Chances are, you’ve heard about ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, the popular Tony award-winning musical, now a motion picture. And, as far as the latter goes, chances are AS likely that you’ve heard it’s not very good.
Well, don’t believe it. While the musical is, shall we say, burdened by a few hurdles, this is not only a picture that gets the most of out its soundtrack, it’s an important story for this time. As one character mentions in regards to how harmful social media can be, “it’s brutal out there”.
The star of the stage production, Ben Platt, reprises his title role in the film as Evan Hansen, an anxiety-ridden, seemingly friendless teen who is starting off his senior year drenched in agonizing trepidation. He’s nerdy, socially awkward on a hall of fame level, on medication and in therapy…..well, when he goes. Early in the school year, he clashes with another outcast, Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), only Murphy’s reason for avoiding contact with others doesn’t appear to be fear, more so anger. Hansen, in the middle of practicing an exercise suggested by his therapist in which he writes a letter to himself, has the project stolen off the printer by Connor.
The biggest worry by Hansen is that Murphy will share the letter on social media. But what happens next makes that concern seem awfully small.
Evan is visited at school by Connor’s parents, sharing the news that their son took his own life. As he had the letter in his possession at the time, they mistakenly believe that Connor was friends with Evan, and….not wanting to shatter one of the few positives they have left….Hansen goes along with the lie. And builds on it. And even finds the confidence to start dating Murphy’s sister (Kaitlyn Dever), whom he had a secret crush on. And teams up with another student, one of beautiful intentions, who creates an ambitious project to help keep Connor’s memory alive, with Evan, Murphy’s ‘only friend’, the face of the project. And……yeah, you guessed it. Things get real ugly, real fast.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the men behind the music for masterpieces like ‘La La Land’ and ‘The Greatest Showman’ do similar magic with ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, though admittedly, the songs probably play better for the stage than the screen; some of the presentations on film are either awkward or just plain plodding. But when it shines, it shines bright. And you can’t underestimate the message behind the tale, which is one that teens especially should embrace – words, including ones unleashed behind a keyboard, can be weapons. And no one deserves to be alone.
