I have a lot of feelings…
Today, Universal dropped the full trailer for its upcoming musical Dear Evan Hansen. Ben Platt reprises his Tony-winning role as the titular character Evan Hansen, an isolated and anxious high school student. The film version adds Julianne Moore as his mother. Kaitlyn Dever, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, and Colton Ryan round out the cast.
The Broadway production keeps things very tight. Sets are isolated to a handful of houses and a giant wall of screens to highlight the impact of social media on the story. But the film opens things up quite significantly (He’s climbing the tree! There’s a roller coaster!), so it will be interesting to see if the film has the same impact as the near-claustrophobic stage version did.
The songs are there, though, including “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” and “You Will Be Found.” It’s unclear what they’re doing with Julianne Moore’s character’s songs, or if they’re giving Adams a larger role in the film with songs of her own.
And then there’s the issue of Platt’s age. They’re clearly trying to make him look younger with a new wig. Jury’s out on that one. UPDATE: This may be Ben Platt’s real hair. Stay tuned…
Still, watching the trailer with my kids who love the Benj Pasek and Justin Paul score, I couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed. I’m a sap.
Dear Evan Hansen opens only in theaters on September 24.
Ben Platt tweeted: ”Thank you from the bottom of my [heart] for the outpouring of trailer love.” As for those who didn’t think Platt, 27, looked convincing as a teen, the Tony winner called them ”jerks” and told ’em to ”read this great [Vanity Fair] article and/or watch grease.” Platt has since deleted the tweet.
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ben-platt-responds-dear-evan-hansen-trailer-criticism-1234976568/
He is infamously known as a dreadful person.
Leave Ben Platt alone.
https://twitter.com/filmystic/status/1395466068039176194?s=19
Caitlyn Devers!!!!! How is she not get more jobs and be more popular. My favorite young actor since a long time.
I’m not looking forward to the discourse around this film. I absolutely love the stage show, as someone who has had my fair share of mental health issues in the past and present I found it relatable and real and I love the moral grey area the show inhabits… However, I am already seeing takes on twitter saying ” they don’t make it clear enough that what he is doing is wrong” which just reminds me so much of the Jojo Rabbit takes saying “it doesn’t show just how horrific the nazis were” as if we need everything spelled out in black and white terms… I guess that is where film twitter is at these days.
In saying that, I’m thoroughly unconvinced by this trailer that this film will do the show justice. I don’t have a problem with Platt’s age like some but I do have a problem with how bland it all looks. The show is staged incredibly with a really cool set full of social media screens and an intimate setting whereas the setting here looks bland and dull and exactly what a generic studio producer would come up with if you told them to go shoot a high school film. They also don’t look like they are doing anything narratively to develop it, this looks like a generic studio cut and paste and I really don’t think that will work for this material which has to be approached really sensitively. I hope I’m wrong, and anyway, no matter what they do the music will still be the music and it is amazing! Great cast too.
I didn’t see the stage show, but sometimes Broadway musicals need to be filmed and released on network TV, like NBC or PBS. But, once again, we’re being overwhelmed and bombarded with all the content that keeps coming at us. People have just sooo much time in a day. And one of these networks or streaming services has to drop out.
I was one of those people who had been very skeptical about Ben Platt playing this role at 28 but I have to say, he kinda pulls off the gangly, awkward teen look. Amy Adams popped for me in this trailer, we’ll see how far that will take her because the September release date is a bit suspicious.
Who would she be up against though ? Most likely on-paper contenders are clearly the usual suspects like Glenn Close (Swan Song), Rooney Mara (Nightmare Alley), Isabelle Huppert (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), Salma Hayek (House of Gucci), Marlee Matlin (Coda), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey 2), Abigail Breslin (Stillwater), Emma Thompson (Cruella).
Then we have a few potential Oscar newcomers in very baity roles, like Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Nina Arianda (Lucy & Desi), Gemma Chan (Don’t Worry Darling), Haley Bennett (Cyrano), Jodie Comer (The Last Duel), Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place 2), Caitriona Balfe (Belfast).
Looking forward to seeing how these performances will fare in the long run.
To me, he looks kinda creepy. And definitely too old. And this might work in the film but in the trailer all I can see is him trying not to create a character but to create the age of the character.
In the Heights is still the musical to film adaptation to beat.
I have the same feeling. The trailer looks so promising, as they seem to take profit of the possibility of the new medium for the material, breaking space and with excellent cinematography… the trailer reminded me – a bit – of Julie Taymor’s “Across the Universe”, a flawed film that is a fascinating rewatch anyways and with sublime moments.
Hated the trailer. Not my kind of movie, looks too sappy, cheesy and light years away from anything daring.
It may sweep the Globes and Oscars, wouldn’t be shocked, after La La Land taking 6, including Director and barely missing Picture. Probably won’t see this film, even if it is raved – La La Land was, for the matter.
What is the matter with Hollywood ? Why can’t we have musicals of Ragtime , Follies and Company instead of Nine , Dear Evan Hansen and a remake of West Side Story ! Not to mention what Tim Burton did to Sweeney Todd and what Arthur Hiller did to Man of La Mancha !
Spamalot, Wicked and The Book of Mormon are still waiting…
Dear Evan Hansen was more critically acclaimed than any of this shows on Broadway…
So?
Considering its package prestige and box office, it’s more deserving to receive film treatment before any of those.
then, how a Spaniard like me, uninterested in Broadway, knows about those three and never heard of “Dear Evan Hansen” till I crossed the trailer on YouTube?
The 3 I mentioned are worldwide known, with huge, extremely huge, worldwide box-office pontential, just saying.
As usual, you are giving opinions positioning yourself or your own experience as the center of the world. Do some basic research first. Just a quick one I made in Google Trends and see the pattern of searches for DEH and the others have been in Spain. You will be surprised to see the result.
“As usual” is doing important work in that sentence.
just think for a second what you just said.
“As usual, you are giving opinions positioning yourself or your own experience as the center of the world”
That’s what you “feel”. As center of the world, and therefore inducing to think that everyone would agree with you.
I am giving my P.O.V. without any other pretension. I know, for my environment, and also because I’ve travelled through Europe, that Book of Mormon, Wicked and Spamalot have been ’round (specially in the UK) and has been touring through non-english speaking countries. NEVER heard of this play before. I am just giving my experience and never pretending everyone in the world would be the same… but I am really tired of this kind of thinking, whenever anyone gives an “unpopular” opinion, hence, is a troll or an attention seeking freak. Go with the flow, it is the message, stay quiet and in a corner and don’t break the mirage that everything is black or white.
Good riddance.
“The 3 I mentioned are worldwide known, with huge, extremely huge, worldwide box-office pontential, just saying.“
Sometimes I feel a sense of pity because you don’t seem to understand the difference between giving unpopular opinions and doing generalizations based on false premises. Opinions need to based on the reality. What you did is generalizing something based on your own experience (this is clear by the pretentious and uninformed take I used to open this post).
And you travel so much… dear please… this doesn’t make your argument or yourself more special than anyone. I am Brazilian and watched 3 of this 4 plays in person. 2 in Broadway and 1 in West End and this doesn’t matter at all for the sake of the argument.
BTW, one more basic research lacking here: Evan Hansen is the current Olivier winner for Musical.
whatever. Whatever I say, it would be just futile conversation. You really DON’T get my point. Good riddance
Looks excellent. I’m there.