BY CHRISTOPHER STAMM
GUEST MOVIE REVIEWER
Dear Evan Hansen (Now showing in theatres)
Rated PG13 – For adult themes.
I need to be honest with you, dear reader. I went to see Dear Evan Hansen with the lowest of expectations, knowing nearly nothing about it. So why go, you ask? Because I enjoy writing reviews for you dear readers, I enjoy the feedback I get from you, and I cannot always just go see films that interest me and me alone.
So off I went to the cinema, dragging my feet, wondering how long this film would be, and not wondering if I would like it, but wondering how much I would dislike it.
The lights dimmed, the previews ran, and the film began. Now, resigned to my fate for the next two hours and twelve minutes, I settled in and waited. Then the lead character broke into song. My skin crawled, and I breathed a deep sigh, because, you see, I had no idea it was a musical. But then something happened. I started to listen to the lyrics, and they had something to say – actually a lot to say, and my attention increased.
And then the story unfolded at an even, well-crafted pace, and I became very interested – actually enthralled. The story captured me in a way few films have in the last decade or so.
Dear Evan Hansen has something to say, and we all should listen.
The film is built around the suicide of a deeply troubled young man, still in high school, still with his entire life before him. We see the impact of this act and the colossal misunderstanding that follows, through the eyes of Evan Hanson, another troubled young man who feels he is on the outside, looking in at everyone else’s happy lives, never realizing – due to his youth or perhaps his focus on his own life – that all of us, every last one of us, at some point felt like the outsider looking in.
As always, I wish to remain spoiler free, so I will not say much about the plot, but I will give a shout out to the cast. Ben Platt as Evan Hanson is amazing, simply amazing. Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Kaitlyn Dever are all spectacular in their respective roles. And Amanda Stenberg, who as an overachieving student at Evan’s high school, connects with both Evan and the audience in a way that is remarkable through a truly touching song.
People that know me would never call me weepy or overly sensitive, but it would be a lie to say I did not remove my glasses to wipe my eyes once or twice during this film.
As you may have noticed, I have left my usual snark and/or sarcasm out of this review. It has no place here today, my friends. This film has something to say, and what it is telling us, is that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you are feeling, nobody is ever truly alone – none of us. We all should listen to this message and be willing to be that person for someone else. This film gets a full five out of five stars.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of harming themselves, please reach out to a friend or a family member or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255.