Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) is a teenager with social anxiety disorder, heading into his senior year at Westview High School. He doesn’t really have any friends, and describes himself as weird, anxious, and depressed. His mother, Heidi (Julianne Moore), is a nurse who often has to pick up double-shifts, so she isn’t around much, and Evan’s father left when he was young. Evan’s therapist has tasked him with writing daily “Dear Evan Hansen” letters to himself as a way of trying to uplift his spirits by thinking about why each day is going to be great. Over the summer, Evan had broken his arm falling from a tree, and his mother suggests that he could ask the other kids to sign it as an ice breaker for some social interaction, but even family friend Jared Kalwani (Nik Dodani) refuses to sign it.
Troubled student Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) is also a loner without any friends. He has had issues with drugs and anger management, and most of the students think he’s a psycho. One day in the library, Connor sees Evan writing his letter, and stops by to sarcastically sign Evan’s cast, saying that now they can both pretend to have friends. But when he sees his sister Zoe’s (Kaitlyn Dever) name mentioned in the “Dear Evan Hansen” letter, he thinks Evan is making fun of him, trying to goad him into doing something crazy. So he grabs the letter, pushes Evan to the ground, and storms out of school. Evan panics, thinking that Connor is going to post the letter for all his classmates to see and make fun of him. However, after a few days of nothing, he is called into the principal’s office, where Connor’s mother Cynthia (Amy Adams) and stepfather Larry (Daniel Pino) reveal that their son had committed suicide, and that they found the letter with him, believing it to be their son’s final words, addressed to Evan. They didn’t think their son had had any friends, and are now eager to hear stories about their son from his best friend. Evan wants to tell them the truth, but he doesn’t want to upset this grieving family, and Connor’s name on his cast further cements their assumption that he and their son were best friends. However, one family dinner leads to another—the lie start to snowball, and things start to get completely out of hand, especially when student activist Alana Beck (Amandla Stenberg) gets involved.
The lies originally started off as Evan wanting to be a people-pleaser, but at the same time, the Murphys are giving him the ever-present parents he never had, and the attention of Connor’s sister Zoe, with whom he has been infatuated with for a long time. Evan is a terrible liar, but this family is in so much grief that they are willing to latch onto any connection that they can make to try to understand their son. Evan is afraid that admitting his lies will cause this new family dynamic he has created to come crashing down, but how long can he keep this ruse going?
There was some criticism about now-late-20-something Ben Platt reprising his Tony-winning role as teenager Evan, however, I had no issues with this and found him quite believable as the high school senior (maybe I watch too many CW shows, where teens are often played by actors in their 20s). Platt’s performance is easily the highlight of the film, and it is easy to see why he has become synonymous with this role, delivering a raw and emotional performance. The first time I watched this film, I had some issues with Evan, and was wondering why so many people have latched onto this story. Here is this guy who is lying to a grieving family, and taking advantage of their situation to fill a void in his own life. However, upon re-watching the film on this Blu-ray, I found a deeper understanding of the character and the pain he is going through, and the song lyrics and emotional lead performance by Platt really convey this. Topics of depression and mental health may seem like odd things to build a musical around, but I think this film does so successfully in a way that feels not only genuine, but also offers a hopeful message for those who may be feeling like they are all alone, facing a similar situation.
The film features many amazing musical performances that will stick in your head for days afterwards, beginning with the film’s anthem to the lonely kid, “Waving Through a Window”. Other highlights include the emotional “For Forever”, the delightful comedic song and dance number “Sincerely Me”, and the inspirational, hopeful and powerful “You Will Be Found”. The film also features two new songs that weren’t in the original Broadway show. The first is “Anonymous Ones”, which takes the place of “Different”, and finds the character of Alana sharing her personal experiences with depression. The second is “A Little Closer”, which replaces “Finale”, and gives viewers a deeper glimpse into the character of Connor. Platt is joined by an amazing supporting cast, who also deliver strong musical performances. With “Requiem”, Kaitlyn Dever, Amy Adams and Daniel Pino convey how Conner’s family is dealing with their grief. And with “So Big, So Small”, Julianne Moore delivers an emotionally-packed punch as Heidi reassures her son that she will always be there for him. Missing from the stage production are songs “Anybody Have a Map?”, “To Break In a Glove” and “Good for You”. While I haven’t seen the stage production, having listened to clips of these songs, it’s a shame there wasn’t a way to include them in the film.
Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is very clean, with an excellent level of detail, especially in close-ups, which helps to convey the raw emotion in the performances. While the Dolby Atmos audio track doesn’t take advantage of things like height (there’s really no need for it in a film like this), there is a general ambiance provided in the more-crowded school scenes. Dialogue is clear throughout, and the musical performances sound amazing, with a full, booming sound. The release includes both a Blu-ray and a DVD disc, packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase placed inside an embossed slipcover, along with an insert containing instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the film as well as Universal Rewards points. Some of the bonus material is not included on the DVD disc, but the Blu-ray includes about an of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:17:14)
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- HD digital copy of the film, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
- Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 12/31/2025)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie or other items in the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of 5-6 free digital titles usually changes around the first of the month. - Songs To Be Seen (43:17)
The cast and crew discuss each of the songs in the film, how the lyrics resonate with the characters and actors, shooting the scenes, and how the staging compares to play. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive music producer Alex Lacamoire, director Stephen Chbosky, choreographer Jamaica Craft, co-composer/music producer Dan Romer, and stars Ben Platt (“Evan Hansen”), Amy Adams (“Cynthia Murphy”), Daniel Pino (“Larry Mora”), Nik Dodani (“Jared Kalwani”), Colton Ryan (“Connor Murphy”), Kaitlyn Dever (“Zoe Murphy”), Amandla Stenberg (“Alana Beck”), Julianne Moore (“Heidi Hansen”), Liz Kate (“Gemma”) & DeMarius Copes (“Oliver”). Play All, or select from: - Waving Through a Window (3:26)
- For Forever (4:38)
- Sincerely Me* (3:45)
- Requiem* (3:59)
- If I Could Tell Her* (3:54)
- Anonymous Ones (3:01)
- You Will Be Found (4:17)
- Only Us* (3:47)
- Words Fail* (4:41)
- So Big, So Small* (4:14)
- A Little Closer (3:37)
- Looking Through the Lens: The Making of Dear Evan Hansen (8:36)
The cast and filmmakers discuss translating the stage play to the big screen. Topics include casting the roles, the new songs, designing the sets and costumes, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Stephen Chbosky, vocal supervisor Ben Cohn, production designer Beth Mickle, costume designer Sekinah Brown, choreographer Jamaica Craft, co-composer/music producer Dan Romer, and stars Ben Platt, Colton Ryan, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Julianne Moore & Amy Adams. - Sincerely, Ben Platt (4:57)
Ben Platt reflects on his history with the role of Evan Hansen, while his co-workers discuss working with the star. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with executive music producer Alex Lacamoire, director Stephen Chbosky, and actors Colton Ryan, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever & Amandla Stenberg. - Stars In Our Eyes* (3:06)
The cast and crew talk about the challenges and rewards of filming during the pandemic, how the film’s themes of isolation tied into the situation, and how making the movie was the perfect remedy. Includes interviews with production designer Beth Mickle, costume designer Sekinah Brown, and stars Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Amy Adams, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Liz Kate, DeMarius Copes & Julianne Moore.
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Blu-ray:
DVD:
Digital (code may not be valid after 12/31/2022):
Extras:
Items marked with an * are not included on the DVD. Play All, or select from:
Final Thoughts:
While I never saw the stage version of Dear Evan Hansen, I think the filmmakers have done an excellent job of translating the story to the screen. Ben Platt does an amazing job of reprising the role he created on Broadway, and despite the nay-sayers, he does not feel too old to be playing the titular teenager. His raw, emotional performance is one of the main highlights of this film. Platt is joined by a talented supporting cast who also deliver some great musical performances that will stick in your head for days. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes an hour of entertaining behind-the-scenes featurettes.
