DEAR EVAN HANSEN Movie Musical - News & Discussion Thread — Page 44

Ouch.

Outside of Amy Adams and Julianne Moore, very little of this worked for me. So glad someone else mentioned the overwrought-ness of Platt’s performance. The tears and the bulging veins took me right out of the piece, as well. I, too, was left thinking “he’s really really going for that Oscar.”


I saw Platt on stage twice and what I found moving the first time, I found mannered and manipulative the second. I walked away from the second performance wondering if he is the wonder kid the hype made him out to be. The movie told me he isn’t. He’s talented, of course. But, well, he really should have let someone else do the movie.

All my opinion, of course. Worth nothing more than that. And nothing too different from what the bulk of folks are saying. But when it was all over I said, “P.U.” out loud to the three other people in the theatre.

Updated On: 9/26/21 at 02:30 PM

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 04:48 AM

Finally got to see the film yesterday and it was definitely an experience.

First, let me just go ahead and say, I loved it!!!

Despite the plot's problems, I really do love the musical and now the film as well.

Yes there were problems, but I think the main reason people are liking the film is because they're going to the film comparing it to the musical (or they just hate the show overall which is okay too as that's their opinion).

While I understand why "Anybody Have A Map" was cut, I wish they would've found another way to get to understand Connor's character more because he REALLYYYYYY becomes a background character in the film.

Ben Platt's age wasn't really a problem unless you really sat there and thought about it. But Julianne Moore (as much as I love her) looked too old to be a high schoolers mother or be in the part of a woman's life that Heidi is in. On top of this, I just don't feel that she was right for the role in general. I was really hoping that they would've casted RBJ but I get it that they wanted a "name", but Moore shouldn't have been cast. Her performance is at most passable until it gets to "So Big/So Small". That whole song was so awkward. You can tell she doesn't know how to act through song. But I digress.

Changing Larry to the step-father was pretty unnecessary. I guess it added bigger problems or drama for the Murphy Family but despite a few lines, it wouldn't had made a difference if they just said he was the bio father.

I've seen a lot of people criticizing Kaitlyn Dever's portrayal of Zoe. I LOVEDDDDDD what she did with the role. I felt like her and Ben had great chemistry. Her "Requiem" was so heartbreaking.

I love how they brought Alana deeper into the story but also showed that her and Evan were pretty similar throughout the whole film. I loved the new song for Connor at the end. Nik was HILARIOUS and added just the right amount of comedic relief.

I, personally, loved Adams's Cynthia.

Platt was good. There were some differences in his performance between the film and broadway but I don't know how much that was him and how much it was direction.

But yea. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

Sutton Ross said: "Changing Larry to the step-father was pretty unnecessary. I guess it added bigger problems or drama for the Murphy Family but despite a few lines, it wouldn't had made a difference if they just said he was the bio father.

I assumed they did that to add a POCto the movie because the stage show is white as hell. Which is a good thing, Danny Pino is very handsome and did well in the role."

Which is also why Jared Kleinman became Jared Kalwani - Nik Dodani is of Indian descent and the film absolutely HAD to be more diverse.

Double post

Updated On: 9/28/21 at 02:51 AM

bear88 said: "I don’t believe so, though someone should correct me if I’m wrong. I think that was part of the new-for-the-film scene between Evan and Alana. I don’t think specific references to medications were included in the original musical.

But it’s been more than 4 years since I saw it."

I just thought watching the film that Alana could have been more sympathetic in the end, knowing exactly all the stuff Evan was on.

There is a big gap between someone who is on at least three different medications for mental illness and a high schooler with social anxiety.

All these "that show was white as hell" comments. Geez, listen to yourselves. Imagine a show or movie with a cast that is mostly Black, Asian or some other ethnicity and people complaining "Boy that was just too Black/Asian/whatever." You'd call that person a racist, correctly. Thus...

HeyMrMusic said: "Jordan Levinson said: "Sutton Ross said: "Changing Larry to the step-father was pretty unnecessary. I guess it added bigger problems or drama for the Murphy Family but despite a few lines, it wouldn't had made a difference if they just said he was the bio father.

I assumed they did that to add a POCto the movie because the stage show is white as hell. Which is a good thing, Danny Pino is very handsome and did well in the role."

Which is also why Jared Kleinman became Jared Kalwani - Nik Dodani is of Indian descent and the film absolutely HAD to be more diverse."

They should have just gone for it and made the Murphy familyLatinx."

Ivan Hernandez who played Larry prior to the shutdown and will return to the role when the show reopens is Latinx. There have been people of color who have played each role in the show in some form with the exception of Heidi Hansen as far as I know.

Updated On: 9/28/21 at 12:28 PM

Thank you Mr. Music, that is as basic as it it gets in terms of understanding under-representation of POC for generations.

Ivan Hernandez who played Larry prior to the shutdown and will return to the role when the show reopens is Latinx. There have been people of color who have played each role in the show in some form with the exception of Heidi Hansen as far as I know.

That's awesome, but I was referring to the original broadway cast, which is who I saw.

HeyMrMusic said: "ClumsyDude15 said: "HeyMrMusic said: "Jordan Levinson said: "Sutton Ross said: "Changing Larry to the step-father was pretty unnecessary. I guess it added bigger problems or drama for the Murphy Family but despite a few lines, it wouldn't had made a difference if they just said he was the bio father.

I assumed they did that to add a POCto the movie because the stage show is white as hell. Which is a good thing, Danny Pino is very handsome and did well in the role."

Which is also why Jared Kleinman became Jared Kalwani - Nik Dodani is of Indian descent and the film absolutely HAD to be more diverse."

They should have just gone for it and made the Murphy familyLatinx."

Ivan Hernandez who played Larry prior to the shutdown and will return to the role when the show reopens is Latinx. There have been people of color who have played each role in the show in some form with the exception of Heidi Hansen as far as I know."

That’s great, and I love to see that. I meant to say because Larry is Latino, we don’t need to have an explanation that he’s a stepfather, and also it would be cool to have seen Latinx representation in the film with his children. But yeah, there didn’t need to be added drama with him being a stepfather, it seemed like an unnecessary, er, step. "

HeyMrMusic, it should also be noted that Linedy Genao will also be one of the Zoe understudies on B'way upon reopening. More Latinx representation indeed.

HeyMrMusic said: "joevitus said: "All these "that show was white as hell" comments. Geez, listen to yourselves. Imagine a show or movie with a cast that ismostly Black, Asian or some other ethnicity and people complaining "Boy that was just too Black/Asian/whatever." You'd call that person a racist, correctly. Thus..."

Lol no.Audiences of color have had to watch all-white casts since theatre began. We’re allowed to call out shows that have casts/creative teams/crews that are unnecessarily white, especially in 2021. If you’re expecting us to relate to what’s on the stage, there needs to be representation. Shows with all-Black, Asian, Latinx etc. castsare usually built that way because the story is about those specific groups of people. So if you’resaying Dear Evan Hansen is specifically about white people, then go for it, but we’re going to call it out for being a show about white people problems and privilege. The token role of Alana is just that, a token role. Glad they made her more of a person in the movie."

LOL yes. And not so great doing the "us vs. you" thing. But it works both ways, or all groups need to be as tolerant as they expect others to be, including seeing shows where they are not the predominately featured group.