Dear Evan Hansen

Stephen Chbosky directs this screen adaptation of Justin Paul’s award winning stage play. Evan (Ben Platt) is an awkward, anxious and lonely high school kid, heading into his senior year. Given an exercise by his therapist to try to help, he has to write himself a daily letter to visualise the day he wants. Evan’s life changes when one of his letters is the only thing found with the body of troubled student Connor who tragically takes his own life. Although he tries to explain, when he sees it provides some comfort to the family he plays along. When Evan provides a touching eulogy at a memorial service, he finds his is finally heard and seen. However, when the inevitable happens and the charade unravels, all must deal with the consequences.

I’ve never seen the stage play but reading through reviews from those that have, it seems that the issues with the adaptation are embedded in its source material. Because Dear Evan Hansen is a very uneven film.

Its first half is much stronger than its second, it tackles some hugely difficult subjects, Evan’s mental health challenges and loneliness, the concerns of his mother (Julianne Moore) and of course the devastation, heartbreak and loss felt by Connors family when he takes his own life.

It is in this first half that it as its best, the raw emotion on show is truly heartbreaking at times. The pain, confusion and desire to find something good to cling onto are brilliantly portrayed by Danny Pinto, the always wonderful Amy Adams and a fabulous performance from Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays the struggles of devastating loss versus the relief that a painful and difficult relationship with her brother is over.

However, as Evan’s deception unravels, this is where the film unravels with it. It doesn’t really seem sure how to handle the fallout of the discovery and rather clunkily heads towards its convenient ending.

The film does deal with some very difficult areas and raises it in a sensitive way. Amandla Stenberg’s Alana is used particularly well, especially highlighting how those needing help can often hide it so well.

But overall it doesn’t quite work, the second half let’s down its powerful first. And of course there is the Ben Platt issue who, while only 26, is bizarrely made to look even older and this constantly jars. Which is a pity, because Platt is a good performer, but has his job made difficult.

Dear Evan Hansen is hugely uneven, a touching and heartbreaking first half is let down by a meandering second that is unsure how to deal with its story. Which is a pity as there are things to enjoy and performances to admire, but overall it doesn’t work as well as it needs to for its difficult subject matter.