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Dear Evan Hansen (film)

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Dear Evan Hansen
File:Dear-evan-hansen film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStephen Chbosky
Screenplay bySteven Levenson
Based onDear Evan Hansen
by Steven Levenson
Benj Pasek
Justin Paul
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBrandon Trost
Edited byAnne McCabe
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • September 9, 2021 (2021-09-09) (TIFF)
  • September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24) (United States)
Running time
137 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$28 million[2]

Dear Evan Hansen is a 2021 American coming-of-age musical teen drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Steven Levenson. It is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name by Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. Ben Platt plays the title role, reprising the performance that he originated on stage. The film's ensemble cast also includes Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Danny Pino, and Colton Ryan.

Dear Evan Hansen held to its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021 as its Opening Night Gala Presentation,[3] to be followed by a theatrical release on September 24, 2021 by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the direction and screenplay but praised the performances of the supporting cast; the casting of the 27-year-old Platt as a high school student received a polarized response.

Plot

Evan Hansen is a teenager who suffers from social anxiety. His therapist recommends that he write letters to himself detailing what will be good about each day. His mother, Heidi, suggests that he ask people to sign the cast on his arm - caused by Evan falling out of a tree at Ellison State Park that summer - to make friends. Evan writes a letter to himself at school, wondering whether anyone would notice if he were not there (Waving Through A Window). Connor Murphy, a classmate of Evan's who is also friendless, offers to sign his cast. He happens upon Evan's letter and becomes furious at the mention of Zoe, believing that Evan wrote the letter to provoke him; he storms out with the letter in hand. Days later, Evan is called to the principal's office and is told by Connor's parents, Cynthia and Larry, that Connor has died by suicide, with Evan's letter found inside of his pocket. The two misinterpret the letter as a suicide note addressed to Evan, with Connor's name on his cast only strengthening their belief.

Evan is invited to the Murphys' house for dinner. Under pressure from Cynthia to share memories of Connor, he invents a friendship between the two, creating a fictional story about breaking his arm while with Connor at an orchard the Murphys visited (For Forever). Evan enlists his family friend, Jared, in creating fake backdated emails between him and Connor to corroborate his story (Sincerely, Me). Cynthia is ecstatic after reading Evan and Connor's "emails", while Zoe wonders why Connor included her name in his suicide note. (Requiem) Zoe invites Evan over to her house and Evan, unable to tell her the truth, tells her all the reasons Connor loved her under the guise of himself (If I Could Tell Her). Evan's classmate Alana, who has similar mental health issues (The Anonymous Ones), proposes "The Connor Project", a student group dedicated towards keeping Connor's memory alive, with an upcoming memorial assembly as the kickoff. Cynthia gives Evan a necktie she had gotten for Connor that he had never worn, for him to wear when he makes his speech at the assembly. At the assembly, Evan gives a speech about his loneliness and friendship with Connor, retelling the false orchard story. A video of the speech goes viral, with Evan's words heralded as giving hope to people dealing with mental illness and depression (You Will Be Found). Zoe is overcome by the positive response and thanks Evan for helping her and her parents; the two begin a relationship.

Evan and Alana begin a crowdfunding campaign through The Connor Project to reopen the orchard. As time goes on, Evan begins to neglect his mother, The Connor Project, and his therapy in favor of spending time with Zoe and Connor's parents (Only Us). Heidi unexpectedly shows up at the Murphys' for dinner, during which Cynthia and Larry offer to give Connor's college fund to Evan. Heidi declines, refusing charity from the wealthy Murphys. Alana reveals that she has a copy of the note Evan wrote to himself. He asks Alana not to share it with anyone else, but she shares it on social media in order to get the Connor Project to its funding goal (The Anonymous Ones - Reprise). Online commenters question why Connor seemingly wrote a suicide note to Evan but not his family, accusing the Murphys of mistreating him. During an argument between Cynthia and Larry, Evan finally admits all of his lies (Words Fail). The Murphys are heartbroken, but decide not to share the truth publicly out of respect for Connor's memory. Zoe and Evan break up, with Zoe telling Evan not to talk to her anymore. Evan has an emotional conversation with Heidi, with Heidi apologizing for not seeing how deeply Evan was hurting and discussing how his absent father scarred him emotionally (So Big/So Small). Evan admits that his fall from the tree was in fact a suicide attempt.

Evan records a video confessing the truth and posts it online. Once again alone, he begins to attempt to know Connor better, reading a list of his favorite books and getting in touch with those who truly knew Connor. He receives a video of Connor performing music while in rehab, passing it along to the Murphys, Alana, and Jared (A Little Closer). Evan meets with Zoe at the reopened orchard dedicated to Connor's memory. The two reconcile, with Zoe telling Evan that she brought him to the orchard to ensure that he saw the place that Connor loved. Evan writes himself a letter, vowing not to hide or lie and encouraging himself to move forward in life (A Little Closer - Finale).

Cast

Production

Development

Universal Pictures purchased the film rights to the musical in November 2018, hiring Stephen Chbosky as director, and the writer of the musical Steven Levenson also set to write the screenplay for the film. Marc Platt and Adam Siegel would serve as producers, while the show's lead producer Stacey Mindich and composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, would serve as executive producers alongside Levenson and Michael Bederman.[7][1]

Pre-production

In June 2020, Ben Platt, who originated the role of Evan Hansen on stage and is the son of producer Marc Platt, was expected to reprise his role for the film, and Kaitlyn Dever entered negotiations to star as Zoe Murphy as well.[8] On June 18, 2020, Platt said that he intended to reprise the role unless the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed production.[9] Stephen Chbosky explained that the film's main goal was to capture and immortalize Platt's performance, saying that "His understanding of the character is so complete and so profound. I couldn't imagine anybody else playing it. It's his part. I felt very strongly about it. And to me it was never even a consideration."[10] He later explained that this was the reason why the film omitted the musical's opening number, "Anybody Have a Map," saying that "We’re really on Evan’s journey. It freed us up to meet all the characters through Evan. And it binds the audience to a way in Evan that is so valuable."[11]

In August 2020, Kaitlyn Dever was officially cast as Zoe Murphy and Amandla Stenberg joined the cast as Alana Beck, a role that has been expanded upon for the film.[12] That same month, Nik Dodani was cast as Jared Kleinman (now Kalwani)[4] while Colton Ryan was cast as Connor Murphy, a role Ryan understudied on Broadway.[13] Near the end of that month, Amy Adams and Danny Pino joined the cast as Cynthia and Larry Murphy, the latter of whom was re-conceived for the film as Larry Mora, their children's stepfather.[14] In September 2020, Julianne Moore and DeMarius Copes joined the cast of the film. Moore was cast to play Heidi Hansen and Copes, in his film acting debut, was cast as Oliver, one of Zoe Murphy's friends and a new character created specifically for the film.[15] That same month, Gerald Caesar joined the cast of the film as Josh, one of the high school students.[16] In October 2020, newcomer Liz Kate joined the cast of the film as Gemma.[17] In November 2020, Isaac Cole Powell joined the cast of the film, as Rhys, a high school jock.[18]

Filming

On August 25, 2020, Ben Platt confirmed that principal photography had begun.[19] It was shot in Los Angeles and Atlanta, with primary filming with the main cast taking place in September and expected to end around Thanksgiving.[20] About making the film during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaitlyn Dever said to Variety, "I'm very happy that we're able to make something so special during such a strange and sad and confusing times ... I have gotten used to the 'doing nothing' part of my job, which is just sitting and waiting for something to happen. Now, I feel like I'm really geared up for this and ready to go."[21] Additional filming took place in Fayetteville, Georgia, which included scenes involving Ellison State Park.[22] The high school scenes were filmed at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Fayetteville,[citation needed] and B.J. Reece Orchards was used for the scenes that took place at the Autumn Smile Apple Orchard/Connor Murphy Memorial Orchard.[23] Blackhall Studios in Atlanta served as the COVID-19 testing site for the actors and crew members on set.[22] The vocal performances in the film were recorded almost entirely live on set, specifically to ensure that Ben Platt's vocals sounded as real and authentic as possible when he sings on screen.[24] On December 15, 2020, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairwoman Donna Langley confirmed that the film would wrap production that month.[25]

In a February 2021 interview with Drew Barrymore on her daytime talk show, Ben Platt described his experience of recreating his performance as Evan Hansen as "really special" and "bizarre", while also hoping the film will be "a really moving experience for a lot of different ages of people ... I think it's going to be particularly poignant in terms of everybody's inability and ability to reach out, and the ways in which we struggle to do that, and the magic that can happen when you do connect with someone and finally feel seen."[26] On May 13, 2021, Ben Platt admitted he was apprehensive about translating his performance for the screen. "I think I was nervous about having to meet that same level in a medium that I’m not necessarily as instinctually comfortable in, and that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the same kind of fireworks as a live performance." Ultimately, Platt overcame his personal reservations because they felt like "small beer...Having an opportunity to share this story with, like, millions more people is ultimately much more important than my being worried that my performance won’t be as good as it was on stage." Platt also confirmed he lost weight and grew his hair out in order to look "authentic" as a gawky and fresh-faced 17-year-old.[27]

Differences from the musical

For the film, changes were made to the portrayals of the show's characters, as mentioned above, along with the omission of four of the songs: "Disappear," "To Break in a Glove," "Good For You" and "Anybody Have a Map." The latter two, however, are played instrumentally by the Westview High School marching band, during the pep rally scene early in the film.[28] Another change was shrinking the role of Jared and expanding upon the character of Alana, making the latter the one who starts The Connor Project with Evan joining in to help, which explains the cutting of "Disappear" and material involving Evan seeing visions of Connor telling him to push forward with the lies and keep his memory alive. Additionally, Ben Platt revealed that the ending was altered for the film, describing it as "a kind of extended third act in which we get to see a little bit more of Evan’s repentance and redemption and the work that he does subsequently to make amends and really get to know who Connor was and try to help the family heal ... He’s not, like, quite as off the hook as he is in the musical, where you’ve been sitting in a theater for two and a half hours and you’re kind of ready to wrap it up." The film uses very few elements from Val Emmich's 2018 young adult novelization of the musical, which featured material from cut scenes and songs from the musical's development to expand upon its own version of the story.[10]

Music

Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Ben Platt
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2021
Recorded2020
Length70:29
LabelInterscope
Producer
Ben Platt chronology
Reverie
(2021) 		Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2021)
Singles from Dear Evan Hansen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "Waving Through a Window"
    Released: August 26, 2021
  2. "You Will Be Found"
    Released: August 26, 2021
  3. "Only Us"
    Released: September 3, 2021
  4. "Only Us (Carrie Underwood/Dan + Shay version)"
    Released: September 3, 2021
  5. "The Anonymous Ones"
    Released: September 10, 2021
  6. "The Anonymous Ones (SZA version)"
    Released: September 10, 2021
  7. "Sincerely, Me"
    Released: September 13, 2021
  8. "You Will Be Found (Sam Smith/Summer Walker version)"
    Released: September 17, 2021

In August 2020, it was confirmed that in addition to playing Alana Beck, Amandla Stenberg would collaborate with Pasek & Paul on the writing of a new song for her character. On August 21, 2021, the title of this new song was revealed as "The Anonymous Ones".[12][28] On May 18, 2021, the official movie website launched and confirmed that the following songs would be included: "You Will Be Found", "Waving Through a Window", "For Forever", and "Words Fail".[29] On the same day, Ben Platt stated in a Vanity Fair interview that "I think there's nothing major gone that anyone's going to miss. All of the major beats and all of the favorite songs are very much intact", while also hinting that another new song, entitled "A Little Closer", had been written for the film, later revealed to have been written for the character of Connor Murphy.[10][28] On August 24, 2021, it was announced that the film's incidental underscore will be composed by Justin Paul and Dan Romer.[30]

The film's soundtrack album is set to be released on Interscope Records on September 24, 2021, the same day as the film. It also includes covers of five of the songs by popular artists, such as Sam Smith, Finneas, Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, and Tori Kelly.[31][32] The first of these covers, "Only Us" (by Underwood and Dan + Shay) was released on September 3, 2021, alongside the film's version of the song.[33] Prior to that, the film's renditions of "Waving Through a Window" and "You Will Be Found" were released as promotional singles on August 26, 2021. Both Stenberg and SZA's versions of "The Anonymous Ones" were released on September 10, 2021, the same day as the film's world premiere. SZA's version of this song and Sam Smith and Summer Walker's version of "You Will Be Found" play over the closing credits, the latter song being released to the public on September 17, 2021. These were followed by "Sincerely, Me," which was released on September 13, 2021.

All tracks are written by Pasek and Paul, with "The Anonymous Ones" written in collaboration with Amandla Stenberg

Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track listing
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Waving Through a Window"
3:55
2."For Forever"Platt5:10
3."Sincerely, Me"
3:37
4."Requiem"
4:24
5."If I Could Tell Her"
  • Platt
  • Dever
4:03
6."The Anonymous Ones"Amandla Stenberg4:43
7."You Will Be Found"
  • Platt
  • Stenberg
  • Liz Kate
  • DeMarius Copes
  • Isaac Powell
  • Hadiya Eshé
  • Dever
  • Dear Evan Hansen Choir
5:58
8."Only Us"
  • Dever
  • Platt
3:59
9."Words Fail"Platt5:47
10."So Big / So Small"Julianne Moore4:25
11."A Little Closer"Ryan4:09
12."You Will Be Found" (featuring Summer Walker)Sam Smith3:57
13."The Anonymous Ones"SZA4:09
14."Only Us"
3:45
15."A Little Closer"Finneas4:02
16."Waving Through a Window"Tori Kelly4:26
Total length:70:29

Release

The film had its world premiere as the Opening Night Gala Presentation of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021, both virtually and in-theatre at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall.[3] Upon the announcement of its premiere, TIFF's co-head and artistic director Cameron Bailey remarked “There was no question that Dear Evan Hansen was the ideal film to launch the festival this year ... This film is ultimately about healing, forgiveness, and reaffirms how connected and essential we all are to one another. We couldn’t think of a more important idea to celebrate this year as we come together once again to share the power and joy of cinema in theaters together.”[34]

It is set to be released theatrically on September 24, 2021.[35][36] An early screening with a preceding live Q&A with the cast, presented by Fathom Events, will take place in select theaters across the United States on September 23, 2021.[37] On September 8, 2021, it was announced that the film will also be screened in IMAX[38] and Dolby Cinema.[39] Tickets went on sale two days later.[40]

On September 20, 2021, four days before the release date, the film was on pirate sites, caused by an online screener from TIFF.

It will hold its Japanese premiere on November 8, 2021, as the closing night film of the 2021 Tokyo International Film Festival.[41]

Marketing

The first trailer was released online on May 18, 2021.[10] The appearance of the character of Evan Hansen was met with criticism, with viewers commenting that Platt, at age 27, looked too old to play a teenager.[42][43][44] Platt dismissed the response, comparing his age to those of actors who played high school students in the 1978 film Grease.[42]

Four houseguests in the Big Brother 23 house saw an early screening, even before the world premiere, as a reward for winning the 'Power of Veto' competition; that episode aired on CBS on September 1, 2021.[45] Additionally, Platt performed "You Will Be Found" on NBC's America's Got Talent the same day, as well as "Waving Through a Window" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 15, 2021, to promote the film.[46][47]

The final trailer for the film was released online on September 16, 2021.[48]

Accusations of nepotism

The decision to cast Platt in the lead role also led to accusations of nepotism, as his father, Marc Platt, produced the film. In an interview with Zach Sang, Ben Platt said

I think the reaction is largely from people who don't understand the context of the piece – the fact that I created the role and workshopped it for three years ... Were I not to do the movie, it probably wouldn't get made. And so, I think, my defensive response is to want to go onto Twitter and be like, "F you, guys. You don't even know that this wouldn't exist without me." Of course, that's not true entirely and not my place to say. All I have to do is let the work speak for itself.[49]

Stephen Chbosky responded by saying

The truth is, I think a lot of the reason why people talk about this issue is the fact that we had an earlier version of him doing the same part (on Broadway). A lot of the actors in the movie are basically his age. No one ever asks me about Nik Dodani (who plays Evan's classmate, Jared, and is 27). They only ask me about Ben. But the vast majority of people who've seen the movie are just so blown away by what (Platt) does that they don't care and in my opinion, they shouldn't.[50]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Dear Evan Hansen is projected to gross $9-11 million from 3,300 theaters in its opening weekend.[51][2]

Critical response

According to review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 73 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 5/10. The critics consensus reads: "Dear Evan Hansen does a fair job of capturing the emotion of its source material, but it's undermined by questionable casting and a story that's hard to swallow."[52] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 41 out of 100 from 21 critics, indicating "mixed to average reviews."[53]

Steve Pond of TheWrap gave a positive review, praising the performances of Platt, Stenberg and Dever, and wrote that "If you have a heart and any kind of tolerance for musicals, at some point you will surrender to Dear Evan Hansen."[54] Corey Chichizola of CinemaBlend was also positive, writing "Dear Evan Hansen is a solid movie musical with some gorgeous performances. While the story might have suffered a bit in its journey to the screen, it’s ultimately a moving piece that asks some tough, contemporary questions."[55] Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post praised Platt's performance, writing that he "...tones down his stage performance just enough for the big screen, but retains Evan's quick sense of humor and lovable nature, despite his misdeeds. He pummels you in the end."[56] Jason Gorber of That Shelf wrote "Suspend disbelief beyond the musical tropes and snark about lead casting, it's a moving and effective take with exceptional performances, that takes a sticky story and makes it work within context of an emotional piece that earns its tears."[57] Scott Mendelson of Forbes wrote that "Dear Evan Hansen is an engaging and entertaining passion play, strengthened by a deluge of onscreen talent and subtly directed in a way that opens up the play without calling attention to its stage-bound roots. We can debate the "problematic" nature of the core narrative and how it does or doesn't address mental illness among today's high schoolers. Still, I'd argue the film is specific enough to not automatically qualify as a "one film to represent all" screed. While Platt reprising his Tony-winning role may be an unforced error, it's not a fatal one. As a singular feature film, it offers terrific performances, excellent vocals and a nuanced narrative that eventually becomes a treatise about, yes, the difference between being "nice" (telling people what they want to hear) and being "kind" (telling people what they need to hear)."[58] Alan Ng of Film Threat was also positive, writing "Dear Evan Hansen works on the big screen, and the musical’s book writer, Steven Levenson, brilliantly brings his play to the big screen. The songs are all pretty much ballads by The Greatest Showman duo, Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. There are no big dance numbers or an opening song called “Waving Through A Window” that is sung looking out a window. My point is that the musical and its songs lend themselves the up-close intimacy that film provides and that other musicals, like Into The Woods, could not pull off.[59] Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times wrote "Sorry, haters, the film isn't a train wreck. This musical, which had its Broadway premiere in 2016, works better in the theater. But the translation to the screen is smoother than expected."[60]

Peter Debruge of Variety was more mixed, criticizing the film's plotting and the choice to cast "actors born the previous century" as high school students, though he praised Dever's performance and the adjustments made to the script from the stage show, writing "The team behind the film haven’t necessarily fixed all that was wrong with the show, but they’ve been listening, at least, and that’s a start."[61] Tina Hassannia of IndieWire panned the film, giving it a D rating, criticizing Chbosky's direction and the music, "Dear Evan Hansen would have been a much more well-rounded mainstream movie about mental health if the writers had abandoned the original's artifice and adapted it for a more realistic genre, like a dramedy."[62] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote, "As was true of the stage production, the Dear Evan Hansen film wants to have it both ways, to see the awful lie at the center of Evan's message of hope and to still have it play as hopeful ... The better version of Dear Evan Hansen would use its grim story as the means to explore the false cheer and heavily synthetic inspiration content of so much contemporary online life." He also went on to criticize the decision to have Platt reprise his role, writing that "He maintains nearly all of his stage work’s highly articulated tics—Evan's hunched gait and wiggling hands, his stammered speech patterns—which played fine from many yards back in a theater, but are too mannered on film. He sticks out among his more screen-seasoned cast mates, as if his Broadway performance was simply video captured and, through CGI magic, bizarrely aged up and digitally inserted into everyone else’s littler, humbler movie."[63]

Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood wrote a negative review, calling it "an exercise in restraint. You either want to scream at the screen or shrink down in your chair from suffering secondhand embarrassment from these characters and their actions. The story is convinced it’s making a bold statement about mental illness, finding community and class structures, but it feels inauthentic and shallow."[64] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "The absence of a more cohesive unifying tone is noticeable in director Chbosky's nonmusical renderings, which also occasionally struggle to find an agreeable balance between the theatrical and the melodramatic. Despite the pesky distractions, Platt and company still manage to deliver the right message at precisely the right time."[65] Ian Freer of Empire gave it 3 stars out of 5 and praised Dever and Stenberg's performances, writing "Still, Chbosky, writer-director of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, has a feel for modern teen dynamics and gets good performances from his younger cast. Kaitlyn Dever commits as Connor's sister Zoe, who shared a broken relationship with her brother, and Amandla Stenberg gives depths to activist Alana, who leads a project to commemorate Connor's life. Which leaves Platt, who initiated the role on Broadway, and gives a strangely stage-y performance."[66] Alex Wood of WhatsOnStage also gave 3 stars out of 5, writing "So it all adds up to a mystifying finish. Spectators will likely land on one of three outcomes: it's either passably interesting (though overly long), rousingly novel or terrifyingly awful - all depending on whether or not you can empathise with Evan's so-called plight. That's something, I suppose."[67]

Nate Jones of Vulture wrote "What’s disturbing about Dear Evan Hansen is not just that the 27-year-old Platt is unbelievable as someone ten years younger. It’s that all the film’s efforts to make him appear plausibly teenage have the reverse effect of making the character of Evan Hansen appear to be somewhere in his mid-40s. When he gets up onstage for the second act’s big musical number, I wasn’t sure if he was going to memorialize his dead classmate or speak on the importance of 401(k) matching." Hellen Shaw, also writing for Vulture, said "The stage project was built around and for Platt’s ethereal voice, which is one part pop-Broadway, one part Vienna Boys Choir. Yet the actual content of the musical is distressing, messy, full of psychological manipulation and passive aggression. It’s therefore kind of … useful that we have to struggle to reconcile Platt’s angelic sound to his waxwork face. When the movie Dear Evan Hansen adds dimension to the stage version, it does so by working against the original’s platitudes and giving more weight to its inherent brutality. The musical’s sometimes-smeary qualities are burned off by the sheer weirdness of Platt’s attempts to “act” away a decade of human aging, which are exaggerated, sometimes to the point of comedy. His obvious “wrongness” makes mindless sympathy with the character a challenge; it turns any compassion you do muster for him into a (productively) difficult act."[68][69]

Karl Delossantos of Smash Cut gave one star out of five, calling it "...one of the worst movie-musicals ever made. Overwrought and emotionless at the same time, insensitive towards trauma and mental illness, and out of touch with reality. Jail to everyone."[70] David Crow of Den of Geek wrote that "Like its lead character, the movie doesn't realize its paying lip-service to trauma and the lonely for its own benefit, and the fact it is then so pleased with its cloying bromides makes this infinitely more uncomfortable to watch than CGI pussycats," comparing it negatively to the 2019 film adaptation of Cats, also produced by Universal.[71] Adrian Horton of The Guardian gave two stars out of five and wrote that "The movie asks the audience to not look at two elephants in the room, and unfortunately, no amount of soaring music can relieve that heavy a burden," while praising Dever's performance.[72] Kristy Puchko of IGN Movies gave it a 5 out of 10, writing that "Though Chbosky’s staging is uninspired, the songs — both old and new — are nonetheless powerful, which might be enough of a lure for fans of the show or musicals in general. Sadly, Platt’s calamitous casting dooms this adaptation to cringe-worthy awkwardness."[73] Dan Rubins of Slant Magazine gave it two stars out of four, writing "On paper, Dear Evan Hansen is a more cohesive, far more honest musical now. But as a film that strives to let its audience deepen their empathy, or may just see themselves reflected, through the characters’ struggles with mental health, it’s more likely to leave viewers, like Evan himself, on the outside, waving, wistfully, through a window."[74]

Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic wrote it "...grows more cringeworthy by the minute, and of course a reckoning is unavoidable. It is unsatisfying when it comes ... Of course there are no easy answers for this predicament, but “Dear Evan Hansen” does its best to find some. Moore and, especially, Dever seem the most realistically affected by what’s going on in the story; both bring an authenticity not found elsewhere. Yes, it’s a musical — strictly authenticity isn’t a requirement. Emotional authenticity, on the other hand, is. And that’s what “Dear Evan Hansen” could use more of."[75] David Sims of The Atlantic wrote that "Almost everything imaginable has gone wrong on the journey from stage to screen, and the result is a film that isn't even "so bad it's good," like some other recent musical movies; mostly, it's just painful to watch."[76] Katie Walsh of Hastings Tribune gave the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that the musical's "...leap to the "movie realistic" world on screen removes the veneer of artifice afforded by a theatrical setting, and the film simply cannot sustain that level of cognitive dissonance ... The effort put into making this film work is palpable, but the result is something deeply surreal and strange. Perhaps this story simply can’t work as a film, or perhaps it wasn’t a very good musical to begin with. It’s a question that may be debated for years to come."[77] Brian Truitt of USA Today gave it 2 stars out of 4, and felt it did not translate to the screen, writing "Recently filmed productions of Hamilton and Come from Away wondrously carry over the Great White Way experience, while the recent adaptation of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie offers a dazzling take on the West End musical. “Dear Evan Hansen” frustratingly falls in between, espousing the importance of empathy and connection but in a disappointing package."[78] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave it two stars and criticized the direction, writing "Chbosky can reassure himself that a slew of Broadway legends, from Harold Prince with A Little Night Music to Susan Stroman with The Producers, couldn’t figure out how to do it. Richard Attenborough, with A Chorus Line, really couldn’t. “Dear Evan Hansen” preserves many of the selling points of its stage incarnation. But “preserves” isn’t the same as “activates.”"[79] Josh Spiegel of /Film rated it a 3 out of 10, calling the film "misguided" and writing that it was "...five years too late. "Dear Evan Hansen" has core storytelling issues that would sink it in 2016 or 2021 or any other time. But it's a time capsule of a period of the early 2010s that isn't aware of how untimely, how ungainly, and how excruciatingly awkward it is now."[80] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle criticized the direction, music and runtime, writing "Adolescence can be difficult, but never so difficult as actually sitting through all 137 minutes of "Dear Evan Hansen," an insufferably twee film adaptation of the Broadway musical ... Director Stephen Chbosky needed to bring this stage musical into greater balance with the film medium. He needed to make “Dear Evan Hansen” less grandiose. He needed to pick up the pace and chop 10 minutes from the running time. It’s still possible that wouldn’t have saved it, but it might have made it less awful."[81]

Studio and filmmakers' response

According to The Wrap, the producers and Universal executives were both "deeply disappointed" by the backlash to both the film and some of its elements, but also proud of the work with Marc Platt being among those defiant to the response. An insider for the industry added that "There is confidence on the Universal lot that general audiences will turn up to theaters well into the Fall."[82] Screenwriter and co-executive producer Steven Levenson was softer to the response, saying that he’s a "believer in the “value of criticism” and points out the show has “always been something that makes people talk.”" He went on to talk about his hope that the film, despite the backlash, will start its own conversation about mental health and social media, saying to Vulture, “It’s totally fine if you don’t like the movie. Or you think we shouldn’t have cast Ben in it. But in social media — this is something the movie explores — it’s easier to forget that there are human beings on the other side of those tweets. And whatever you think about someone’s performance or their age-appropriateness, they’re still a person. The cruelty, I think, is discouraging.”[83] Ben Platt, following the premiere, decided to tune out the negative reception during the film's wide release, saying "All I can do is play a character, and when I’m playing a character, there’s all sorts of things about myself that are not like who I am – I weigh a little less or I dress a little differently or my hair is a little curlier. And in this particular case, I’m someone younger than I am and that’s my job as an actor is to play things that are not like me."[82]

References

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