Oftentimes when watching underwhelming movies, it is easy to see a fascinating premise be wasted in execution. The opposite is the case for Dear Evan Hansen, which features many attributes worth praising. The ensemble of actors delivered genuinely good performances, while director Stephen Chbosky manages to balance the troublesome task of bringing the bombast of Broadway to the screen. However, the unfortunate truth is that Dear Evan Hansen is a fundamentally flawed premise and story, resulting in a dissonance for viewers that aren’t swept up in its bombast.

Dear Evan Hansen is a film based on the Tony-winning Broadway play, starring the original Broadway star Ben Platt as Evan Hansen, a troubled high school student. As an assignment from his therapist, he writes letters to himself. One of the letters is found by Connor Murphy, another troubled student who kills himself later that week. When Murphy’s family finds the letter, they believe that Connor and Evan are close friends, with Evan lying to the family and pretending they were.

One high point of Dear Evan Hansen is the ensemble cast, with everyone in supporting roles delivering great work both musically and dramatically. Kaitlyn Dever, Amy Adams, and Danny Pino all stand out as the Murphy family. They provide a strong emotional core for Dear Evan Hansen and expertly play different types of grief. Amandla Stenberg and Nik Dodani each provide much in their smaller roles, while Julianne Moore is reliably solid as Evan’s mother. Even Colton Ryan in his limited role as Connor Murphy shines in his limited screen time.

However, Ben Platt is a strange case of his talent being overshadowed by his presence. It’s hard to deny that Platt is a good performer, as he sells the dramatic moments fairly well and his singing skill is to be praised. However, his actual age was a distracting experience. He plays the protagonist of Dear Evan Hansen, so what starts as a distraction quickly becomes a detriment.

From a filmmaking performance, Dear Evan Hansen is a solid if unremarkable musical. Stephen Chbosky has written musicals before, but this was his first chance to direct one. He stays well within his range of talents, keeping things intimate and close rather than trying for the big musical spectacle that audiences associate with Broadway. His cinematographer Brandon Trost and editor Anne McCabe contribute to this, never overshadowing the main draws of Dear Evan Hansen.

One thing that did stand out in a negative way was the film’s production design and parts of the choreography. There are some amusingly obvious and unsubtle moments of staging, such as the above pictured moment of Evan standing in the sole red square in a school’s hallway. Another example is a full dinner table complete with rolls and a turkey, yet a character insists that Evan’s arrival is early. These aren’t the biggest flaws of Dear Evan Hansen, but they ruin the suspension of disbelief.

Dear Evan Hansen‘s greatest flaw isn’t necessarily the film’s fault. The main issue is that the Broadway play itself has a fundamentally flawed premise. Evan Hansen is an intensely unlikeable protagonist, and the actions he undertakes are genuinely appalling from this viewer’s perspective. He goes from understandably over his head to manipulative and immoral, far beyond the acceptable margin. The cartoonish obliviousness of the rest of the characters only reinforces the troubles of the premise. At the same time, Platt’s presence in addition to these factors only reinforces his problems as a protagonist.

The ambition of Dear Evan Hansen in its attempt at an honest depiction of social anxiety and grief is to commended, but the result is less so. Excusing the Evan Hansen of it, Connor Murphy is the more complicated and interesting character. Yet he is relegated to dying for the plot to commence. Dear Evan Hansen tries to have it both ways, portraying Connor as both an over-the-top jerk yet having more underneath. The film continues the problems of the play of failing to strike a proper nuance.

For those that have found meaning and impact for Dear Evan Hansen, I do not wish to discount that at all. The film does an excellent job of translating the heart of the musical to the screen, and it’s undeniable that there are those that have found an anchor in this. You are valid for feeling this way, you are loved, and you deserve to feel loved and to feel seen.

There are enjoyable parts about Dear Evan Hansen, even for those that might have difficulty going on its journey. The cast is excellent, the filmmaking is proficient, and most of the music tugs at the heartstrings in just the right way. However, for this viewer, Dear Evan Hansen simply asks too much for the positive elements to bridge the gap.

If you or someone you know is struggling, trained counselors are ready to listen and help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK and operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_c_Jd-hP-s

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Dear Evan Hansen

5.5

Score

5.5/10

Pros

• If you like the musical, you'll like the movie
• Talented ensemble of performers
• Deft filmmaking
• A few great songs

Cons

• If you don't like the musical...
• Unlikeable protagonist
• Occasional bad production design
• One-tone soundtrack
• Flawed premise