The Walleye Magazine

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

Evan Hansen, a high school kid, writes letters to himself as therapy for his social anxiety. After a classmate, Connor, commits suicide, one of these notes is found in his pocket, and this triggers the narrative plot of his timely, complicated, and overly long musical. The weak elements of this movie adaptation (a screenplay by Steven Levenson based on his stage script, with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) are Ben Platt in the title role—he is 28 years old, and looks it—and Stephen Chbosky’s direction, which typically makes everything bigger visually than it would be on stage. The showstopping song, “You Will Be Found,” begins with Platt stuttering alone in fear. It then builds to what looks visually like an American 4th of July fireworks explosion of faces, full screen. The best things are Pasek and Paul’s music and lyrics, which are intelligent, focused, analytical, character-driven, and empathetic, and the performances of Colton Ryan (who plays the dead Connor) and Kaitlyn Dever (as Connor’s sister Zoe). Despite its length, I got involved in the story.

FilmTheatre

en-ca

2021-11-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thewalleye.pressreader.com/article/283609583414140

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