DEAR EVAN HANSEN Movie Musical - News & Discussion Thread- Page 32

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 9:55am

Owen22 said: "Well...apparently Stephen Chbosky is an as*hole..

https://twitter.com/epsteindara/status/1436533842203009026?s=19"

No he's not. There is a stark difference in how musical theatre is performed on stage and on film and this is a KNOWN thing that your choices have to be subtler. 

Twitter is a cesspool of bad faith takes honestly.

[copskid949]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 10:30am

Jordan Catalano said: "Has there ever been a case of a film version actually hurting the currently running show?"

I don’t have an example to provide, but it’s worth mentioning that the TikTok crowd (probably the most crucial ticket sales, as they’ve now gotten to be older teenagers/twenty somethings) has been very vocal about their disapproval of the show’s plot. If the Broadway production doesn’t keep bringing in big names like Jordan Fisher, it’s likely that the (allegedly) very visible story flaws will not only tank the movie, but hurt the chances of these kids wanting to experience that live. The newer generations are becoming very in-the-know about mental health and learning to talk about it. If this movie is as careless as the reviews suggest, they’ll know. And if they don’t notice immediately, their favorite musical theater TikToker will point it out on their own platforms. It’s already been happening to this show’s story for about a year, to the point where it’s now a common point of discussion.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 10:33am

^ I enjoyed his work on Wonder and Perks Of Being A Wallflower

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 10:38am

I suspect the reviews coming out of tonight's 92nd Street Y screening/conversation will be more positive, since it should be more of a fan event, unlike TIFF.

[unclevictor]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 10:49am

The Gawker review is brilliant and pretty spot on!! Ben just…sucked in the movie. Oh, and that wig…

[denali.fire]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 11:26am

Bettyboy72 said: "He would be in such a better place if he just had a cameo as a teacher or guidance counselor walking down the hall and gave a wink or smiled and the film were populated with actual teens. That would have been super cute.

He could then focus on promoting his album and tour. Instead he’s dealing with this steaming turd that has tainted what was a zeitgeist moment of a truly spectacular Broadway performance. His voice was astounding in the show and he sold out the entire run. The original run was a phenomenon. Now it’s attached to this turkey. He needed to leave well enough alone. "

Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

[SmokeyLady]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 11:35am

Bettyboy72 said: "Box office truly doesn’t matter nor do critics.”

Oh honey.  Your so sweet.  You do you. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 11:56am

bear88 said: "ijest22 said: "I feel like we’re rushing to judgment here. Most posters haven’t seen the movie yet, and a sizable portion of the reviewers hate the source material. Let’s wait to see it. Honestly, if it makes money, these initial bad reviews will be dismissed. Even if not, for those who love the Broadway show, it may turn out to be ok. "

I saw the preview again tonight. And maybe it will be a disaster, but so many of these harsh reviews just hate the plot. That’s been a source of controversy since the musical debuted, and we’re all familiar with the arguments.

The other big critique is Platt’s performance in the film and I can’t judge that. I haven’t seen the movie.It feels like critics are really gunning for him. Maybe he really is awful, but there’s something odd about the level of vitriol directed at a performance that got so much praise on Broadway."

I don't think that's necessarily odd. Platt's stage performance was very good and rightfully praised- but it was absolutely a very stagey performance. It was big. His gestures and ticks were pitched for the back row of the balcony. His emotions filled the space.

In a theater, that sort of thing can be very impressive. You can get carried away just being in the presence of it. It can paper over and obscure a lot of faults.

But film is a different beast. Platt can't overwhelm the same way, and the material can't hide behind him anymore.

 

[BwayLB]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:14pm

^ Especially with a partially misguided message and beautiful if pop generic music. The stage version was good but one and done for me.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:16pm

Touching on Streisand in the film version of FUNNY GIRL: by the time the film went into production in 1967, she had done extensive television work post Broadway (she left December 1965; did a few week in London early 1966), so she already knew how to modify and adjust her performance style to suit different mediums. If you listen to bootleg audio of her on stage in FUNNY GIRL, you’ll hear her perform the book scenes broader as she was playing to the balcony at the Winter Garden Theatre. For the 1968 film, she knew how to play these same scenes for film cameras (toning things down, etc). Another benefit for her having performed FUNNY GIRL on stage for about 2 years is she knew how to play her scenes and where the laughs would be as during filming no one on set can laugh or react while the cameras are rolling.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:22pm

I'm surprised that virtually none of these reviews even mention the songs.  Are the songs at least good?  I'm not familiar with the show but this premise sounds like one of Bobcat Goldthwait's evil satires like WORLD'S GREATEST DAD. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:26pm

Glad people are seeing DEH the way I’ve been seeing it. Bland and a terrible message. The Canadians got it right. Every time a song started I thought “didn’t we already hear this?” (besides “good for you” which I love and was cut.)

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:28pm

SmokeyLady said: "Bettyboy72 said: "Box office truly doesn’t matter nor do critics.”

Oh honey. Your so sweet. You do you.

I meant on a spiritual and artistic level. I understand what they mean on the capitalistic plane. You know, a “Nine People’s Favorite Thing” sort of sentiment. 

 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:36pm

Owen22 said: "Well...apparently Stephen Chbosky is an as*hole..

https://twitter.com/epsteindara/status/1436533842203009026?s=19"

Except for you, Benny Boy. You ain't gotta change a god damn thing because Daddy's paying for this.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:36pm

I find the discussion now shifting to “the story sucks because the main character is awful” to be one of the more ridiculous and reaching arguments I’ve ever heard. Are we going to have to start listing great films with leading characters who weren’t pure as the driven snow? This is just getting silly.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:42pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I find the discussion now shifting to “the story sucks because the main character is awful” to be one of the more ridiculous and reaching arguments I’ve ever heard. Are we going to have to start listing great films with leading characters who weren’t pure as the driven snow? This is just getting silly."

But in most cases with leading characters who were notably flawed in big ways, the point is not to spend the movie sympathizing with them and for there to not actually being any repercussions. DEH frames itself as an inspirational movie, but that doesn't gel with a lead character who is a notable asshole. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:47pm

But the mixed messaging is so absurd. Is the character mentally disabled in some way and therefore not able to fully understand what he’s done? Or is he just a sociopath? People can make arguments either way for the character which i find very interesting. And we also don’t know the new ending to the film which they said would have him see more consequences for his actions.
But my point is that the discussion just seems like more “cancel culture” at this point than anything else, by a lot of the same people who love the show. So none of the arguments seem to make a whole lot of sense.

[DEHFanatic]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:53pm

ijest22 said: "I guess I’m waiting to hear a reaction from someone who liked the musical, the music and Ben’s performance (I believe there are a few of us in that category), who has actually seen the movie,as to whether it’s a good film adaptation and how it holds up to the stage version. I have to dismiss any review that doesn’t like the music. I like the music, and from what I’ve heard of the soundtrack, they haven’t messed with it too much. Maybe I’ll agree that Ben doesn’t convince on screen as a teenager, but so what? If I can give a pass to Julie Harris, I’m open to this."

So as a superfan of the musical - the material, the songs, everything DEH - I saw the TIFF digital stream.  However, I was having major buffering issues so had to settle to watch in SD.  So I'm waiting to give my thoughts until I see it in the theater on the 23rd. 

That being said, I'll will say my initial impressions are not as I would have hoped they would be.  It definitely strays in significant ways from the source material, sometimes in a positive way (e.g. the two new songs which I think are both fantastic, and the new ending), and sometimes not so much (e.g. all the cut songs, which I loved, and the minimization of both Heidi's and Connor's roles).  As Chbosky said in an interview, he wanted it to be Evan-centric, and that it is.

Given the mixed-to-negative reviews so far, I am really hoping that the movie does not end up having a negative impact on the stage show, which would be a tragedy because I think it is a profound show that has had a positive impact on so many that struggle with anxiety, social isolation, and other mental health issues (including me).

Updated On: 9/12/21 at 12:53 PM

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:53pm

Okay so this is fascinating to me. 

I think all along the story in this show was probably terrible and in poor taste and most people on some level knew- but Ben Platt's performance was incredible cause you felt so intimately with him the whole time as well as the honesty of the other brilliant cast members. I think honest acting on a stage sells absolutely anything truly cause you're so laser focused on the people. It feels like a connection. It's the beauty of theatre. And to watch the little white lie unravel right in front of you was mesmerizing and you empathized with him more cause you just feel on this ride. 

I mean think of how simple Glass Menagerie is. You are mesmerized by the story and it's devastating when it all falls apart. I don't think any film adaptation has ever captured what you feel watching that story unfold and watching Laura find out that man is engaged to someone else.

Film is just so literal. It entirely becomes about the story. Every flaw in the story feels bigger and more pronounced cause you are placing it in a real context and it's about following along. The viewer CAN focus on the actor but film is simply not just about actors the way that a stage can be. The viewer knows there were takes and filmed on multiple days. It's less of a "wow Ben Platt went to all these emotional levels in the span of 2 hours in front of my eyes."

This show was clearly never going to work on film. And it's puzzling to realize that when you objectively think from a story perspective it sounds like many films. But the creators and writers didn't consider when adapting it if the story specifically was what made it successful. Cause it turns out it wasn't. It was the audience connecting with real people.

I think inversely you could take a crappy movie, adapt it intimately for stage cast it with incredible intimate performances by gifted actors producing real emotions in front of you and suddenly- Tommy Wisseau's The Room is a masterpiece. 

 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 12:59pm

This is also why the deaths of Seymour and Audrey don't work in the film of Little Shop but they do onstage. On film it's too real it's too sad, and they're not coming out at the end in funny flower costumes to sing don't feed the plants.

Film and theatre are two different mediums and stuff is simply not always going to transfer cause they have different sensibilities. 

The musicals that do really work on film I think it speaks to the strength of their original story onstage. And that film can add something to that story to bring that story out more. Give it roots to thrive.

Which to me is why The Prom DID work as a movie even better. 

Updated On: 9/12/21 at 12:59 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 1:01pm

I think those are excellent points, really.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 1:02pm

Side note, I rewatched the film of Jersey Boys recently.

There's no reason that movie was as bad as it was. That story was perfectly suited for film. Clint Eastwood just was out of his element clearly along with other bad decisions. 

 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 1:34pm

And one of the selling points of DEH was parents felt seen too. They related to Heidi (overworked, overwhelmed, guilty about neglecting their child while trying to provide for said child). Parents brought their kids to facilitate discussions about their lives and mental health. Rachel won a Tony for the part. She broke the audiences heart. Why would they then cut a huge piece of the musicals heart out? They sterilized Heidi by cutting her songs and screen time. Why bother with casting a star?

Most of the decisions around this film make no sense.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 1:41pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Side note, I rewatched the film of Jersey Boys recently.

There's no reason that movie was as bad as it was. That story was perfectly suited for film. Clint Eastwood just was out of his element clearly along with other bad decisions.

I enjoyed Jersey Boys both on stage and screen

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/12/21 at 1:43pm

I'm still going to see this when it comes out with an open mind, but the early reviews did make my expectations low. So who knows? Maybe this will turn out decently for me, it can't be any worse than Cinderella 2021.

But yet, seeing the YouTube animatics of these songs make me wonder what an animated version of the musical could have been.