Synopsis

From Rotten Tomatoes:

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.

Review

Before I get into this review, let me preface by saying this: I am a big fan of Dear Evan Hansen on the stage. I’ve only seen it once, when it came to Atlanta, but I loved it so much. I remember being stressed as HELL during intermission, worrying about what was going to happen to Evan. I actually remember my mother saying, “OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING TO HAPPEN?” I loved the way social media was incorporated into the story and the set as well. The soundtrack instantly made its way onto my playlist (“Waving Through a Window” and “For Forever” were in HEAVY rotation). Everything about it was great. So, when I heard that they were making a film adaptation, I was excited. They were filming in Atlanta (they actually filmed down the street from one of my teachers’ houses). There was so much hype and anticipation… and then the trailer was released. Instant discomfort arose when Ben Platt in that atrocious makeup appeared on screen. But, we could get over that, right? Only Ben Platt could play the role… that’s why he’s in it, right? It wouldn’t mess up Dear Evan Hansen, right?

Let me respond in a way I feel is fitting…

Dear Evan Hansen,

How could you? I can not believe that your story has been mangled and mishandled in such a way that it makes it a hilarious experience… My screening, full of film majors at my university, was filled with so much uproarious laughter at moments that were meant to be heartfelt or serious. At one moment, when you fell out of the tree, I laughed so hard that I legitimately almost passed out. The film is probably the most effective comedy of 2021, and that's not a good thing.  There were so many snickers whenever you or any other characters would start singing out of nowhere because the songs were incorporated terribly. They were not filmed in any kind of visually interesting way, so it just came across as very awkward, random, and static. They were also written into weird portions of the film. They cut 4 of the original songs and added a new one (which is not that good) so some of the songs felt literally out of place. The music is still good, thank God. One of the only saving graces about the film is the music

I think the film is very poorly written. The person who wrote the book for the stage musical also wrote the screenplay… And I can tell. It is often said that it is very difficult for writers of different genres to cross over through genres (for example J. K. Rowling and the Fantastic Beasts series) and I think that is very evident here. I do not believe that Steven Levenson was able to properly utilize the tools that cinema provides in his script. It feels very static and, honestly, boring. I think that also might be a reason why the film is poorly directed as well. Stephen Chbosky who directed this film and two other highly regarded films, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Wonder, usually writes and directs his films. In fact, he started out as an author (he actually wrote the book that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an adaptation of). I could tell that here there was a disconnect between those two entities, however.

The editing job is very poor. The filmmakers decided to utilize a lot of flashbacks, but they went back to the same flashback SO many times, it became redundant. The cinematography, lighting, and color were all very flat and bland. There is honestly nothing remarkable about the technical aspects of the film. The storyline of this is just weird as hell, too. I just can’t get over it. I won’t go into specifics, but there are aspects of the plot that are very cringey. The last thing we have to discuss is the performances because chile…..

Nobody was great. I think the best performance in the film was that of either Colton Ryan, who plays Connor, or Julianne Moore, who plays your mother. Her song, “So Big, So Small,” was one of the highlights of the film. Amandla Stenberg was fine. I am not the biggest fan of their acting skills, but they were neither here nor there. Nik Dodani, as your “family friend”, was funny. I found it odd that they made his character gay considering that his character makes a lot of jokes about you and Connor being gay, even though y’all are not. Every member of the Murphy family’s performances were not memorable, which is disappointing because usually Amy Adams eats, but she just didn’t here. And then… there’s Ben Platt. You, Evan. I understand that Platt originated the role on Broadway, and I understand that he is who most people know in the role. But, he should not have been in this film. He looks incredibly old. You NEVER get used to it. And he just seems misplaced here. They should have cast a new face. Not anyone that’s played you before (sorry to the Andrew Barth Feldman and Jordan Fisher fans). But a new face. It would have given the film a new and fresh feel because this, in all honesty, just feels tired.

Honestly, this film was such a fun experience. My friends and I laughed so much and shared this experience of this poorly executed adaptation, so I honestly don’t think I will forget it. I will say that the last 15-20 minutes of the film worked for me. They changed the ending from the play, so it was nice to see the changes made there. The ending is more impactful and realistic, so I have to give the film props there. But otherwise, I think the filmmakers should have kept the window on this adaptation closed for forever.

Sincerely,

Me