‘Dear Evan Hansen’ review: Musical goes full melodrama on the big screen

Broadway musical-turned-movie 'Dear Evan Hansen' may not be for everyone, but it's an emotional ride nonetheless.

Musicals very rarely make a smooth transition into movies — see Les Misérables or Phantom of the Opera or the recent Cats — so there’s a lot of pressure on Broadway darling Dear Evan Hansen to make the grade.

The Tony Award-winning musical, which follows the story of Evan Hansen (played onscreen by Ben Platt), an anxious, depressed teenager trying to make his way through high school in the age of social media, mostly succeeds as a movie. Interestingly, it could survive without any of the songs and might actually be a better film, but that’s neither here nor there as the songs are here to stay.

Dear Evan Hansen, film version, is melodramatic, particularly when the actors sing/yell/cry into the camera, but even if you’re not one to identify with this kind of movie, you will probably find yourself under its spell by the end. Most of the supporting actors are magnetic, and play a vital part in filling out the story.

You’d think so, but he manages to pull it off. He’ll be turning 28 on the date of release, so he’s a good decade out of high school. Still, this isn’t something new; Hollywood has been casting full-on adults as teens since the ’80s. It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t detract from the movie, and, to be honest, critics of the film are focusing on this non-issue too much.

Critics have publicly aired their feelings about the movie: some are theatre fans and say it’s not loyal to the play, others think it’s a weak display of the trials of mental illness, and others still say one of the main characters gets short shrift (I won’t reveal here as to not spoil). It’s definitely not a perfect film, and probably goes on a bit too long — it’s longer than the actual play — but it’s a telling tale, particularly in regard to social media and our at-a-distance culture.

When something awful happens to someone in the movie, the teens are quick to “support” the cause, but are they doing it for genuine reasons or are they merely taking part in order to further themselves? Our answer might be revealed when we see people taking selfies in front of the character’s locker to post to social media. “Doing it for the ‘gram” or “doing it for the likes” — either way, it’s a clear depiction of our current reality.

I will concede the movie stumbles when it deals with suicide and suicidal ideation. It’s far too surface-brush, almost glossed over by song, and loved ones are too quick at overcoming grief.

The biggest standout to me, although her character is thinly drawn, is Amandla Stenberg as overachieving student Alana Beck. You might remember her from her starring role in 2018’s The Hate U Give, and it’s nice to see her on-screen charisma isn’t limited to that movie. She has a presence that’s tough to describe, but whenever she’s a part of the proceedings, things perk up. Vets Julianne Moore, Amy Adams and Danny Pino, as the parents, all excel in their parts and, excluding Adams, surprise as relatively strong singers.