Movie: Tick, Tick Boom!
Production Companies: Imagine Entertainment, 5000 Broadway Productions
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Producers: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Julie Oh, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Scriptwriters: Steven Levenson
Main Cast: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin De Jesus, Joshua Henry, Judith Light
Release Date: November 12th 2021 (US)
Running Time: 121 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Introduction
Well, this was a welcome surprise wasn’t it? While most people will remember Andrew Garfield for starring in a certain film in 2021, it was his performance in Tick, Tick… Boom! That saw him get nominated for Best Actor. So, with Garfield and Tick, Tick.. Boom! Pushing for Oscar recognition, what better time is there to review the film? Without further ado, here is my Tick, Tick… Boom! review.
Synopsis
The film opens in 1992 with Jonathan Larson (Garfield) at the New York Theatre Workshop. Whilst performing he is accompanied by friends Freddy (Henry) and Carolyn (Hudgens). During this, he describes a ticking noise he hears in his head which obviously leads him to tell his story. Funnily enough, an unseen narrator confirms this is Jonathan’s story…. Apart from all the made up bits.
The Beginning of Superbia
The film then jumps back to 1990 with Jonathan juggling working at a diner with preparing for a workshop of his passion project: Superbia. All this is due to the fact he feels pressure to be successful before his 30th birthday which is a week away. That’s important to remember…. He then has a houseparty with his girlfriend Susan (Shipp), former roommate Michael (De Jesus) and fellow waiters Freddy. Susan also mentions a teaching job that’s available at Jacob’s Pillow for Andrew. Bit of a weird name for a school but I digress…
Jonathan’s struggles with Superbia
Michael then mentions an advertising focus group at his company because he sees Susan’s offer as a serious future for Jonathan. Oh, I should mention now there are a lot of people trying to get Jonathan to move away from musical theatre. However, Jonathan’s producer Ira tells him he needs to write a new song for Superbia as the story needs it. This compounds what Jonathan’s hero, Stephen Sondheim, told him at a workshop years ago.
A certain saying about heroes comes to mind here… Due to Michael and Susan’s offers, Jonathan is unable to focus on the workshop. His inability to focus is heightened when he learns that Freddy, who is HIV positive, has been admitted to hospital.
Jonathan’s friendships begin to fall apart
As if Jonathan doesn’t have enough problems, one more gets added to the list. What is it? Susan breaks up with him over his indecisiveness and obsession with his career. Jonathan then needs to raise the money to hire a band for the workshop. So, what does he do? He attends Michael’s focus group. But he then deliberately sabotages it, angering Michael who feels Jonathan is wasting his life’s privileges on a financially unstable career. Damn, say what you really mean Michael.
All this anger stems from Michael living as a gay man during the AIDS crisis. After an encouraging call from his agent, Rosa (Light), Jonathan tries to write a new song but the power cuts out. While venting his anger by the swimming pool, as you do, he finally comes up with the new song.
The Workshop finally arrives
Finally the workshop comes and family, friends and professionals, including Sondheim, are present. Yet, Jonathan receives no offers to produce Superbia. Rosa tells him to keep his head up, due to the rejection of Broadway life. Due to the rejection, Jonathan begs Michael for a corporate job. However, due to being impressed by the workshop Michael convinces Jonathan to continue with musical theatre. He also reveals that he’s HIV positive. Damn, this is getting intense…
Anyway, realising his obsession with his career has harmed his relationship with Michael and Susan, Jonathan wanders through New York. He ends up at the Delconte Theatre where he finds a piano. Hmmm, convenient. He reflects on his career, friendship with Michael and the sacrifices he’s made. Just in time for the final act, he and Michael make up.
Jonathan’s birthday and his future
On the morning of Jonathan’s 30th birthday, Sondheim finally calls him and wants to talk about Superbia. He is holding his party in the same diner from the beginning, when Freddy is revealed to be out of hospital. As a present, Susan then gives him blank sheet paper and they part on amicable terms. At this point, the narrator switches from Jonathan to Susan.
She tells the audience his next project is Tick, Tick… Boom! He then returns to an earlier project which becomes Rent. Susan also reveals Jonathan died of an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm the night before Rent began previews on Broadway. Damn, that just hit my right in the heart. The film ends with Jonathan performing the final song from Tick Tick Boom whilst looking towards the future.
Analysis
Narration in Tick Tick Boom!
Right to begin my analysis of Tick, Tick… Boom! I’m going to discuss the narration and how the change affects the audience. The influence of Lin-Manuel Miranda is clear on the opening narration with the cheeky line ‘apart from the bits which aren’t’. This sets up a playful, childish feel to the narration. How lovely. Yet, this seemingly isn’t there when the narrator switches from Jonathan to Susan in the final scenes. While it starts off positively enough (confirming the film is about Jonathan writing Tick Tick Boom!), Susan’s narration quickly gets negative. Why is that? Well, it could be Miranda trying to mirror the nature of Broadway careers which is featured heavily throughout the film. Or it could just be to help the audience sympathise with Jonathan as he never got to experience the success of Tick Tick Boom! and Rent. That’s just the beauty of film and Broadway.
The Portrayal of AIDS in Tick Tick Boom!
The next part of my Tick Tick Boom! analysis is the portrayal of HIV and how the audience experiences it in the film. Now while the film is very sympathetic towards HIV and AIDS in general, some audiences were annoyed by whose perspective the crisis is shown from. Whose is it? Well, Jonathan’s. This annoyed some audiences as it was very much someone outside looking into a crisis which doesn’t affect them. Well, that’s not strictly true due to Jonathan’s friendships with Michael and Freddy but does that make the presentation work? It depends as the film does a good job of spotlighting the issue but never quite follows through on it. Damn, I’ve probably over analysed a fairly minor point in an otherwise great film. So, moving on….
The accuracy of Tick Tick Boom!
The final part of my analysis of the film is the accuracy of the film’s events. God, I’m really being petty with this review. So, what is Tick Tick Boom! an adaptation of? Well, it’s a semi biographical work adapted from Larsen’s life with several fictionalised parts. This point is illustrated by the opening narration apart from the parts ‘Jonathan made up’. Now, it is key to note that the film outright confirms the character Jonathan IS Jonathan Larson, rather than the loose confirmation in the musical. So, what are the parts Jonathan made up?
Well, the inspiration for Michael, Matt O’Grady, was never roommates with Jonathan and didn’t have any standing in the performing arts world. Again a bit petty but I digress. Other key parts are that Jonathan never stopped writing Superbia whilst writing Tick Tick Boom! and Susan (based on Larson’s girlfriend Janet Charleston) never broke up with him. So, what actually happened? Well, the two stayed together until Larson’s death and Susan’s actions were based on the pair’s on and off relationship. Damn, that’s a rather sweet detail about them staying together.
Summary
So how to summarise Tick, Tick Boom? Well it’s a generally feel good film with some wonderful songs and performances, especially from the world’s most convincing man Andrew Garfield. Overall, a very good directorial debut for Lin Manuel Miranda.
Target Audience: 12+
Content Warning: Mild bad language, mild sex and nudity, mild alcohol and drugs references.
Recommendation: Yes
