Dear Evan Hansen
100 words or less:
A movie based on a Broadway play with music from the songwriters of La La Land and The Greatest Showman. That was all I knew going into this one. This movie essentially met my expectations, which weren’t super high in the first place, but had some fairly awkward acting early on that almost ruined what turned out to be a touching story that has an excellent message we all have heard before that connects better through the way the story is told, that message being that anyone can struggle with mental health issues, whether we see it or not.
Full Review:
If you are anything like me then you have struggled or are currently struggling with your mental health, be it depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. Struggling with these issues can take a heavy toll on a person and in the worst of cases, can push someone to do the unthinkable and attempt to harm themselves in order to put an end to the pain that comes with these issues. Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a high schooler with severe anxiety and depression who is put into the horrible situation of being the last connection a family has to their son who has taken his own life after struggling with depression.
The story struggles early as it jumps haphazardly into the main concept. The first 20 minutes made me nervous for the remainder of the movie as I wasn’t connecting with the characters and I just thought the beginning was rushed. Once the story settled down and we got to spend more time with Evan and the Murphy family, that was when the movie started to click.
One may think that the music in a movie based off a Broadway play would be the main factor for determining whether a movie should be seen, but at times the songs almost seem forced and distract from the plot. That isn’t to say the music is bad, because it is fantastic. I just feel like some of the moments were odd to have just one person singing while everyone else in a scene continues to talk like they are having a normal conversation.
Would I say this is a must see movie for everyone? No, this is a movie that will be on a streaming platform at some point and would be excellent to watch then. The message of this movie however is something we all need to keep in mind. You don’t know what a person is going through in their head. No one does except for them. Be kind to each other and just be a good person because your kindness can easily make someone’s day.
7/10 Climbable Trees
P.S. If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to your loved ones or seek help. Please know you are not alone and even though you may not realize it and you may feel insignificant, you are more important to so many people than you can ever imagine.
