If you go see “Dear Evan Hansen” (and you should), bring a box of tissues and an open mind.
“Dear Evan Hansen” has been one of my favorite Broadway musicals since I first listened to the soundtrack and read through the script about four years ago. Three years ago my best friend and I were able to go to Denver for the first performance of the national tour. So when I heard a film version was being made, with Ben Platt reviving his Tony-winning role as Evan, I was excited.
Despite my excitement, I was also a little skeptical. Sometimes stage musicals don’t translate well into films and I became even more hesitant when I heard that some songs were being cut and new songs were being added. But when I sobbed my way through the film on opening night, the tears were exactly the ones I wanted to cry, not tears of disappointment.
The adaptation from stage to screen was handled carefully and effectively. The simple feel from the minimal Broadway sets was respected, but the film was able to add and flesh out details the play couldn’t and to show scenes that were only described or mentioned in the stage version. This gave the film more of a traditional movie feel while staying close to the story and giving fans of the musical a fuller version of the story and characters.
As for the songs that were taken out, within the context of the film I understood the reasoning for cutting most of them. Many times the scenes from the cut songs were included, just shortened, which usually worked to get the point across. The one song I’m still upset wasn’t included is “Good for You,” since I believe it’s important to the story. The film did try to convey some of the main points from it, but I think losing the song lost some of the impact. After watching the film, go listen to that song from the Broadway soundtrack.
The cut songs were mostly made up for with the addition of two new songs, which are both beautiful and meaningful. “The Anonymous Ones” replaces “Disappear” while making the same point in a way that is easier to portray on screen, and it gives interesting development to Alana’s character. “A Little Closer” was the song I wasn’t expecting, since it created a moment where the film was even better than the play. It added further character development and resolved the story more than the play itself did, in a way that felt perfectly in line with the spirit of the original.
As a dedicated fan of the musical, I was a fan of the film version of “Dear Evan Hansen.” So it disappointed me that it seems like many other people were not. Much of the feedback I’ve seen online has been negative, but in ways I think are either too critical or a complete misunderstanding of the film.
One of the biggest critiques I’ve heard started when the trailer was released — many people complain that Ben Platt is too old. Admittedly, Platt looks older than he did when he originated the role on Broadway, and typically I don’t love having 30-year-olds play teenagers.
However, there are no complaints about the other teenage characters in the film who are all played by adults close to Platt’s age. And, I would ask people to suspend their disbelief enough to accept Platt as Evan, because it’s worth having him play the character. He won a Tony for this role for a reason and his level of emotion and the physical quirks and little details he adds to the character are incredible, not to mention his beautiful voice.
Most of the other complaints relate to the story itself, particularly Evan’s character. For the sake of avoiding spoilers I won’t go into detail, but I will say that I think these complaints are misunderstanding the story and missing the point. “Dear Evan Hansen” is a complicated story, to say the least. It’s messy, emotional and painful, and it’s meant to be. There are no clear cut answers, no fully good and fully evil characters, no neatly-packaged lessons. People do awful things with good intentions, then face the consequences of those choices. Things get out of hand and what was meant to help causes damage. None of it is easy. That’s the point. And that’s exactly what makes it so raw and real.
Through its complexity, “Dear Evan Hansen” touches on so many important and relevant themes that everyone can relate to. It grapples with mental health issues, loneliness, social pressures, and everyone’s desire to find hope and meaning in the midst of pain and tragedy. The film handles these topics with honesty, since there truly are no easy answers. But even when things can’t be resolved neatly, the film maintains an attitude of hope, striving to find that meaning, choosing to believe that no one is alone.
I truly believe everyone should see “Dear Evan Hansen.” Bring a tissue box, because it’s a tear-jerker and if you’re like me you’ll be straight up sobbing multiple times. And go into it with an open mind, ready to suspend disbelief if you need to and prepared to wrestle with tough topics and a complex story. If you do that, maybe you’ll come out loving the story as much as I do.
Reader Comments(0)