Dear Evan Hansen streaming now, based on the hit Broadway musical, is now available on CraveTV and HBO MAX or on Blue Ray. Follow the story of a high school senior who spirals into a web of lies that threaten to unravel his life.
What is Dear Evan Hansen?
Dear Evan Hansen is a movie released on October 30th, 2020. The film is based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name. It follows the story of a high school senior who fabricates a relationship with a deceased student because he can’t tell the truth; it’s that case when a small lie becomes a massive avalanche. While the movie without a doubt is full of heart-wrenching moments and beautiful music, it also has the potential to be a powerful commentary on mental health and the dangers of social media.
Dear Evan Hansen Plot
“Dear Evan Hansen” follows the story of Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety who becomes entangled in a web of lies after the suicide of a fellow student, Connor Murphy. When a note that Evan wrote to himself is mistaken as Connor’s suicide note, Evan finds himself fabricating a close friendship with Connor, which gains him the attention and admiration of Connor’s family and classmates. As Evan’s lie becomes more elaborate, he begins to lose control and must come to terms with the consequences of his actions. The show explores themes of mental health, grief, and the impact of social media on our lives.
What went wrong with the film adaptation?
Since Broadway shows have been adapted into films, there has always been a debate about why the successful original actor who performs the role on Broadway doesn’t get cast in the film adaptation. Most of the time is not fair. The original Broadway actor workshops the role for years, performing countless times off-Broadway until they finally got the run on time square.
For example, one of the biggest upsets was when Julie Andrews didn’t make the film version of My fair lady; instead, they cast Audrey Hepburn. And they did it because she was a movie star at the time, and Julie Andrews was only known in the theatre scene. The funny part is that Julie won the Oscar the same year Audrey was nominated for my fair lady, but Julie won for Mary Poppins.
Ben Platt workshopped the role of Evan Hansen for three years, and it was in every production until it hit Broadway and won the Tony. He was a teen when it all started. In Theatre, you can get away with age, but not in the film, unless visual effects or makeup are in place.
When the movie version of Dear Evan Hansen became an idea, they knew they needed Ben to make the project a reality. And that’s how everything started
Universal Studios hired Stephen Chbosky, director of the excellent Teen Movie, “the perks of Being a Wallflower”, a fantastic book adaptation. A rear occasion when an adaptation hits the right spots. They didn’t hire any other actors from the Original Broadway Production for the movie even thou they were tony award winners.
Ben had built a fame for himself thanks to the Broadway show. But Ryan Murphy gave him the exposition he needed with the failed Netflix series “The Politician.” The show was good only in the first episodes until it went down the hill like almost all Murphy projects.
So it wasn’t a brainer not to cast Platt, except that he was already 27 years old when they started shooting the movie. Hiring people in their mid-20s to play high schoolers is almost a requirement in Hollywood. It has been, and it will be. I don’t think they thought that would be a problem.
In an interview, Platt said he wanted to look younger and skinnier and had a specific physicality for the movie. He lost 15 pounds, grew his “curly jew hair” (as he quoted) and shaved 3 times a day. He is very hairy, which is just genes.
The problem, I think, lies in three facts. A wrong screen test or no screen test at all. Makeup and hair weren’t adequately given importance. The hair is totally wrong. Someone must have been in charge to say how we could make it look younger instead of letting Patt provide input to the role as if he was making a theatre production.
I can think of plenty of ways they could approach the hair and makeup, including the right wigs or hairstyles suited to him. The second is to cast high school actors, supporting roles and backgrounds closer to Platt’s age.
I get it, Evan is an outsider, but Ben’s acting wasn’t enough to sell that idea, bringing me to the third problem. They thought only the enormous talent of Platt would be enough. He sure is talented and has an incredible voice, but again is not Theatre; it is a movie.
Movie making is a highly collaborative media from writers to makeup and hair, cinematography and editing. Great film actors know this. Know how to complement their talent with other departments. In the case of this movie, Platt’s talent wasn’t enough; it wasn’t about him; it was about the project and what was needed. I understand they needed to cast him, but they should make Platt fit in the project. Not the project fit Platt.
I hope this failed production doesn’t scare producers into casting Broadway actors in future adaptations. This was a rare case and sadly died.
It is a challenging musical to adapt. It is sad and dramatic, but suddenly, the actors break into songs. The director was directing another high school drama, not a musical. And that was another of the biggest mistakes. The tone was wrong.
The fantastic French movie “Love Song” is a musical and a great drama. The approach to the songs is on point, and the tone is right; they knew they were making a musical, so when the actors break into songs, it feels natural.
In Dear Evan, Hansen looks forced, looks odd… uncomfortable. There is a moment when Chbosky holds an extended close-up of Amy Adams while Platt sings, and as an audience, you can’t stop thinking, “What the hell?”.
The last scene between Julian Moore and Platt in the dining room is terrible. It was disappointing because the moment in the story is beautiful and the acting was fantastic, but in the film, it didn’t work, and again because the director didn’t know how to do it. It reminded me of the failed version of Jersey Boys (review by Roger Ebert), directed by Clint Eastwood, another director who didn’t know he was making a musical.
The good things about Dear Evan Hansen Streaming the movie
Now the good things. The music is fantastic, the story is engaging, and some of the dramatic moments when they are not singing are really touching, like when the stepdad comes home and finally is available to cry.
Don’t watch the movie if you watched the Broadway show and didn’t want to be disappointed. Keep the good memories. If you never watch the musical, then yes, watch it. Just tell your brain; I believe the actor who plays Evan is a teenager, and do not read the comments on the trailer because there are some very creative and funny ones that you can’t stop thinking about while watching Ben’s performance.
I will end this with this thought. Ben is a talented actor and gave everything in this role; he doesn’t deserve to be treated poorly. Bad choices were made but let’s not punish him for that.
FAQ
Requiem Dear Evan Hansen lyrics
[Verse 1: Cynthia]
Why should I play this game of pretend?
Remembering through a secondhand sorrow?
Such a great son and wonderful friend
Oh, don’t the tears just pour
I can curl up and hide in my room
There in my bed, still sobbing tomorrow
I would do anything for him
If only I knew what to do
[Chorus: Cynthia & Zoey]
If only I could find a way
To feel his spirit beside me
And know that he’s proud
That I’ve kept the best of him alive
What would I give to see him smile?
To hear his voice, to say “Hello”
How will I make it through this wretched day?
Without him?
[Verse 2: Cynthia]
What’s the point of singing songs
If they don’t even make you feel better?
I’ll sing along, I’ll sing along
I’ll make the most of what little time I have left
With him, with him
[Chorus: Cynthia & Zoey]
If only we had more time
I’d hold him tighter, I’d tell him more
That I love him, and I’m proud of what he’s done
What would I give to see him smile?
To hear his voice, to say “Hello”
How will I make it through this wretched day?
Without him?
[Bridge: Cynthia]
How can you say you’re no part of me?
When I see your face every day
What should I do if you never grew old
But I’ll never know, ’cause you’ll never show
And I’ll never see you again
If only I could have seen
What you wanted me to see
[Outro: Cynthia & Zoey]
If only I could have heard
What you wanted me to hear
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
He’s with me, he’s with me
Is dear evan hansen based on a true story?
No, “Dear Evan Hansen” is not based on a true story. It is a work of fiction created by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The story and characters are not based on real people or events.
Who is Jared in Dear Evan Hansen?
Jared is a character in the musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” He is a high school student and a classmate of the main character, Evan Hansen. Jared is sarcastic and often makes inappropriate jokes, but he is also a loyal friend to Evan.
How long is Dear Evan Hansen, the movie?
The runtime of the “Dear Evan Hansen” film is 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Dear Evan Hansen Original Cast
The original cast of “Dear Evan Hansen” includes:
Ben Platt as Evan Hansen
Laura Dreyfuss as Zoe Murphy
Rachel Bay Jones as Heidi Hansen
Jennifer Laura Thompson as Cynthia Murphy
Mike Faist as Connor Murphy
Michael Park as Larry Murphy
Will Roland as Jared Kleinman
The show premiered on Broadway in December 2016, and the original cast performed until November 2017.
Dear Evan Hansen book
Was Dear Evan Hansen a book first?
No, “Dear Evan Hansen” was first created as a stage musical. The musical premiered in Washington, D.C., in 2015 and later moved to Broadway in 2016. It wasn’t until after the success of the musical that it was adapted into a novel by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The novel was published in 2018.
The novel follows the same story as the musical. It is written in the form of letters from the main character, Evan Hansen, to himself and explores themes of social anxiety, depression, and the impact of social media on mental health. Click here to buy!
