Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving suicide, brief strong language and some suggestive references.
Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) has never been the most popular kid at school. Having suffered from social anxiety for most of his teenage years and been forced to take care of himself because of his single mother Heidi’s (Julianne Moore) work schedule, Evan struggles to find a real connection among his piers. As an assignment from his therapist, he attempts to write letters to himself to try and build his confidence. Things change, however, when one of his letters ends up in the hands of fellow outcast Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), who finds it and mistakes it for an insult towards him. A few days later, Evan is informed by Connor’s parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino) that he has committed suicide. In their hands is Evan’s letter, which they have mistaken as a letter written by Connor to him. Unsure of what to do and wanting to help Connor’s grieving family, including his younger sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever), Evan attempts to fabricate an entire friendship he had with Connor, making him seem like something other than what other’s thought he was. His actions spark a chain of events that spark talk about mental illness amongst their fellow classmates. But as things begin to spiral out of control, Evan will have to decide if his newfound connections are worth the lies he’s spinning. Dear Evan Hansen is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name. The stage production has grown into what is probably my favorite musical. Not only does it have great music, but it’s a story that I find truly relatable. I grew up as a shy kid, was frequently bullied, and struggled with social interactions. So long before they even announced it, I was very hopeful for a film adaptation. And what we got was everything I could’ve hoped for. This film version of Dear Evan Hansen is every bit as emotional as the stage show is. It stays true to the story, and does an amazing job translating the show’s unique musical numbers and production values to the screen. And with its original star front and center, it gives those who never saw his Broadway work a chance to see him in the role that made the character who he is. Ben Platt really is one of the biggest highlights of the film. Despite not having filled the role in a few years, he seems to slip right back into Evan’s shoes. He does an amazing job capturing the struggles that anyone with social anxieties would face. His mannerisms allow the audience to identify why he’s doing what he’s doing, and get you to feel for him when things start threatening to fall apart for him. The rest of the cast also turn in great performances, with members like Kaitlyn Dever, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, and Amandla Stenberg successfully bringing their respective characters to life while adding their own unique flare to them. Probably the biggest highlight performance is Julianne Moore, who absolutely nails a role I didn’t think she would be able to handle. Seriously, her performance of the song So Big/So Small will bring tears to your eyes. Under the direction of Stephen Chbosky, the maker of Wonder and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film contains some of the best musical numbers I’ve seen in a musical film. All of the numbers fit with their respective songs, never being too slow for the bigger songs and never being too bombastic for the smaller ones. Despite never having directed a musical before, Chbosky shows that he has the chops to handle something like this. This is most apparent in the numbers for the songs Sincerely, Me and You Will Be Found. While the latter is the most reminiscent of how the song was performed on the stage, the former is a brilliant mix of peppy music, infectious dancing, and a dash of slapstick that actually make the lyrics land their intended comedic beats better than on the stage. I would be surprised if it didn’t get you dancing in your seat. Dear Evan Hansen is a true musical masterpiece, staying true to what made its stage-based source material so great while successfully adding an effective cinematic flare. With the expert work of director Stephen Chbosky and the emotional effort of the pitch perfect cast, anyone who is a fan of the musical, or a fan of musicals in general, will be swept away by this wonderful adaptation, and may even get you thinking about how you treat others in the process.
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