to this play. The idea that people who are reaching 30 can start questioning their lives, from chasing dreams t taking the time to give up on them for a safer future. This gets to highlight how talent can be trapped behind potential that others might not see, where people might give up on but the support around you is the thing that can push to the succeed.
Themes – Tick, Tick…Boom! Is a musical biopic that will bring some of the biggest musical numbers of the year, while showing the struggle playwright Jon Larson is trying to make the impact in the industry, struggling under the pressure to succeed. The songs are going to be ones that will stick for days, weeks or even months, making us want to return to them for a second or third round.
Final Thoughts – Tick, Tick…Boom! Is a joyful vision of how dreams are always worth chasing.