The Dear Evan Hansen Movie is a Terrible Adaptation. (Review)
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- The Dear Evan Hansen Film is a Terrible Story Adaptation.
So after months of controversy, the Dear Evan Hansen film released to... reception? Complaints towards the movie vary from various plot points to Ben Platt's performance. As a huge fan of the Dear Evan Hansen Broadway musical, having seen the show four times, I thought it would be worth analyzing this movie’s quality as an adaptation, as opposed to just a film. And spoilers... it wasn't pretty.
This is a video essay analyzing the Dear Evan Hansen movie’s success in adapting the Broadway musical. It utilizes a humourous, laid-back tone, while closely analyzing the imagery, story, and messaging of the Dear Evan Hansen story.
Jimmy Robins (yeah, that's me) makes comedic commentary videos, video essays, and critiques every Friday. If you like what you see, please consider subscribing at / jimmyrobins . Thanks!
I had to export and upload six separate times guys I am exhausted I have been doing this for TEN HOURS before there weren't any issues I haven't slept I miss my bed.
00:00-02:35: Introduction
02:35-04:30: "Dear Evan Hansen" Synopsis
04:30-05:40: What went wrong?
05:30-06:50: The Movie's Response to Criticism
06:50-08:21: "Fixing" Alana.
08:21-13:32: The Second Connor Murphy Tragedy
13:30-15:00: Evan's Family Friend
15:00-16:22: This Movie's Saving Grace.
16:22-17:18: Changed For The Better?
17:18-19:45: The Ben Platt in the Room
19:45-21:19: Closing Remarks...? - Komedie
I'm just confused because Ben Platt is so charismatic on stage. Watching the scenes of the stage musical, he really sells the awkward teenager with anxiety and a huge secret. Just his body language during the clip of 'Waving Through a Window' sells it. Yet, in the movie, he has all of the charisma of the guy in New York City selling weird pills out of his duster jacket
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because we can more easily “forgive” someone’s age in a stage show (hence why Anthony Ramos played a nine-year-old in Hamilton), but for film, we have higher standards for what’s “believable” for a bunch of reasons.
So whatever decisions he made with that in mind just… didn’t work great.
Because acting on camera is a much more nuanced medium. You do not in any way have the luxury of using your body to physicalize what it is you’re feeling the same way you could on stage. In a way on camera acting is more difficult. On camera is all about the eyes, which is why Amy Adams carries this movie and Ben is terrible in it.
Stage acting is very different. You get an immediate response from the audience. This should never have been made into a movie.
I think it’s because he did this role in the larger-than-life musical theatre style onstage for so long, he’s totally unable to do it any other way.
Proximity plays a huge role in adaptation from stage to film. Also there is typically a greater suspension of disbelief for the stage than in film.
I think the biggest problem with the film was just that Ben Platt did not look like a teenager. Especially up close
If they had only filmed the Broadway show, then Ben Platt would not be eligible for an Oscar, which is the whole reason this movie exists. He wants the EGOT. Unfortunately for Platt he is more likely to get a Razzie than an Oscar for his performance.
You’re 100% right on both counts. I could still see him getting an Oscar via politics, but he would’ve been a near guarantee if they filmed the show.
A filmed on stage movie is not eligible for Oscar. It is however eligible for Golden Globe and Emmy (as special presentation)
@@wdrh03 true, but Platt wanted the Oscar in order to have an EGOT which is why the film was made in the first place.
So true. He's greedy as fuck, and that's why I'm glad this movie floped. As someone who loves the play I can see why this movie didn't worked. They didn't cared about the musical, they only were trying to get a fucking Oscar nomination.
I personally think Zendaya can become an EGOT easier than Ben Platt.
@@henn863 he can just co-write an original song with Pasek and Paul (two time Oscar and Golden Globe winner) for the movie version. Voila. An Oscar and Golden Globe nomination. At this point, he has more chance at Razzie award than Oscar. Sorry not sorry
It's so satisfying to hear someone say they also didn't enjoy Ben's Evan
As someone with anxiety disorder his performance felt more like a caricature at times and it was really off putting to me
Yeah I’ve wondered how people with the experience you’ve described have felt about his performance. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Ack same, it feels almost insulting.
i didnt like it in the movie at all. i wouldve preferred andrew barth feldman way more
@@wesperloves FINALLY SOMEONE WHO AGREES!!! ANDREW BARTH FELDMAN WOULDVE KILLLLLED IT
Me too. I've related a lot to Evan in the stage version of this musical with my anxiety as well, but in the movie it's just totally changed. It feels like a piss-take of what anxiety is.
He's really mesmerising on stage. It's bizarre how he's so offputting in the film.
My girlfriend absolutely LOVES his stage performance, and even she started to crack up in a few scenes despite trying really hard to like him in the film. He just… wasn’t great, at all.
@@JimmyRobins right?? Ppl were saying if you don't like the movie you're just a hater.. bruh I LOVE the original musical, he fits the role perfectly and I liked Ben Platt since pitch perfect. Like I'm not a a hater... it's just not a good proformance and that's my honest opinon
Yes, but imo, most of the performances were awful. I don't know what happened but they seemed very stiff, unnatural, and apathetic. Evan didn't seem believable at all and I noticed he lost most of his anxiety ticks that were so relatable and easily identifiable to me in the musical. In the musical, it's also very clear that he makes an effort to reach out and talk to people but he feels too overwhelmed and it's just too easy to step over him and tune out his voice. In the movie, he just stares silently at people with his mouth agape like a moron. He's not even fidgety and self-soothing, he's just 😯😦.
Musical!Jared is a dick but it's also clearly a front for him to distance himself from everything around him. He's charismatic and if you know the type of person he is, you quickly realize that he doesn't mean like 80% of the thing he says, his jokes (idk how to call it differently. Banter?) just don't land with Evan since he already has an extremally low self-esteem. Movie!Jared is just a bully. Flat out. I don't even know why he talked to Evan.
And lastly (because I refused to watch too much), Connor. Musical!Connor has obvious issues with paranoia and the aggression is his copying mechanism/trigger response. Evan is freeze, Connor is fight. You know there's more under the surface, we just never get to see it. Movie Connor is just a badboy from wattpad, change my mind.
I think a lot of it is the terrible make up. He looks worse in the movie than he does in every other picture I've seen of him. There's been an attempt to "de-age" him with thick make up, but instead it makes him look like Pee Wee Herman does in the movie from a couple years ago. Especially when he's next to other actors with actual young looking faces. I think if the makeup and hair wasn't this bad he would look passable as a high schooler. I mean we accept young adult actors in high school roles all the time, and I'm sure most of the supporting cast even in this movie were in their 20s. Somehow the makeup turned him into a 40 year old.
part of it is because at a distance you don't see all the details of his face that make him look older. Plus, the stage makeup is there to help. Up close, you CAN see all of this, and the makeup didn't help in these close-ups
Honestly, I'm a firm believer that Andrew Barth Feldman should've been cast as Evan. He would've brought so much to the character that, honestly, Ben Platt just couldn't. He's age appropriate, has experience with the character, and just overall is a really talented dude. I've got nothing against Ben Platt, but like this video highlights, his performance of Evan just falls flat when compared to the other actors who played Evan and those who played the other characters in the film adaptation
and not let Ben fucking Platt - whose dad is behind this film - be the star??? How dare you
Exactly. Ben's _stage_ performance will always be brilliant and mesmerising, but Andrew Barth Feldman is incredible. Age appropriate, just as talented as Ben, and someone who also did an amazing job on Broadway. Ben will always be seen as the main Evan, I don't understand why they didn't let someone else have a chance to sign. This movie was literally made to "immortalise Ben Platt's Tony winning performance as Evan".
1000% agree. Everything I’ve seen of ABF showcases his incredible talent and he would have done a great job and aided in the suspension of disbelief so much more!
Except the fact that they had to alter keys of some of the songs for Andrew..
@@noahclark256 Yeah but if that had been a problem, they wouldn’t have cast him in the musical in the first place. He’s 8 years younger than Ben Platt and has a different range than him. That doesn’t mean he’s not as talented as Ben Platt.
I agree that Connor being cut out of so much of the movie makes no sense, considering that he's (like you said?) the foil to Evan's character.
And he’s my favorite character in the musical… that’s not a good enough reason for them to keep him in the film, but it is to me.
I can't understand how no one wasn't pissed off at the cutting of Good For You, Heidi's biggest number and the only song that holds Evan to the fire of Scrutiny.
Anyway, Heidi did nothing wrong and she's my favorite character in the play.
I didn’t know they did that! That’s my favorite song from the play.
Not only is it a straight up banger, it’s honestly the most important song plot-wise, the only song that acknowledges the harmful effects Evan’s actions had on people other than himself. When you cut that song, you cut his deteriorating relationships with every character whose last name isn’t Murphy. You cut Evan’s breakdown as his mother, Alana, and Jared each have their own reasons to be mad at him. Perhaps most importantly, when you cut the song that calls Evan a bad person, you cut the idea that he’s a bad person and cut his growing pressures to feel guilty for what he’s done. Having Words Fail right after Good For You in the show makes sense. Having it right after Only Us in the movie doesn’t.
Ok Heidi does in fact do some things wrong, after all her whole point is that she's a loving but flawed and damaged person like most everyone in this cast.
But yeah, cutting Good For You is rightly condemned by everyone.
I don’t really get that song it really focuses on his mother’s jealousy of how Evan spends so much time with the Murphy’s rather than Her being upset with his awful actions. I don’t feel like at any point in the musical Evan is held to the level of scrutiny he should be.
I think Evan and Heidi are allowed to feel the way they do. I mean I understand what Evan feels so distance and had that urge for affection. His mom wasn't around because of the situation they were in. His actions are messed up, yeah but I understand why he feels closer to the Murphy since they listened to him. Now Heidi is allowed to feel since Evan basically abandoned her like his dad. I will say I think she may have messed up a bit by not being around (Which may have lead to Evan's *Spoiler* Suicide, anxiety and low self esteem. No one was really there for him) I can't really blame her since she had to bring money onto the table but it did cost Evan's mental health for not being around. It is good he's getting therapy
I’ll also never understand why the fake email exchange exists when every single email has a time stamp when you send them
The stage show has Jared explain that there’s a way to fake the times, but I don’t believe the movie mentions that at all…
The stage show mentioned that Jared knew how to backdate emails so it looked like they were sent from a previous date
👍 Thank you for pointing out that Indian people can be Jewish (or Jewish people can be Indian). I’m Jewish… so is Ben Platt, and his father is the film’s producer, so they surely knew they could’ve kept the Jared character Jewish and gay while played by an Indian actor (especially because Jewishness isn’t central to the character but still visibility/representation).
Is Connor supposed to be Jewish? Because his mom says something in the play about not getting invited to bar mitzvahs. Or do they just live in a really prevalent Jewish area
@@lilren2021 🤔 I don’t know if Connor’s family is Jewish in the play/film. But non-Jewish kids can be guests at their friend’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah; it’s common.
@@lilren2021 The musical is based on an event that happened at my old high school, which was predominately Jewish, so I'm guessing he's either Jewish or most of his classmates are Jewish.
When SML the Puppet CZcams channel can portray a gay Jewish (Cody), rather than a big budget movie, then you know you’ve failed😂😂
I'm fascinated to hear you talk about this since you knew the Broadway version so well and were a fan.
Thank you, would love to hear your thoughts once you finish the video!
Thank both of you! This right here is what I have been thinking for so long since seeing it!
Ok so while watching this I realized they definitely should've kept "Does anybody have a map", because it gives a slight insight to what Connor is actually like, we see him scream at Evan in the movie but that is the only proof that Connor is a bad person that we see as the audience.
I honestly wish they just pulled a Hamilton and released the proshot or got Andrew Barth Feldman like *_CMON_*
Also I’d like to say I agree with this fully like-
This is probably the only review of the movie I like and 100% agree with lol
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate hearing your thoughts!
@@JimmyRobinsYw :D
I agree with having Andrew Barth Feldman on instead of Ben Platt. DEH could've been what In The Heights was.
This movie was produced by Ben Platt's dad, making it a classic example of a vanity project. It really wouldn't have been made without Ben Platt, because it was made FOR him. So we know exactly who asked for this, and the answer is really funny.
Yeah… at least Ben’s happy?
The best parts of seeing this in theaters
1. Sincerely me
2. The girl who yelled “Sup theater nerds” as my friends and I entered.
3. The girl who gasped when it was revealed Conner killed himself. Like how did you go into the movie without this information
The fact that two of those points had nothing to do with the movie is funnier than anything I could add.
@@JimmyRobins thank you
This review is the one most relate to
as someone who also has "totally seen a legal version of DEH," I'm still shocked by learning about the changes they made. Like how did they think that cutting the first time we see Connor, interacting with his family, *The only other scene we see him alive*, was a good idea!? And I'm sad they cut out songs and put new ones in. Like you still get some character from multiple characters in Good for You (one of my favorites). And Connor wouldn't really do any "popular" dance moves cause it's mostly about the emails and the beat. And the portrayal of his "ghost" is just an amazing realization of that we really don't know anything about him. It's also kinda like Heathers with Veronica and the ones she killed. Just so many things that make me want to scream, just cuz they wanted Evan to be the main boi even though he already was. (we weren't going to forget he existed if anyone else important had a view)
also just one of my favorite scenes is when he confronts Evan of his broken arm as it's a moment of realization that Evan attempted too but his didn't succeed
I wonder how things are with his boyfriend Noah Galvin , who also played the role. It seems now selfish for Ben to not let Noah play it since he looks much younger and carried a TV show. I suspect some awkward dinner conversation. ( also why do all the songs have to have regular extreme high notes to show Ben's range?.)
I saw someone making this point after I uploaded and I WISH I remembered to mention that. Noah was specifically Ben’s replacement too in the show. Yeah I dunno, must be interesting for all of the Evan’s who have “befriended” Ben in whatever ways.
@@JimmyRobins he'll. always have Beanie Feldman! Lol
I think the problem is actors empathize with their characters and see the story from their character's point of view. It sounds like Ben Platt had a lot of creative influence over this film. So we end up with a movie that has a rosier view of Evan and makes him more central to the story.
FINALLY someone mentions that adrew bart feldman could have very well played the role of evan, and also i 100 percent agreed that they should have just released a pro shot, it would have been so much better
I know a lot of people dislike Larry, and were even glad that "To Break In A Glove" was removed, however I think it's a really good song because it humanizes him. Obviously neglectful parents shouldn't be given a pat on the back for making a "really good effort, I promise" for failing to connect with their kids, but ultimately it's worthwhile to have the song because it furthers the idea in the musical that while no one is a good person, no one is a villain either. (Except for evan hansen, lol.)
It really seems like they cut side character heavy songs to put more spotlight on Evan (and Ben), which just made everything feel more shallow and incredibly one-sided
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to see some positive and realistic representation of anxiety and depression before they start throwing us under the bus
The reason they made his friend gay was because he made tons of homophobic comments in the musical. Because if a gay guy says it it’s perfectly alright, huh?
That’s… not a bad point, I didn’t even consider that.
I read that the actor actually requested Jared be Gay and have an Indian last name so he better reflected the actor (Nik Dodani)
i actually snorted when you spoke about the musical being at the top of ur spotify wrapped bc last year jesus christ superstar was at the top of mine and i just decided not to tell anyone lol
Also with Larry being a step dad kind of ruins the connection of Evan and Larry as Larry being a biological father of Connor that was distant but closer to Evan helps with Evan as his dad walked out on him when he was 7. Being a step dad, while is able to be just as good as a father figure, doesn't have the impact as Connor-Larry relationship isn't the same
It makes Larry seem like a lot better of a parent than he was made out to be in the musical. Stepdad Larry swoops in and becomes a father for Connor, and sticks around despite Connor's behavioral and mental health issues. They make a point to make it seem like he was trying to connect with Connor but just didn't do enough. Musical Larry was a distant dad and didn't go out of his way to help or connect with Connor at all.
Just watched the film today and couldn’t agree more with the criticism. Seriously the Murphy’s carried the film and Jared’s character was the most disappointing bc by removing him as the funny sarcastic friend they make him seem like an asshole. I loved the play so much but this movie was not it. By removing central songs like “anybody have a map”, “disappear” and “good for you” they remove so many characters depth so instead of being the 3D characters we all know and love they end up being flat and annoying. It also really annoyed me that they took out Larry’s song bc they had every opportunity to put it in and didn’t
As someone who has anxiety issues, trouble with communicating with people, and introverted as hell…this movie insults me.
It honestly feels like if anyone took the movie at face value, that they would see someone like me as manipulative, selfish, and wanting to hurt others for the sake of acceptance and attention.
Then those people are idiots. It's a fictional movie. And there are plenty of people who are like that. I won't ever understand why people feel personally attacked over fictional stuff. I have had depression and anxiety my entire life due to a lifetime of abuse and neglect. Seeing characters with those things who act completely differently than me doesn't remotely bother me because everyone is different. Anyone who thinks everyone with depression and anxiety acts like that is a moron.
@VictorianDemonica
Here's the thing though. Evan didn't do what he did with the intent of hurting others. He did what he thought at that time he should do because he saw how much the fact that Connor had no friends would hurt Connor's parents. He made a mistake and he eventually realized it and told them the truth. Calling Evan a bad person is ridiculous! He made a mistake that a lot of people would have made if they were put in his position.
@@Optimegatrongodzilla I like to think of Evan as in the grey area, his actions sucked, but his intentions weren’t as bad. I’m not defending him though, as what he did deserves the backlash.
@@cupio-stardust I wouldn't say that he deserves backlash, as if he committed some horrible crime. Yes, he should have just told Connor's parents the truth from the getgo, but he made a mistake that a lot of people would have made if they were in the same situation, because he knew how devastating the truth would be for them.
Im in a similar situation to where
"I didn't see the Hamilton stage performance before it came out on Disney+"
Totally didn't see it. Twice.
There’s a whole bunch of musicals that I have NeVEr seen… multiple times. 😉
Ben was so amazing on stage i couldn't believe how bad his acting was. We could have had Andrew or literally anyone else, and it would've been great, but we had to get Ben. Don't get me wrong, I love him and I love his portrayal, but it felt wrong and kinda awful. The rest of the cast was amazing tho, the only reason why I didn't like it is simply because Ben just doesn't belong there anymore
THANK YOU Andrew Barth Feldman ABSOLUTELY should have been cast as Evan for the film adaptation, I’m so glad to hear others agree
Someone pointed out the hilarious image of Ben Platt ranting to his boyfriend about how no one else could’ve possibly played Evan… when Platt’s boyfriend is literally the one who succeeded him in the role on Broadway.
I actually thought Kaitlyn Dever was easily the best actor involved with this mess, but of course Adams & Moore are incredible actresses and did wonderful as well. The only thing was I wished Moore had a singing voice even half as emotional as Jones’s because So Big So Small was the number that actually made me cry on Broadway.
Zoey was the second best performance for me, Cynthia was just the only one to actually get me to tear up/constantly be engaged in what she was saying.
I was going through DEH takedowns and came along to this one, which wow! So insightful, new subscriber, pleased to have found you.
Hey thanks! I’m happy to hear it!
I have never seen or heard of this movie in any of its iterations but I'm devouring every video I see about it because the insults and rants are so funny and on point
I do the sqme thing, is addictive to see a movie insultted for some reason.
@@freakytostadacartoon Now you know how us Last Jedi haters felt. Roasting the shit out of that terrible movie was hilarious.
SAME. I've known about the musical for years though, but i never was into it. But I gotta watch every rant I come across of the movie
The moment I saw that Disappear, my favorite song from the musical, and the rest of the removed songs I knew I wasn't gonna enjoy the film as much as the musical.
Anyway, this is a great dissection of the adaptation.
Thank you! And yeah I looked to my girlfriend when I put it together and said “there’s no way they just skipped disappear, they did not just do that”. And she was insisting they just moved it because of how integral it was to the Broadway show. Little did we know…
I actually disagree with your point about Amy Adams giving a good performance. I thought Kaitlyn Dever and...I forget the name of Larry's actor, but they both gave better performances imo. Amy Adams, your son committed suicide and you didn't shed a SINGLE TEAR. Not one! She felt like she SHOULD have been upset but wasn't. She felt like she was acting.
I mean Zoe and Larry have some strong performances so I can respect that. Haha, no worries!
This is one of the best reviews I've seen, thank you! I think cinematically this movie is very lazy, I've seen many animatic made by fans of the musics that would made a much more interesting adaptation. That makes me think that they could have made an animated movie, this way they would be able to use Ben Platt's voice and his apearence wouldn't be a problem (since he was the base of the whole production and the movie couldn't be done without whim).
That’s honestly a really interesting take that I didn’t even consider. Thank you!
i would kill to see a fantastic 2d animated / Spider-Verse-like adaptation of a Broadway musical, that would be SO unique... but of course they're just gonna keep putting out shitty film adaptations of great productions. It's like trying to shove a square shaped peg into a round hole yet they keep. fucking. doing it.
Did the creators of this movie forget or not know that Rachel Bay Jones won a Tony alongside Ben Platt? If it was so important for this movie to be made to immortalize Ben’s Tony-winning performance as Evan, why was the same courtesy not extended to Rachel for her Tony-winning performance as Heidi? If they offered and she turned it down or said she had prior obligations, I haven’t seen it. But if the reason I haven’t seen it is because it didn’t happen, that’s all the more reason to label this as a Platt vanity project.
She’s perfect in her role too… honestly if you asked me to pick an original Broadway rep, her or the Murphy parents would be my choices but… not Platt.
Regarding Connor's ghost in the film, there's another way they could have done it in the film-make it like the book. In the book, Connor basically got his own redemption arc, which I feel could have solved the "romanticizing suicide" criticism (which I never got in the first place), and not to mention that in the book, Connor saves Evan from committing suicide. There's so many ways they could have played off the foil aspect between Evan and Connor, and the fact that they cut out any possibility of that is just disappointing (I personally wish the movie had done with a combination of the play and the book, as I love supernatural elements and redemption arcs.)
Very well said, thank you!
Thank you for explaining this in great detail. I never saw the Broadway show but I kept hearing about how terribly annoying he was in the movie and I was curious why (besides the fact that he looks a decade older than his character) 😬
I appreciate hearing your thoughts! Yeah… some people love his performance but not me…
Can we also talk about the fact that they ruined So Big/ So Small? Everytime I saw- err, heard this song Rachel Bay Jones' perfomance killed me but Julianne Moore's was so flat and emotionless, I hated it.
You know, I don’t remember the number enough to say it was bad… but the fact that I don’t remember one of the most powerful moments from the stage show in the film adaptation means it was probably pretty bad.
Mark Platt (The Producer) + Ben Platt (His son) = Dear Evan Hansen
Right on the money.
The movie is called Dear Evan Hanssen. And yet, the best musical number and performance came from The Murphys 😌
ben, maybe try to get an oscar with a new character we believe in you
Ben Platt's daddy launched his career. The play got funded by his daddy and is most likely the reason he got the stage role just like how he got the film role.
Question, you say you don’t like Platt’s twitchiness in the original Broadway show…but how do you feel about his Words Fail & You Will Be Found moments? I was BLOWN AWAY how he was able to openly sob on stage and sing every time I saw it live.
I think when he’s alone on stage, he has a very good presence (including the moments you mention) but it’s when he shares a scene with literally anybody that he becomes distracting.
@@JimmyRobins okay that I can 100% understand, for sure
my god, so i've been bingeing reviews of this movie despite not having seen the source material and i was not aware that connor's actor was also part of the broadway cast, jesus they did him dirty
I don't know if Ben's performance had something to do with the writing or directing... I really trust Ben as an actor because of his on stage performances in the original musical and in The Book of Mormon, plus I really like him in at least the first season of The Politician, but this performance was an extreme mess and I'm really not sure how to feel about it... It really would've just saved so much just to go the Hamilton route
Not to mention I would be watching a proshoot of Dear Evan Hansen bare minimum yearly.
Whatever they did for Hamilton, they should have done for Dear Evan Hanson.
Edit: o wait I just watched the part where you said that 🙃
I honestly can’t believe that this movie got all the way to the point of release. Ben Platt “burst on the scene” as a college Freshman in 2012’s Pitch Perfect. Why would anyone think Platt could pull off a high school student almost a WHOLE DECADE LATER!?!?!?
You: I cannot use illigal footage.
Jenny Nicholson: Used exclusively illegal footage.
All jokes aside, I agree that Platt's performance was off-putting. I have anxiety and depression and the most I do is just fidgit with my hands (picking cuticles, wringing my hands in my shirt, scratching even though I'm not itchy.) Platt looks like he is electrocuted everytime he does an Evan anxiety twitch.
I kept getting ads for this movie lol, I'm grateful for your review!
Hey thanks! Really appreciate it!
Yours is the first review I've seen from someone who watcher and loved the stage show. Glad I'm not the only one who feels like loving the stage show only deepens my disappointment of this mess of a film.
If only The Great Comet of 1812 won the Tony in 2017…we would’ve been saved from this.
I've heard a few people bring up that musical. I'll have to check it out soon.
@@JimmyRobins The Great Comet is an incredible musical! One of my personal favorites actually lol. The story is a bit confusing and hard to follow at first, but the music really sells it for me.
holy shit this is such a quality vid!!! so shocked to see that you're not 10x as recognized, you deserve this comment and a sub
"The Producers" made this the entire drive of it's comedy. What works in one medium won't translate in another.
On stage, his age gets a pass because it's theatre and he's channelling the experience and emotion of a teenager.
On film, drama and realism is expected to be to the forefront.
On stage, they focused on making the whole cast and story have importance and resonate with each other and the audience.
On film, they focus on the lead so much any flaws or shortcomings are uncomfortably exposed.
The result? Other characters and the story are an after thought.
This screams vanity project to promote the lead star, who doesn't earn it, and any objectivity has been ignored.
Plus Evan Hansen looks like a creep perving on pre teens.
I really appreciate this video for approaching the movie as an adaptation in comparison to the broadway show and book. So many reviews of this movie I've seen seem to just take it as an excuse to trash the concept of the story itself for being problematic because they didn't actually get it and stuff and the fact the movie is just a bad movie seems to take a back seat to that.
Glad to hear it, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Just discovered ur channel... i have a lot of aggreements with what you just said, besides the title of the video😂, you actually have a great judgement amd sense of humor. At first i thought you were gonna roast the hell out of this😂 and i was happy that i was wrong, a lot of ur arguments were solid🙌🏽
Thank you!
this was great! I really love the stage production and was looking for a review of the movie from someone who knows the musical :)
Thanks, I'm glad enjoyed the video!
Oooh I really enjoyed your critique and humor. When I subbed I expected you to have a way bigger audience! You're doing a great job
Thank you so much!
This is my first time viewing one of your videos and I loved it, especially all the jokes about illegal copies of the musical. Keep it up!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
1:50 clearly the other two times were just a DEH-inspired slime tutorial
Instructions unclear, my slime tried to kiss Zoe Murphy on her brothers bed after he died.
This is the first video I’ve seen from you and it was really good! Definitely gonna check out more on your stuff
Thank you!
I know it's important to change things for the screen but I feel like they should have kept most things like they were and put a younger actor to play Evans. Most of their decisions were misfires from writing to songs to casting the main character.
Saw your Spotify wrapped and knew I'd found one of my own. What The Heck I Gotta Do.... TASTE
The 2 legal watches joke was perfect
very excited to have found this channel
Thank you, glad to hear it!
haha the ad before you going off about ben platt after you’d been playing it up… brilliant placement
Amy Adams is ALWAYS good in anything I've seen her in.
I was so excited when I had heard there would be a film coming out. And within moments of hearing that Mr. Platt would be reprising his role on film, I immediate became the Office meme of Michael Scott yelling NO! over and over again. Love the music. Love the story. Even love the idea that the main character is one of those whom you're not sure whether you like or not because of his manipulation of others. But I would have been doubly excited if I had heard they cast a younger actor for Evan. I see the clips of him in front of the locker talking to the young girl and I can't help but cringe. Knee-jerk reaction.
My favorite DEH song is "Words Fail" and I'm afraid those are the two words that came to mind when I saw Mr. Platt being cast as the main character.
Thanks for the review, Jimmy.
Thank you, I really appreciate hearing your thoughts.
I was in shows in AZ with Phoebe! They are so talented and play the hell out of every role so happy you gave props in the vid!!
Oh wow, that’s really cool to hear! Yeah, she was the standout performance for both me and my girlfriend for that show.
I didn't expect you to cover Dear Evan Hansen when I stumbled on your channel but I'm so glad you did lol
the fact that u kept showing ben "i'm the only person who can truly play evan hansen" platt's boyfriend during the macy's day performance was funnier than any joke in the movie
This was great. I feel like your point of view on this film was a bit different than what I've heard in several other videos. You didn't just harp on how old and creepy Ben looked in the film.
Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback!
A musical on stage and a movie are two very different things. Ben Platt may have been great on the stage but in film his performance didn’t translate well.
Maybe a better director and a different actor who’s age appropriate could’ve made this movie work.
Hope your Channel will blow up! Super nice Voice and friendly Face. I got this Video recommended btw.
Thank you for the kind words and the info!
This video was so smart and fun to watch. I always love to hear takes on the DEH movie from former musical fans :]
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
you put more effort on this review than they did on the movie XD
Haha thanks, I appreciate it!
Halp!!! I can't remember the name portraying Evan Hansen at 3:48 ? Can someone please tell me.
EDIT: A few seconds later I "realized" after surfing IBDB that it's 3rd full-time Broadway replacement, Taylor Trensch. How could I forget that?
I'd hire you as Conner LMAO
JIMMY YES IM SO HYPED YOU MADE A VIDEO ON THIS
Haha, glad to hear it!
Off topic but your humor is hilarious please don’t stop haha
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
I liked the movie and watched it twice, I wished I had seen the Broadway production
I took it for what it was. I heard the opinions prior to watching the movie, but glad I still saw it. The message was still loud and clear about the impact of depression and anxiety
Glad to hear it! There’s definitely still quality and value in the movie, it just didn’t do it for me.
"It's really difficult to grow expand my audience rn" I'm from Brazil so that's something I guess
Yeah, it's funny that the one time I make that joke this becomes one of my biggest videos.
Great video also I subscribed cuz you are such a charismatic person!
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
whenever i look at ben platt i only see a middle aged fix it felix in an au where everything went wrong
nice vid, refreshing to hear a more balanced take on the movie! kudos, keep up the good vids :D
I love that what the heck i gotta do was in your wrapped.
fantastic video!! i definitely agree about the numbers being boring. i know the movie was going for something more grounded and lowkey than other movie musicals like into the heights but COME ON like these are musical theater songs!! if you have underwhelming visuals its going to be way less impactful!!
Spot on honestly, they should’ve taken a different approach to them. And thank you!
Slime Tutorials... I mean ive never seen the Broadway show just listened to the album
My score straight out of the movie theatre was B+, just like the sign you have in the background. I've never seen the musical in my life, so I only have the lens of seeing it at the movies. There were moments in the movie I wish were expanded upon, but it is incredibly difficult to adapt a musical into a movie in just 2 hours. For example, the interaction between Zoe and Evan when they're talking about the difficulties of being rich or poor... Yes! That was a humorous, yet cool bonding moment to see. And "If I could tell her" was a brilliant way to subtly tell someone that you like them.
I wanted to see more of Jared and more of Connor. You were absolutely right about the "show don't tell". That's the thing... I feel like this movie was meant to showcase Ben's talent and his singing to the point where everything else felt neglected and not explained to full effect. As soon as the movie started with "Waving through a Window," I was HOOKED. I was like: "ok, this is going somewhere." Then the movie got slow and went back a little bit... Idk after the "You Will Be Found" portion I feel like it wasn't as exciting.
My favorite things about the movie are Ben Platt's singing and his quirky awkwardness (dropping the notecards, awkwardly smiling when Connor shouts at him, and his blunt speech with Zoe/his mom). But even after that's said and done I felt like I needed more to honestly give this movie a higher rating than a B. I needed more action and less of "telling" and goodness... I feel like they referenced the tree too many times to count.
I, respectfully, disagree about Ben Platt's criticisms about his looks in the movie. People are trying to meme and overexaggerate his looks on social media. It's a really low blow and I get that movies need the right "look" but it's so unnecessary to go and bash someone on their physical appearance instead of their merit. He looks just fine to me. It's not just because I'm gay but he looked cute and like he was a senior about to go to college. I think he worked unnecessarily hard on this film to lose 20 lbs and grow out his curly Jewish hair. I could be wrong, but I think people are upset about his perceived arrogance but all I see is someone who is overworked and is confident in his abilities. I believed that he is Evan Hansen. In all honesty, I'm baffled that social media is harsh on Ben Platt. If anything, I thought he was a mega star that everybody praised and tweeted nonstop. I guess that's why my VIP concert tix to go see him were easy to grab, but I regret nothing. I gave my objective review of a "B," but I love Ben as a person. As a theater major in college, I am inspired by Ben Platt and his contributions to the world of musical theatre. I just feel a strong connection to Evan Hansen based on my past experiences as a teen, and to Ben Platt as an artist.
You’re definitely right that people used their opinions of Platt’s age to be unnecessarily mean to him. Well put.
this is really good, glad it came up in my recommended
your points were well said and the jokes landed really well. it's such a shame how they butchered the show, it really could've been great
This is a really good review. thanks for putting this up
Thank you!
This is the first video ive seen of yours. ur pretty funny and kinda remind me of eddy burback. subscribed!
We have nothing in common though. We’re both just American white dudes with glasses, dark hair, facial hair, that both make commentary videos talking about online culture and media. I mean, we may as well be different species, no?
Haha in all seriousness thank you, and I take the Eddy comparison as a compliment for sure!
It probably doesn’t help that he’s almost 30 playing a 18 year old
THIS VIDEO DESERVES MORE CREDIT ITS SO WELL DONE
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Every non-musical theater fan I know origionally thought this movie was about Evan coming out as gay, when I told them what this movie was actually about they all thought Evan was psychoitic
Great video & great to hear critique from someone who is a fan of the original! I also wasn’t a huge fan of Benp Latt as Evan, as controversial as it sounds, & found other actors captured his essence way better.
Larry definitely still could’ve been the patriarch without having to be relegated to “oh, he’s their stepdad now”. Not that stepdads can’t love their spouses’ children as their own, but I just don’t think that change was necessary. Danny Pino (who played Larry in the movie) is a Cuban-American so I guess they thought “damn, he can’t be their biological father since he’s darker skinned, guess we gotta make him a stepdad now”. But like… how about Connor & Zoe being portrayed by half-Latino half-white actors? No shade against Kaitlyn Dever or Colton Ryan, they’re truly great (and I have a lot of love for Colton as a performer especially), but… there are plenty of half-Latino half-white actors who can act & sing who would die for a shot at a major feature film! It would’ve been really cool to see a mixed family like that because many people (like me) know what it’s like to be raised in a household with parents of different races & would love to see that represented on screen.
Also, thank you for pointing out that there are Jewish Indians. There was absolutely no need to erase Jared’s Judaism.
You make a lot of good points. It’s also funny to me, because when I see families in which the children are different races than their families (including the Murphy family in the stage show) my assumption is always just “some or all of the kids are probably adopted then”. Like even if they wanted to keep the same actors, there were ways to do it without making Larry their step-dad.
@@JimmyRobins Thank you! Yeah, I actually deleted a whole thing I wrote about how he could’ve just been their adoptive father from my original comment (I even have it copied still haha: “and btw, even if they didn’t want to make him their bio dad, instead of a stepdad, he could’ve even been their adoptive father which would’ve given great commentary about how biology doesn’t make a family)”, but felt like my comment was already pretty essay-length as is lol. But yeah, still nothing against stepdads, just felt like it was an odd choice for this particular story when there are other routes to take! Once again, great vid & thanks for the reply! 💕
Thank you.
This thing absolutely blows and I wasn't even a huge fan of the musical.
1:51 see it’s funny bc people actually upload musical bootlegs to pornhub all the time :)
Is what I would say if I spent both of my middle school years compiling lists of musical bootlegs
Ummmmm… yes… that is what I was referring to thank you for recognizing that! On a totally unrelated note… I just learned a really interesting life hack.
This is my favorite review of the Dear Evan Hansen movie, I totally agree the storylines they cut or altered changed the story way more than I think the screen writers intended it to.
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
I’m obviously in minority, here, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The only critique I had was that they left out “anybody have a map” and “to break in a glove.” I mean, there was no way it was going to be better than the broadway version, but I honestly loved this movie.
Nothing wrong with that! There was still quality to the movie even if it wasn’t my cup of tea.