Born February 4th 1960 in Mt Vernon, New York, Jonathan David Larson could usually be found sitting in front of a piano. Influenced by Elton John and The Doors (artists I’ve reviewed previously) as well as many others, Larson would pivot from his acting scholarship at Adelphi University to focus on compositions, combining them together in musical theatre. Graduating in 1982 with a BA in Fine Arts, he would go on to win several awards for productions Superbia and tick, tick…BOOM! but it was his play Rent that cemented his success. Starting as a staged reading in 1993, the show amassed such a large following that it would head to Broadway in April 1996, earning Larson the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tonys alongside several other accolades. Unfortunately, these were awarded posthumously as Larson died three months prior to the grand opening from an aortic dissection, a result of undiagnosed Marfan Syndrome. Rent became the 11th longest running show in Broadway History, spanning over twelve years and 5,000 performances, but the 2021 Netflix film tick,tick…BOOM! focuses instead on his previous work and difficulties succeeding in theatre.
Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tick, tick…BOOM! stars Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson in crisis mode. Days before his showcase of Superbia (originally intended to be an adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984), he’s suffering from a severe case of writer’s block. The production requires one final song but he just can’t reach it, and everything else seems to be getting in the way. Waiting tables isn’t covering the rent now that best friend Michael (Robin De Jesus) is moving to a flashy new apartment paid for by his corporate job, and his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) is looking to take the next step in their relationship. Worst of all, he is about to turn 30 years old, an age where his idol Stephen Sondheim (played by Bradley Whitford) had already written lyrics for West Side Story and several of Larson’s friends have died from the AIDS epidemic. Trying to maintain a semblance of work-life balance whilst completing his life work stretches Larson thin and the clock keeps tick, tick ticking.
This last aspect hit a very personal nerve with me. As someone who has transitioned to writing at 26, I feel I am always playing catch-up and, even after leaving my full-time employment for part time work, I still can’t seem to balance everything right. Alongside intense overthinking and anxiety at social events, there’s a part of me always deliberating about my scripts or how I can turn the present moment into a story later on. Classed as neurotic behaviour, it is portrayed expertly by Garfield in the film as he compulsively pores over the song and ponders absently about chords during intimate moments. Yet, amongst the desperation, there’s also a lot of charm and humour given off which makes us root for Larson despite his selfish obsessions. When brought together with the sadness of another friend contracting HIV, Garfield’s capabilities to convey such complex emotions at once elevates the film from just another musical biopic.
What also separates tick, tick… BOOM! from the rest is the tone. Many biopics start from the artist as a child, growing up into a huge star, hitting troubled waters before ending on a big climatic note. Here, we’re informed of Larson’s death and biggest achievement in a grainy homemade film introduction and then proceed to witness him struggle for almost two hours – again, very relatable. It’s incredibly refreshing to focus on a key period of a talented person’s life rather than trying to combine everything and mould it into a straightforward narrative. By centralising the story around a theme and adding a small amount of contextual background also allows discussion of the underlying subplot regarding the AIDS epidemic, something only hinted towards in previous biopics. Accompanied with Larson’s fear of time running out, the narratives run seamlessly together and produce a substantially more interesting feature because of it. As a musical theatre piece, the context is provided by catchy well-choreographed songs executed fantastically by Garfield and the cast. Split between the main story, flashbacks and a performance acting as narration for the main part, things can get very busy quite fast and occasionally a little muddled. Also, some of the songs are just naming objects around him like a game of lyrical I-Spy but do serve a purpose overall.
Although a Netflix film, tick tick…BOOM! does not forget its roots in show business. There are several easter eggs and cameos for hardcore fans of Larson’s work, one number containing fourteen broadway stars and there’s a total of twenty three Tony award winners in the entire cast. As an ignorant newcomer, however, a lot of the finer touches and niche references went over my head. This didn’t stop me from appreciating the movie at face value and enjoying an insight into a new world I’ve only started exploring.