“Dear Evan Hansen” (2021) Movie Review
A Review by Victor DeBonis
Misguided and surprisingly unkind at points, “Dear Evan Hansen” is a movie that I really wanted to enjoy so much. Anyone who knows me recognizes that I’m a huge advocate for discussing mental health. I’m passionate about discussing the subject, given how I and others have had our own experiences and challenges through it.
This movie clearly wants to help address issues with mental health as well, and I can think of one or two scenes/numbers that do it okay (particularly, the student president’s song). The rest of the film, unfortunately, struggles to provide a good message mostly because of the poor script. I’m not sure what the original play was like, but it’s hard for me to see how something could be so successful if its main character did actions that were this selfish and unlikable.
At the start, one can see a little why he was trying to do what he was, but, as he keeps going and actually gets a “friend” of his to create more fake letters for him, it makes him appear less as though he’s trying to raise spirits and more as though he’s trying to gain greater attention despite a horrible tragedy having taken place.
The movie wants us to feel sympathy for the main character because the actor (despite being way too old for this role) is giving his all in his performance, and he has undeniably good singing vocals, and he appears very wounded and alone. I feel bad for his outcast scenario, but it’s hard for me to care more about his scenario when he is so dismissive of his mother’s attempts to be nice and he doesn’t try to be nicer to others, such as the student president, who try to show a bit of kindness in his direction.
You might notice that I use words “bit” and “attempt” when describing characters’ kindness in the movie. It is with purpose because, quite frankly, this movie is filled with the most unlikable, mean-spirited group of people I’ve seen in a movie in a long time.
Amy Adams and Julianne Moore try their hardest to bring some hint of humanity to their roles, and Moore probably comes closest. Overall, however, there is no legitimate sense of compassion following the immediate death of someone in this movie. This is a story about a person who commits suicide, and the family of this person literally can’t find positive things to say about their own son/brother at the dinner table to Evan. Each of them is too self-absorbed to the point of insanity, and the daughter says some pretty hateful things about her brother.
The student president seems to want to do good and has a genuine dilemma that makes her situation understandable to a certain degree, but it seems as though she’s simply exploiting a tragedy for her own gain. And, Evan’s “family friend” Jared is so dismissive and so cruel in how he speaks to him that I legitimately found myself wishing that, at some point in the movie, something bad would happen to him…and, Jared isn’t supposed to be a villain.
This movie reminded me of an older 90’s teen series, “Dawson’s Creek” a show that I still can’t stand for how it shows its characters doing such ugly actions and words but still wants us to view them as charming and empathize them for what they’re going through. The problem with that show (and especially this movie) is that you need to do something that goes the extra effort to make them more likable to start with.
We don’t know much about the sister figure except that she hated her brother and liked music a bit. We don’t know much about Moore’s character aside from the fact that she’s a hard- working nurse. Heck, we don’t even know anything about Evan save for the fact that he has social anxiety.
Everyone here seems to be defined only by why they’re so distant from someone and lacking qualities that could help bring them closer to someone to create a believable bond or make them appear more likable in some way. The movie wants us to care about them and feel bad for them, but the characters aren’t given anything to make us connect with them, so it doesn’t fly.
The musical numbers themselves are not that special. The aforementioned song from the president has a clear, good intention surrounding it, but the lyrics of many of the other songs are forgettable. Aside from actor Ben Platt, many of the other actors’ singing vocals sound limited from their range and how far they can truly sing.
As far as commentary about mental health goes, it doesn’t dive into the subject as much as it could. There are a few times that a character might talk about, say, taking medications (as needed) for anxiety or depression or appearing happy when one is really experiencing diagnosed depression. Those are good things that I’m happy that the movie addresses, but the rest of the film leaves little room for having a greater discussion beyond simply mentioning these actions, and it focuses more on Evan’s uncomfortable actions and the effect that they have on everybody.
I feel as though I should be as mad at this movie as I still am about “Joker” and what, in my opinion, a huge disservice that movie does to the mental health community. The thing is that I’ve seen the filmography of the director of “Joker” and, based on those films and interviews that I’ve read about him, Todd Phillips comes across as someone with a legitimately mean-spirited vibe who doesn’t seem aware of how his film sends a bad message.
Director Stephen Chbosky, on the other hand, did “Wonder” before this movie, and that was a fantastic film that said so much about empathy and had such wonderful characters and relationships with a heart and courage bigger than any I’d seen from a movie in some time. “Wonder” is an excellent movie that I think of when I reflect upon Roger Ebert’s quote about how movies are “empathy machines” and I highly recommend everyone to see it.
I know that Chbosky is a good director. I honestly see genuine sincerity from Chbosky and his work, even in something like this that fails.
I can see the good heart in “Wonder” and I can honestly see the good intent trying to show through in this movie. It just seems somewhat lost, and its bad script and awkward elements hold it back from being something better.
If you liked or loved this movie and found something meaningful from it, that’s awesome. I notice what’s been going on with mental health, and it warms my heart that many sources of mediaband people are trying to have genuine discussions about mental health and how to aid others who are struggling.
I applaud this film for wanting to add to the discussion as well. And, I wish the very best for this director in his future. The movie, itself, unfortunately falls flat and is more misguided and lost in its own ambition.
Grade: D+