When I first read that Wonder and The Perks of Being a Wallflower director Stephen Chbosky's adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen was getting mixed reviews, I was a little perplexed. How could something so loved become something so disliked? The answer is simple: suspension of disbelief. I will discuss this later on, but what you need to know is that Dear Evan Hansen succeeds because of its music, humor, and writing.
The first, and most obvious reason why Dear Evan Hansen succeeds is because of its music. The Greatest Showman and La La Land songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have done it again. All of the songs are exceptional. My favorite would have to be the opener, "Waving Through a Window." Ben Platt's voice is masterful. I could not get it out of my head - that and "Requiem." I also like how the lyric about stepping on the brake is revisited in the finale. My second-favorite song is "You Will Be Found," followed closely by "Sincerely, Me." I loved the choreography of "Sincerely, Me." I could tell that Colton Ryan was having a field day as Connor. Plus, Jared's lines that he wrote in for Connor were great. Some of my other favorites were "Requiem" and "The Anonymous Ones." I thought that Kaitlyn Dever and Amandla Stenberg really nailed those two numbers respectively. The second reason why Dear Evan Hansen works is because of the humor. Even though much of the film deals with intense subject matter related to suicide, screenwriter Steven Levenson manages to add levity at several points. The best example of this is Jared. His lines are hilarious. However, there is also some humor just before "If I Could Tell Her," when Evan is trying to come up with examples of what Connor noticed about Zoe. Larry, Zoe's stepfather, is also hilarious. The scene with his "no whey" joke was great. The final, but perhaps most important reason why Dear Evan Hansen survives the transition from stage to screen is the clever writing. Although there is lots of awkwardness, the message of unity, and that no one is truly alone, shines through. This is where the suspension of disbelief that I mentioned earlier comes in. It's not just for sci-fi or superhero films. You have to get past the awkwardness and the cringey moments, in order to really appreciate the film. It's the same thing with the casting of 27-year-old Platt as Evan. He doesn't look vastly older than everyone else. He's not taller than all of them. You just have to look past that. Through all of the awkward moments, Evan's character remains relatable, which is a tough task to achieve. I think we've all felt lonely at some point in our lives, especially after this pandemic. At the helm, Chbosky handles heavy subject matter with the same grace as he did in Wallflower, building off of Steven Levenson's screenplay and always framing Evan in a positive light even when he is at the height of his schemes. One important thing to point out here is that the film never specifies exactly what Evan has. When Stenberg's Alana asks him if he has anxiety or depression, he simply says, "Yeah." Personally, I think that Evan has high-functioning autism; you can find an excellent analysis of this here. Regardless, the story of Evan getting caught up in a lie and not wanting to get out because it brings him the acceptance that he never had is one that we can all relate to. A second item that should not be overlooked is that, at first glance, Evan seems like he has a good friend in Jared, but he later says that they are just "family friends." Not only does this compound Evan's loneliness, but Evan's inability to interpret this signal is further evidence of him being autistic. The film also widens the scope of its story by having Alana reveal that she also suffers from mental health issues. Overall, Dear Evan Hansen succeeds because of its music, humor, and writing. It is definitely worth a watch. And remember to bring your tissues! 9.75/10
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AuthorTyler has been reviewing movies for a long time. He enjoys watching movies with the three H's - humor, heart, and high stakes. |