Dear Evan Hansen: Broadway success, film failure

The musical, on stage, and the musical, on the screen, are certainly not the same thing. And not because the genre of musical theater cannot be adapted to the other format. There are many examples, with Chicago to the head.

And without falling into the cinema, as was done with another Broadway hit, like hamiltonand the result was just as spectacular, with multiple cameras, Dear Evan Hansenbased on the six-award winning musical Tony Dear Evan Hansendid not repeat the success of the show and was a flop in theaters.

In theaters of the countries where it was released. There weren’t many of them, because obviously there was a cascade effect. It failed at the US box office, cost relatively little ($ 28 million), and grossed just over $ 19 million worldwide.

The reviews weren’t auspicious either, but the work theme is reflected one hundred percent in the film, which is available on HBO. They are suicide, mental health, appearances and lies.

The protagonist, the one who gives the title its name, is a rather insecure 17 year old who suffers from social anxiety disorder, and who writes a letter to himself (hence the Dear Evan Hansen) for encouragement, as recommended by your therapist.

But, and there is usually a but in the drama, Evan prints the letter, it is taken by Connor, Zoe’s classmate and brother, whom Evan loves silently. Evan and Connor had not had a relationship, but Connor commits suicide, and the parents find the letter (the one with “Dear Evan Hansen …”) and understand that it was a suicide note. Goodbye

And here comes the desperation of the protagonist, who just to look good, and begin to feel appreciated, takes for granted and sure what is not, and the ball of lies begins to get bigger and bigger. And it includes other characters. Because Evan conjures up Connor’s memory, which goes viral, and he no longer knows how to stop. And less so when a classmate creates a mental health awareness campaign.

One of the original cast

Maybe they just kept the original Broadway actor (Ben Platt), even though the years have passed and Platt, at 27, playing someone ten years younger, it wasn’t the best idea. Among the new talents who have joined for the film are Amy Adamsas the mother of both the suicide bomber and Evan’s love interest, e Julianne Moorelike the other mom, the one who has little time to devote to her son, Evan.

No one is wrong, it is true, and nothing is disconnected. I saw this year’s staging of the show in London, where viral texts from Twitter, from Instagram, are played across multiple screens and projections, in one extraordinary device. That effect on stage obviously couldn’t be carried over to the film. In a theater the vision is very broad, and the spectator decides what he sees, which elements he pays his attention to.

On the movie screen, or now, on the LCD, it’s almost impossible.

Not all songs by Ben Pasek and Justin Paul are on the soundtrack, but the hits are. The wickedness of the critics seems a bit excessive to me, they did little to keep the film on the bill or, as we said, to go out in our country.

The “window”, as they call the options after the theatrical release, remains as the only chance to see the film directed by Stephen Chbosky, screenwriter and director of The benefits of being invisible (2012), about another troubled introverted student.