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Dear Evan Hansen is Hollywood’s latest entry on the road to reviving the musical genre. Musicians and lyricist Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Broadway musical is now hitting the big screen via Universal to see if it can capitalize on mainstream approval. Hollywood is determined to revive the musical genre and this is the latest entry.
So how does the film, which opened the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night, compare to the stage adaptation? Well it falls somewhere in between that of Rob Marshall Chicago (a very good film adaptation of a Broadway play), and that of Rob Marshall In the woods (a very poor film adaptation of a Broadway play). Dear Evan Hansen works well enough to be enjoyable, but there are too many glaring issues that cannot be ignored for the fun of it.
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Ben Platt plays Evan Hansen. A frail-looking high school student a little so young who considers himself invisible to everyone. He’s not popular, he’s not attractive to girls, even other nerds don’t want to be around him. The only confidant he has is Jared Kalwani, who considers Evan nothing more than an acquaintance. A golden opportunity for change presents itself when he crosses paths with Connor Murphy, a young emo type who scares his classmates with his angst, and Zoe’s brother, Evan’s crush. Evan walks around the school with a casting and Connor offers to sign him. After signing, Connor finds a class homework address for Evan and he runs off with it.
The mission is found by Connor’s parents, Cynthia and Larry, after he suddenly has. The duo want to meet Evan because they think he was their son’s only friend because of what was said in the note, and seeing Connor’s name written on his cast. Instead of saying that they just found an assignment he wrote and addressed to himself, Hansen makes up a whole story between himself and their son that never existed. It allows him to create the fantastic life he’s always dreamed of and to get closer to Zoe.
The more he continues to hide the truth, the more elaborate his lies become, and soon he is lying to everyone, including social media. Connor’s memory is used by Evan for influence. He’s popular now, is dating Zoe, and is loved by Connor’s parents. His warped web of lies is so powerful that he really begins to believe he is telling the truth. But his delusions don’t last forever and when the bubble bursts it’s clear Hansen had no idea what impact his lies would have on himself and others. Of course, he knew he wasn’t being honest, but he really thought everything would be okay. The child is a hot mess.
The Broadway adapted from the show is popular among theatergoers where many have found the musical appealing to people who see themselves as excluded with little or no support. The show has won multiple Tony Awards for acting and production, but it’s irreparably problematic work that manipulates audiences into forcing them to feel sympathy for a pathological liar whose own mental illness is being exploited. To top it off, Evan is forgiven by everyone around him and doesn’t see any real consequences for his actions just because they can figure out where he’s coming from ?! This story is utter madness from start to finish, but at least the actors can sing along.
The stars of the movie are good singers, especially Amandla Stenberg who has a bossy voice that stands out because she sounds and looks the most natural and relaxed and doesn’t pretend she is performing in the Music theater. Box. The musical arrangements are solid, but why does every song begin with the actor singing in a muffled, monotonous voice that goes up and down until it’s time to sing those notes? Was this a creative choice for the film or is it also the case in the series?
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