Movies: Want To Feel Disappointed? Check Out Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen,
I wanted to like your movie. Tackling issues that affect me on daily basis, my excitement for this film was sky-high. I’m always thankful and overjoyed when a movie comes out and sheds light on the stigma of mental health. For that reason, Silver Linings Playbook is a top-3 film of all time in my eyes. That will not be the case here. I enjoyed the message of your film. As an actual movie, I felt let down.
Let me explain Dear Evan Hansen. It’s a very powerful and emotional picture. You really can’t grasp without seeing how this could change many viewpoints on mental health. It has the potential to be very eye-opening. For that aspect, I applaud the filmmakers. You’ll gain a much greater understanding from watching DEH of how the tragic aftermaths of mental health can affect those you love.
I’m not judging Dear Evan Hansen for its message. I’m judging it because it was one of the poorest directed films of all time. That might seem like a real stretch, it’s not. Stephen Chbosky has directed The Perks of Being A Wallflower, a very emotional film in its own right. To be honest, I don’t know what happened with Evan Hansen.
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The first 2 acts of DEH, amazing. I was convinced that it would be my top film of the year. Then, it went downhill faster than an avalanche on Mt. Everest. How do you end your 2nd act on such a high, emotional, and uplifting tone, and then bring it down to earth with such slow pacing? It became drawn out, boring, monotonous. I can’t express how sad and disappointed I felt as the film played out.
You needed to end the film by tying up the loose ends. Chbosky could have done more to make the ending feel a bit more powerful and emotional. I felt cheated by the end of this film. Yes, all the characters are at peace, however, the huge emotional send-off of the film came with 50 minutes left. There was literally nothing left after that point, even if the director tried to make it feel like there was.
I won’t go too much into the plot or what I found wrong about this film. I just really question Chbosky. A lot of his character development with Evan just felt off. I never got the sense that Evan was even remotely resentful that he might have caused someone’s suicide. That is left up to interpretation, as there is no clear answer if that is what we actually believe to think. From my eyes, that is indeed what happened.
I wish I had seen this on Broadway. Some stories are better told through the eyes of a playwright and not a director. You’re given much less to work with on stage. The music, dialogue and emotion drive the play. In a film, there are a lot more variables to work with. Broadway, the music takes center stage, almost more than the acting itself. I felt that with Dear Evan Hansen, the only thing that really translated well was the music.
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Not to be lost in the shuffle of a mediocre film, Ben Platt. Yes, he’s older in real life than Evan Hansen is portrayed, and for some, that was a big issue. Myself, I didn’t care. Platt made this role on Broadway. He won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Evan Hansen. There was no other actor to play this. He nailed it, and if I have one really big positive from this film, Platt was (how it stands now) the best actor in any 2021 film.
I can’t also stress how Amy Adams and Julianne Moore did here as well. Nothing special in terms of acting, just very well-rounded in their roles.
I wish I would have liked Dear Evan Hansen more. The topic of mental health is always something I hold near to my heart. When I say I felt let down, I meant it. I was so let down; I have to consider Evan Hansen as a top-5 worst film of 2021. It’s appalling how quick this film goes from amazing to bland. The third act is so excruciating and drawn out, I wanted to leave the theater. The woman sitting next to me fell asleep with 2 minutes left in the film. The shocking part was that it didn’t happen 45 minutes earlier. That absolutely devastates me that I have to admit that.
Image Source: Universal
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
