Arts & Entertainment
Review: 'Dear Evan Hansen' Barely Finds Its Cinematic Voice
Ben Platt, Amy Adams and Julianne Moore star in the much awaited musical teen drama based on the blockbuster Broadway show.
Nearly six years since “Dear Evan Hansen” opened on Broadway, a silver-screen take on the famed Tony-winning stage musical finally makes its cinematic debut in Stephen Chbosky’s musical drama about teen suicide and mental illness.
Ben Platt reprises his Tony-winning role of Evan Hansen, a teenager suffering from an extreme social anxiety disorder and depression. Raised by an overworked single mom (Julianne Moore), the high school student, who wears a cast to protect the left arm he broke after falling off from a tree, writes notes of encouragement to himself as a reminder to see the glass half full every single day.
Unfortunately, in one of those occasions, a letter addressed to “Dear Evan Hansen” falls into the hands of a hostile classmate named Connor (Colton Ryan), leaving Evan tormented and fearful that the troubled boy will soon upload and post his letter online.
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Instead, Connor takes his own life. His devastated parents — Cynthia (Amy Adams) and Larry Murphy (Danny Pino) — subsequently discover the letter and mistake Evan for their son’s only friend. Soon, they approach the young man about their relationship, but Evan just can’t muster the willpower to tell them the truth that he and Connor barely knew each other — especially now when the Murphys are obviously in the throes of shock, grief and agony.
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Impulsively, Evan proceeds to fabricate stories of their close friendship. Thereafter, the screenplay begins to languish as Evan’s big lie becomes the fulcrum of the story, and Connor’s suicide becomes a mere prop, even though the dead boy’s name is written in all caps on Evan’s cast.
As the movie attempts to elicit deep sympathy and empathy for Evan, he soon becomes a viral sensation, a hero for the lonely, depressed and suicidal teens, replete with his comforting song, “You Will Be Found.” The young man is feeling over the moon. And why not? His newfound fame is even paving a way for him to pursue a romantic relationship with Connor’s sister, Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever).
Evan continues to delight in this make-believe world he has created for himself, burnishing his image every step of the way — that is, until his big lie finally catches up with him.
At this juncture, the inherent weakness of the narrative is further exposed, prompting us to ponder over the stupefying plot. Is the movie condoning Evan's despicable actions? It appears to be that way, as Evan does not face a profound reckoning for his grievous mistakes by the end.
As much as the songs are concerned, they were designed to be lyrical and poignant, but they all seem to operate on similar periodic vibrations as if aiming for the same rousing feel in every scene.
The result is rather anticlimactic and draining — though this soaring sound effect might work better on stage; after all, the theatrical momentum evokes immediacy and intimacy through the exhilarating live performances of the cast.
All in all, Platt is more impressive as a singer than an actor in the movie. And while “Dear Evan Hansen” has its electrifying moments, the film suffers from an uneven pace, a superficial thematic depth and a run time (137 min) that feels overly long.
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