Despite the criticism, Platt reprised his role as the high school student in this movie and did a great job. He was able to show his age and still play the part convincingly.
The actor who played Evan Hansen in the movie, has already been in the role for a while now and has had plenty of experience with it. He is also not just a teenager anymore, but he is also an experienced actor. This makes him perfect for the role of Evan Hansen and allows the movie to focus on his performance more than on his age.
The story revolves around a misunderstanding that spirals out of control. Evan, a high school student, is asked by his therapist to write letters to himself but unfortunately, one of these letters ends up in the hands of Connor Murphy, an out-of-control and unpopular student who later dies after taking his own life. Connor’s parents find the letter and assuming it was a note he had written for Evan, they visit the school and give it to him. ..
Evan doesn’t let on that he wrote the letter. In fact, he lets Connor’s parents believe that he was close friends with their son, as this seems to bring them a lot of peace and solace during their time of grief. Evan doesn’t only concoct the story of this apparent friendship to comfort the boy’s parents, however. He also fabricates the truth to get closer to Connor’s sister as he has a secret crush on her. ..
Evan’s lie has had a number of negative consequences for his family and the school project he set up in Connor’s name. Despite this, there is still some good that comes from the lie. For example, Evan’s family has been able to rebuild their lives after the tragedy and Connor has been able to achieve his goals of becoming a successful musician.
Evan’s actions are morally reprehensible, so the story is quite problematic. At times, we are supposed to feel sorry for him, even though he has used a classmate’s suicide as a means to get close to the girl he likes. Evan isn’t actually an unlikeable character though, so there are times when you still might feel sympathy for him. And the fact that he is as broken and confused as Connor was does give some context to the lies he spins, so you might be able to tolerate his plight, even if his actions can be considered outwardly deplorable.
Dear Evan Hansen is a touching and powerful story about a high school student who struggles with mental health issues. It successfully showcases the things people will do when a close loved one dies, such as the ways in which Connor’s parents desperately try to keep their son alive by learning more about him from his peers. And the movie mostly succeeds in its exploration of mental health themes, not only in the moments when it touches upon Connor’s inner battles but when revealing more about Evan and his anxiety-induced problems too. ..
The songs are all very good, even if you struggle with the story. And the performances are all stellar. We have already mentioned Platt, but special credit needs to be given to Julianne Moore as his fatigued mother and to Amy Adams and Kaitlyn Dever who portray Connor’s mother and sister respectively. These aren’t the only good performances as the entire cast do justice to the characters they have been tasked with portraying so everybody deserves some commendation.
This is a mixed bag of a movie. There will be some who will dismiss it because of Evan’s behaviour and I can understand that. But with its sensitive handling of such subjects as suicide, teenage isolation, and the complications of parental grief, there is still a well-thought-out story here, even if it is, on the surface, quite problematic.
Dear Evan Hansen is a movie about a young man who is trying to find his place in the world and how he deals with the struggles of being different. It may resonate with you as you have experienced similar struggles in your life.
