TIFF 2021: Dear Evan Hansen Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

It was only inevitable that the musical phenomenon that is Dear Evan Hansen would be adapted into a feature film. That being said many musical to feature adaptations have not gone seamlessly to say the least and this one is no exception. While it does possess many qualities that are sure to be crowd-pleasers such as great music (though not all of the songs from the original production made it to the film) and performances led by the original Broadway star Ben Platt though his age does show this time around. While those qualities are sure to be enough for many audiences, they are for better or worse tied together by a not so spectacular story marred with tonal issues that occasionally veers towards melodrama and the problematic. The fate of the film ultimately rests on the ability of audiences to connect with the titular character which is likely to go either way. Meanwhile, with a running time nearing 2.5 hours, the film is unfortunately a touch longer than it probably needed to be.

For the few unaware of the musical in which the film is based, Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of Evan Hansen (Platt), an awkward teen who inadvertently found himself in a compromising situation when he got lumped in with a classmate named Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) who committed suicide. Based on a mere misunderstanding, the situation snowballed as Hansen saw himself put under the spotlight which was a position unfamiliar to him. This experience was a journey of self-discovery for him as he learned what it truly meant to be accepted. However, this would come at the expense of the Murphy family for whom Hansen grew closer to as a result of that misunderstanding and other circumstances. As a result, some may also take issue with the sidelining of the Murphy grief (and other major issues) at the expense of Hansen’s ultimate character arc. The film does not treat them favorably for the most part as its melodramatic aspects do not mesh nearly as well with the coming of age side of things.

The film’s foundation may be lacking but in the end, the best part of Dear Evan Hansen was its performances. While Platt is definitely too old for the role, it’s not as big of an issue as the film’s trailers made it out to be. No one else could have played the role he originated better and his charisma and screen presence not to mention his voice all make for a character that was still compelling to watch. Everyone else, was also at the top of their respective games with Dever, Moore, and Amy Adams being standouts as Zoe Murphy, Heidi Hansen, and Cynthia Moore respectively. They all make the best out of the material and they all could surprisingly sing.

At the end of the day, Dear Evan Hansen is a crowd-pleaser that is sure to be a hit with fans of the original musical and musicals but others may take issue. Either way, it’s selling a lot of soundtracks.

still courtesy of Universal Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.