The smash-hit Broadway musical which many have disregarded for its problematic casting and representation of a troubled protagonist.
I found the original Broadway version of Dear Evan Hansen at the very beginning of the first lockdown and remember it as the beginning of my discovery of musicals as an incredible form of entertainment. Despite my love for other musicals that were formed during this time, the difficult yet relatable themes of mental health written into the show have been the reason that it remains my favourite. I had always thought that the musical would make an incredible film therefore hearing the announcement of an adapted screenplay was exciting let alone the casting original Evan (Ben Platt) as the socially anxious protagonist to return to a role that he perfected. Even at the time of this announcement, I remember the extensive discussion around Platt's age being discussed, however, the backlash that the film has now received because of it is disappointing.
The general tone that was created throughout the film with the use of a darkened colour palette and clean cinematography, for me, didn't hold much significance in the film as I feel that the narrative and acting were so important that stylistically the film didn't need to be too complex. Nevertheless, stylistically many of the settings and modern edits especially within 'You will be found' and 'Sincerely me.' were carefully constructed in a way that complemented the narrative. Furthermore, despite some songs from the original musical being removed and the ending being changed, I do feel that the writing of the film especially aimed to depict Evan as a struggling teenager who was desperately in need of someone who had the capacity to support him through his poor mental health. So was Ben Platt the right person the fulfill this complex role.
Obviously, I have strongly considered both sides to this argument as they are logical responses. From one perspective that is often adopted by first-time viewers of the musical that would not know the context behind Ben Platt and his association with the musical, you could view the casting as irresponsible as the mature appearance which is inevitably created by a 28-year-old man which makes it difficult to view Evan as the anxious teen he is supposed to be. What causes such a problem with this casting is the importance that teenage life plays within the film as it strongly contributes to the atmosphere that is causing Evan's social anxiety.
In contrast, many have discussed the idea of the film's dedication to the original musical which simply would not have been so successful without Ben Platt as his performative abilities set such a high standard for the musical with the embodiment of a character who has had a vast impact on the audiences who have seen the musical. Therefore casting anyone else would almost disregard the important role that Platt played in bringing Evan to life. With a great deal of thought, I would argue the latter. As such a huge fan of the original show, I may be slightly biased however I would also add that seeing Platt throughout the film did not make the story any less believable for me especially because I am used to seeing high school kids in films who appear to be twice the allocated age.
Another huge criticism that the film received was its adaptions made to the ending as they argued that it removed the responsibility from Evan and for his actions. Without going into too much detail I would argue strongly against this point as I think that Evan's attempts to make it up to the Murphey's in the film are far greater than the musical as he tries to find the remaining parts of Connor's memory that he pretended to know in the people who knew Connor best, therefore, accepting the severity of the situation and trying hard to pick up the pieces. However, I could see how an audience may view this as Evan being selfish by once again trying to find a way to be the hero in the situation as he lacks that sense of appreciation that fulfilling this role gives him.
Overall I would give the film 4 1/2 stars as I felt as if it did really cinematically embody the emotional story that was originally told on Broadway in a refreshing style that incorporated new elements to the story.
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