Dear Evan Hansen vs. World's Greatest Dad: Why Story Execution Is Everything

(CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of mental health, suicide; SPOILERS: Dear Evan Hansen [film & stage musical], World's Greatest Dad)
Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of Evan Hansen, a high-schooler with severe social anxiety who struggles with feeling alone and unnoticed. Through a set of absurdly contrived circumstances, everyone thinks Evan was friends with a boy named Connor Murphy who has committed suicide. And instead of simply clearing the record, Evan just goes along with it, eventually fabricating an entire friendship between him and Connor, all the while chilling with the kid’s family and dating his sister, thus finally attaining a sense of belonging.
World’s Greatest Dad tells the story of Lance Clayton, played by Robin Williams, a failed writer and single father, struggling with not feeling respected nor appreciated in his life. After his son Kyle accidentally dies while performing auto-erotic asphyxiation, Lance stages his death as a suicide. After the suicide note that Lance wrote is made public and Kyle becomes a sort of cult martyr, Lance pens a fake journal of Kyle’s which becomes a nationwide phenomenon, giving Lance the adoration he has always desired.
While they of course are not the exact same story, both involve someone taking advantage of the death of another for their own personal gain. Yet while Dear Evan Hansen is a thematic clusterf*ck with a protagonist you run out of patience for by the halfway mark and a confounding central lesson, World’s Greatest Dad is a biting satire, featuring a flawed yet empathetic protagonist that concludes with an inspiring finale.
Every idea, no matter how seemingly ludicrous, can make for a good story; one simply must find out HOW to tell it; it's all in the execution. And thus, in this video I will compare and contrast the two films, demonstrating how each film tackles the same general concept which, depending on the execution, results in a rousing success or a pitiful failure.
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[00:00] - Intro/Shout-outs
[04:04] - Establishing The Protagonist
[06:12] - The Inciting Incident
[09:46] - The First Act Turn
[13:00] - Downplaying Culpability
[16:56] - Severity Of Their Actions
[20:30] - Facing The Consequences
[29:50] - The Central Message
[30:49] - Conclusion
[32:39] - Outro/Patrons
VIDEO:
Performance of "Waving Through A Window" on Seth Meyers: • Dear Evan Hansen: "Wav...
'Dear Evan Hansen' show clips: • Show Clips: DEAR EVAN ...
'Dear Evan Hansen' Arena Stage: • Dear Evan Hansen - Are...
Performance of "Waving Through A Window" at 71st Tony Awards: • Video
'Dear Evan Hansen' wins Best Musical at 71st Tony Awards: • Dear Evan Hansen wins ...
'Dear Evan Hansen' cast reveals their favorite songs: • 'Dear Evan Hansen' act...
Ben Platt wins Best Leading Actor In A Musical at 71st Tony Awards: • Ben Platt wins Best Le...
MUSIC:
"Spanish Flea" by Herb Alpert
"Deja Vu" by Dave Rodgers

[@alex9581]

Cutting out the best song of the musical (Good For You) - both thematically and musically - is the main thing that stopped me from going to see the film. From the moment they announced that, it was clear they were going to paint Evan as this darling little boy who did nothing wrong - and from the reviews I’ve seen, that’s exactly what happened

[@Emma.Lou1]

Yeah, that's why "Good for You" is so important. It's my personal favorite of the musical other than requiem, because, like you said, the show acknowledges Evan's wrongdoing. Not only that, but it gives the audience a chance to reprimand Evan for his actions. We scold him vicariously through the song. I remember listening to it the first time and thanking, "yes Evan get roasted. " It makes me so sad that they took it out of the movie. Sorry for the Essay.

[@MayvaAva]

While I personally don’t think that the musical does a much better job than the movie, that song is an absolute banger and thematically it would have definitely helped the movie.

[@roselover411]

That song is so good. I never watched the musical or movie personally, I just experience it through different video essays, but I listened to Good For You and my god I nearly cried just listening to it. Thematically it really does have a huge impact, it really should have been included.

[@piersnivans5983]

@@MayvaAva The musical was amazing to me because I knew he was wrong and I knew they knew he was wrong, but I still worried about him and wanted him to be okay.

[@MayvaAva]

@@piersnivans5983 Personally can’t relate, but to each their own. I’m glad you had such a great experience though!

[@julianc.santos1616]

Evan Hansen is literally an Always Sunny plot from Season 1 where Mac and Dennis pretend to know a dead guy to get with his granddaughter

[@scarebear1265]

Thanks it is now my head canon that the creators of Dear Evan Hansen were inspired by that episode 😂

[@faultyvideos2215]

@@scarebear1265 apparently they were actually inspired by a real life incident that happened when they were in college where a bunch of people pretended to know this guy that killed himself.

[@Lucifronz]

lol, that's true, it's just that Always Sunny knows their characters are shitbags and make it humorous.

[@Pretzil43]

Is that why the actor in Evan Hanson literally looks like Dennis in the middle of a psychotic break?

[@johnmuselmann7886]

@@Pretzil43 “I AM UNTETHERED AND MY RAGE KNOWS NO BOUNDS”

[@MsOdd86]

Ugh I’m so SO glad that you addressed Evan literally gaslighting Zoey that her abusive shitty awful brother “secretly loved her”. Like he just made her trauma a billion fucking times worse. And the movie pretending it’s okay just makes me even more angry about it. Poor Zoey is going to be ruminating and subjecting herself to so much more abuse in her life because of the implication of people abusing you can still love you unconditionally. So gross. SO gross. I hate it. The Musical having her not forgive him and never speak to him again was a good decision.

[@alison7021]

I never thought of this…… hoooooooly shit. ur so right

[@eatatjoes6751]

That's horrifying.

[@charmandyorton006]

Why did lead characters not only get so bad, but so bad at _being_ bad?! Evan Hansen acts like a groomer defending himself and deflecting everyone else and that really irks me. It's misery on the mind.

[@ClaudetteVioletta]

''bUt He hAs AnSiEtY" shut up he lied to her being very aware of it

[@Tonberry2k]

I think that part of why World’s Greatest Dad works so well is because it makes Kyle absolutely horrible and irredeemable to the point that the audience wants him dead. And then he dies. And Lance, who we’ve come to empathize with, takes it so hard despite how awful he knows Kyle was, that we’re in his corner for the rest of the movie. We feel like we willed that death to happen, and we’re seeing how it affects the remaining character we’ve felt so bad for this whole time.

[@BigK13372]

IKR. The real tragedy in the whole death lies in how Lance deal with the sudden accident. He knows Kyle is a real shit head of a son to deal with, but it is still his boy that died; and he doesn’t want the news to get out that he died in a humiliating way, hence why Lance forge the suicide note as it seems more dignify then post erotic asyphixiation. What Lance did is fucked up (especially using said death to be popular), but given his situation and how two face the people are when they suddenly treat Kyle like a matyr who they are close with its clear that we should side with Lance. Definitely the best final performance of Robin Williams career

[@charmandyorton006]

So in other words, World's Greatest Dad was emotionally aware and mature, whereas Dear Evan Hansen feels like a Tumblr user's manifesto in favour of rooting for the anti-hero.

[@UrbanDecayLova247]

@@BigK13372 yea! Honestly even if Kyle wasn’t as awful as he was, when Lance found him I still would’ve understood him initially making it look like a suicide. Dying by auto-asphyxiation is a pretty embarrassing way to go because that’s an intimate aspect of one’s sex life that not a lot of people would even know. Obviously, Lance going deeper into it cuz of the notoriety was the selfish part but the initial action of writing the suicide note was understandable even if Kyle was a friendlier character.

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@charmandyorton006 knocked it out of the park.

[@osmanyousif7849]

What gets on my nerve more is how Lance simply lets his son walk all over him like that. I get there’s all lot of parents out their who want to try and be the best parent for their kids, but every time I hear Kyle speak rudely about Lance, I keep saying, “Dude Lance, when do you just say enough is enough?”.

[@geridanton]

When I saw "world's greatest dad" in the title I actually thought it was referring to Ben Platt's dad for producing the movie and that the video was going to be about Hollywood nepotism.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Lulz

[@justalula7151]

lmao me too especially when I remembered that he tweeted that the movie wouldn't have been made if it wasn't for him

[@jennifer5512]

😂

[@soph996]

Lmao same I was like, huh, it'd be interesting to watch a take on nepotism in Broadway/Hollywood... Until I saw Robin Williams

[@Omni798]

Same!

[@GlennDavey]

8:35 "Yes ma'am. At the end, you could say he was friendly with me. Out of everyone at school, your son was the only one who signed my cast. While I didn't get to know him better, he seemed like he had a really good heart deep down." "Well thanks Evan that means a lot for telling us." Roll credits.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

LEGIT! He could have ended that noise way early

[@MrKylelee18]

Hell he could’ve sang that to them if he wanted to.

[@Trollestiatumblur]

Idk about the movie, but it seems like everyone forgets that in the musical he literally yells “He didn’t write the letter, I did,” and said this a few times. But Conner’s parents dismissed that and said “oh you’re in shock,” so… who’s really to blame? Lmfao.

[@shtfock5343]

Or a "Sorry, I didn't know him very well. But he was very kind to me and signed my cast."

[@GlennDavey]

@@Trollestiatumblur COntirved stroyehrline isc otnrisrved

[@stevemeyer4765]

The guy who plays Evan Hansen looks like 32. He legitimately looks like a teacher in the high school.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

But... perm tho...

[@rontheron4807]

His dad was the producer 🥴

[@Daftanemone]

I remember reading spoilers for Evan Hanson when it came out and thinking “wait did this musical just ripoff world’s greatest dad without realizing the protagonist is a piece of shit?”. I put that thought away and didn’t think about it. Thank you sooooo much for this video

[@sakurananami4478]

Fun fact: the musicals original intention was to be a social commentary on how when people commit suicide, everyone will then pretend to be their friend and be disingenuous, based on one of the creators own personal high-school experience. And when it was off broadway? They actually succeeded. They had this song, “part of me” (you can find it on KZbin, I highly recommend it) in place of “you will be found” which was perfect satire on how people get when a event like this happens. But then… the musical got popular, news outlets started praising the show for being a “beacon of mental health representation” (like the shit people say about 13 reasons why (fuck that garbage)) and so the creators smelling money on the horizon changed that song and message to fit the narrative being spun. In the end, we’re they themselves not the real Evan Hansens all along?

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Sounds very similar to the angle that WGD takes!

[@sakurananami4478]

@@MacabreStorytelling definitely, I really wish they stuck with their original intention I’m also definitely gonna see if I can check out WGD, just gotta make sure I’m mentally prepared enough for it lol This was a great video, I’m excited to check out more of your work!

[@squiboco]

Didnt heathers have a similar topic? Like how all the mean kids were suddenly seen as deep and misunderstood after they “committed suicide” when in reality they were monsters?

[@eatatjoes6751]

Hell, it even pushed a musical that actually looks into mental health's effect on a family (Next to Normal) out of the running for a Tony because of its meteoric popularity.

[@Croissantsss]

@@eatatjoes6751 Wait but next to normal ran on Broadway in 2009? Was there some revival in 2016/2017 that didn’t get any press? Bc damn I would’ve loved to have seen that

[@meggy0]

So there’s a rule in VFX where if you have a scene that’s 90% CGI and 10 % practical, then you usually have to replace the practical shots with CGI, because audiences can tell the difference between CGI and real footage, and spotting that difference is what kills the illusion. All this to say that of Ben Platt had to be cast then he has to be that centre and the film has to match to him, hire people a similar age to him as his schoolmates, hire other stage actors to act next to him, make the film more theatrical and fantastical. The main issue is that Platt sticks out like a sore thumb, and the plot doesn’t quite translate to screen, and none of the decisions made behind the camera helped him at all. Clearly Platt gave a good and beloved performance on stage, but he was given nothing to help him here. What a terrible film.

[@mjdunton]

World's Greatest Dad was one of the first films I went to after Robin's passing. The line "suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem" really struck hard in that moment. And then he took all his clothes off and went swimming. Hilarious. Great film.

[@james_fisch]

I managed to watch World's Greatest Dad twice before Williams passed, and I remember thinking that the label of comedy was poorly applied to the movie as I didn't find any of it funny. A few weeks after he died, I watched the movie a third time and realized the comedy isn't necessarily laugh-out-loud, and most of it comes in reflection of tragedy. One of the interesting things was the view that was passed around for a while that Williams took his life due to depression, with him being looked at as a "face of depression" while unironically outcasting people dressed in dark clothing as "not the face of depression." Everyone who hated Kyle suddenly became attached to who they remembered, and those looking for clout took the name and legacy of Williams to downplay mental illness in everyday life. Note that this wasn't a majority of people, but it was a pretty sad thing to see for a while. I don't doubt Williams had his struggles throughout his life, but learning that a major factor in his leaving was due to Lewy Body Dementia reminded me of World's Greatest Dad a lot. That said, this is one of his best roles and I feel terrible for missing the dark comedic, ironic tone in this movie when watching it in my teens. He's an unforgettable performer whose absence is still lingering when I wonder what movies he'd be in today, and the times he helped me laugh or feel emotion in a fictional character I couldn't see myself in a similar situation someday.

[@GlennDavey]

I watched it before he died and it gave me such a dark feeling. Not like I'm psychic or anything. But then he also showed up in an episode of "Louis" and seemed so very sad. Just like: is Robin... okay? (Nope) And now I can't watch World's Greatest Dad ever again :(

[@jonahperry2698]

I think it’s also really important to take into account who the audience for each movie is. Dear Evan Hanson is huge among highschoolers, specifically theatre kids. And in a lot of ways, Evan is sort of like a Luke Skywalker esque self insert for highschool outcasts. This makes the whole muddled messaging and disingenuous theme even more insidious, because it’s clear that this movie is pointed towards an audience of impressionable teens.

[@warlordofbritannia]

I dunno if Luke Skywalker is really the right parallel, at least he has a personality beyond nervous mumbles and being a creepy simp lol

[@jonahperry2698]

Luke in the og movies is just the archetypal hero. Nothing wrong with that, but he just doesn’t have a strong personality imo. A better example probably would be Harry Potter tbh

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@jonahperry2698 Eh, as archetypical Luke is, I can still envisage a strong personality of him, depending on which film (he’s quite the naive young hero in the first one, but I’d argue he developed more uniquely in Empire and Return as Mark Hamil’s abilities grew likewise); as for Harry Potter-well, book Harry is a different character than the film one, or is at least by book 5…in either case, I’ll agree that the latter is more of a self-insert akin to our Dear Evan Hansen anyways (no disrespect to Daniel Radcliffe, who I think is criminally underrated)

[@jakobrenner2230]

Like you said, Luke is an archetypical hero and the only self-insert aspect in said character I don't think that goes beyond the name. Evan Hansen in this movie, however, is either written from the perspective of someone who didn't experience social anxiety and/or highschool bullying in their life or (more likely) from someone who did and are projecting themselves in an idealized/self-martyrizing manner.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Well said. I actually read a lot of responses from Broadway fans who say that the reason the story works on stage is because when you are there in the theater, you just sort of get caught up in the spectacle and emotions. Not so much with the film.

[@joseantoniogomezrodriguez1724]

Something important to add specific of the on stage version. In "For forever" when Evan is talking about the fake friendship with Connor in the Orchid, yes he's trying to defuse the situation, but he's also slowly mixing the events of his attempt of suicide and how he wanted that perfect day with a true friend. In that song is when Evan not only starts deceiving the family, he's also lying to himself and there's a point where he truly believes in this delusion he created. Because this lie of been friends with connor is also giving way at feeling like he wasn't alone that day. Also in the final act the last actual song is from his mother who, unlike what Evan thinks of her, is reasoring him that she's always gonna love him even if all the world or himself hates him, is a song that make you remember how he's still a child and who suffers from abandoment issues and self doubt, doesn't forgives him of what he has done, but gives way to emotional grow and hope to heal.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

That's a very good point about Evan's self-deception during "For Forever." I think that once he has imagined Connor as an idealized perfect friend who helped him in his hour of greatest need, he finds it almost impossible to go back to facing the reality that he has no real friends, no one helped him, and he is utterly alone. The song changes him as much as it changes the Murphys. Indeed, "You Will Be Found" is framed entirely in terms of the fantasy he created in "For Forever," and the biggest magic trick the show performs is that the audience becomes swept up by the transcendent message of hope "You Will Be Found" seems to offer, even though we know Evan's story is false. We also want to believe that in our time of greatest need, someone will come to help us and save us, to comfort us and heal our wounds.

[@FrenkTheJoy]

The best thing about Dear Evan Hansen is the number of people who knew nothing about the show and assumed it was about a closeted gay teen who attempted suicide over being gay. There's a surprising number of people who thought that was what it was about.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

My gf was one lol

[@BigFearedBalloon]

I mainly know it from the song about writing a fake email conversations, since there are many videos where they just have fun using other characters to replace the characters in the song and just having fun with it.

[@completlynormalhypernova666]

Maybe it should have been about that lol

[@ND62511]

I wonder where that presumption came from. It’s like a Mandela effect thing where there’s many, many people having the same misconception about a thing.

[@sydposting]

@@ND62511 I think a factor might be that “Love, Simon” book/movie that came out around the same time, which WAS a story centered around a gay kid and misleading emails.

[@michaelhegwood9977]

You think there is a school for all the late twenty-something actors? You know so Evan Hansen, Peter Parker's class from the first Sam Rami movie, and the cast of Riverdale can all learn stuff they learned probably a decade ago.

[@freelancegeneralist1664]

For real, he looks 36 years old.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

And all the teachers are pushing 75

[@ChatterboxFM]

Evan is the 47-year-old Drivers Ed teacher.

[@jadenbryant9283]

In fairness in comparison to all the other high schoolers in San raimis spider-man 1 toby was the only one who actually looked like he was in highschool

[@gorimbaud]

also in fairness to Raimi's Spider-Man, Joe Manganiello played Flash, and even if he was in his mid-twenties at the time, I struggle to imagine that man ever looking truly young.

[@warlordofbritannia]

There's an alternate timeline where Dear Evan Hansen is a black comedy with a clearly 36 year old Ben Platte playing the titular creeper who pretends to be an anxiety-ridden seventeen year old so he can seduce literal children and everyone just pretends that he is actually 17 and never questions it Unfortunately, that's the same timeline where all the Daniel Craig Bond films are just five slightly-differing versions of Spectre; there's also a mega virgin KZbinr named Morbid Writing who makes a twelve hour video called "The Spectre Saga: A Retrospectre" before disappearing from the Internet in shame

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Directed by Sam Mendes

[@thewaitisogre]

that movie exists and it’s called the killing of a sacred deer. it’s really good!

[@hollykm]

😳😮😮

[@eddiedingle767]

Is this also the timeline where Richard Madden becomes James Bond?

[@robertgibson9651]

Literally the funniest comment I've ever seen

[@NymeriaLupin]

Before I knew the whole plot beats of the musical/film, having only heard the soundtrack and seeing the cast with Connor's name, I thought the sister had seen the cast, told her parents, and they got curious, inviting him over to explain after the suicide. Connor didn't need to see the letter; he was tying up a loose end by apologizing before killing himself. Wouldn't that have been a simpler inciting incident?

[@xsoultillerx]

i think the most fucked part is that connor seeing the letter was probably the catalyst to his suicide.

[@thankspete7447]

the dear evan hansen book executes the story way better in my opinion. it offers connor's point of view, who rightfully sees evan as some weird villain thats lying about everything and invading his family. it doesnt frame evan as the same flawless protagonist as the musical, and has a way bigger emotional impact imo. also, the musical was good, but had a way different tone than the movie. it had a lot of jokes and lighthearted moments that just cant work in movies (eg. when he finds out connor died, cynthia discovering the cast is a funny moment, which couldnt be executed the same way in the movie). tbh its a good musical, a great book and a shitty movie. youre completely right about execution.

[@soyboy6953]

The book is great, and I completely agree!

[@idiomatic444]

I have the book, I've read it and cried every time. Having Connor pov adds a lot to the story

[@SoiledBreeches]

Amy Adams is such a great actress as well, she could play this *kind of* character and get an Oscar for it, shame it was used on Dear Evan Hanson, I’d love to see Adams portray a mother not coping with the suicide of her troubled son

[@jennifer5512]

Agreed. I think a movie just focusing on a Murphy type family would be interesting. The mother lying to herself about the type of person Connor was while the father and daughter being more realistic. Cut Evan from Dear Evan Hansen

[@SoiledBreeches]

@@jennifer5512 with Adams in the lead as well, we’ve got a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes here, wasted opportunity

[@oliviamorales9406]

Personally i would of loved to seen a movie focused on Zoey. The idea that people are pushing her to mourn for someone who abused and she hates because of that sounds like an interesting concept

[@TheSuckoShow]

The results can be really unsettling when movies try to downplay and make excuses for a protagonist's worst behavior. It winds up feeling like endorsement when the original intention was to condemn.

[@therealCrazyJake]

World’s Greatest Dad is such an underrated gem, and the fact that it’s written and Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait is fucking brilliant!

[@tyr5203]

It may have already been mentioned but Bobcat also wrote the film based on his own personal experience of losing his friend Kurt Cobain and how many people who never knew him acted after his death. It is also why Krist Novoselic is in the film, you can see him in this video at 18:49

[@jlupus8804]

I kinda like the premise: a kid struggling with loneliness saves himself by saving others. But now, we have another movie... confusing victimhood with virtue. Great breakdown MS, can't wait for you to review the Dear Evan Hansen sequel, coming in 2024.

[@GreekDudeYiannis]

FINALLY SOMEONE COMPARES THESE TWO FUCKING MOVIES. I'm aghast that SarahZ, Jenny Nicholson, and all of these other massive youtubers didn't even mention World's Greatest Dad, seeing as how it almost directly inspired Dear Evan Hansen (given how it came out years before and has a nearly identical premise but instead of a dad and his son it's a teenager and a stranger). Like, how have people not compared these two movies more?? I only ever saw off the cuff comments on random theatre forums that compared the two.

[@FlyingFocs]

Honestly, they probably don't know it exists because it falls from the view of what they normally cover. I mean, just because you review movies doesn't mean you know every movie (or even everything about them).

[@ImmortalBroken]

@@FlyingFocs Yeah, I've never heard anyone else mention WGD. I'm pretty sure the only reason I've even heard of WGD is because I was working at Blockbuster at the time the DVD came out so I saw it for free.

[@avanishdutta2658]

Dear Evan Hansen should have been four acts. The third act delving deep into evan facing consequences for his actions and eventually suffering for it, losing support of his friends and family, only his mother standing beside him knowing he never wanted to do it willingly. And the fourth act, concluding the movie with him finally gathering his friends and family in the auditorium to apologise for what he did, but connor's family and his sister don't forgive him which gives a bitter ending and ending with the theme of 'as you sow, so you reap', or 'the wrong things you did will eventually get back to you'.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Preach. There is a quality story in there somewhere. Just needed a bit more tlc.

[@Skippy45]

As soon as this video ended, I actually thought back to 'The Dark Knight'...(spoilers, please don't press 'read more' if you haven't seen it)... ...which is also a story that ends with society believing in an "inspiring lie" that supposedly has beneficial effects, and is even framed as heroic. I remember when the film first came out, nobody in the audience had a problem with that lie and it pretty much came off as inspiring. So I was wondering why that ending worked, and everyone was okay with that lie, whereas with 'Dear Evan Hansen', the ending was criticized even going back to the stage version. I realized it's because the 'Dark Knight' lie is framed purely as a sacrifice made by Batman for everyone else's benefit, whereas in the stage version of 'Dear Evan Hansen', it appears, at least to me, that the people making the biggest sacrifice...by keeping Evan's secret...are, for lack of a better word, Evan's victims (those whose tragedy he exploited, and who are being lambasted by society at the end and who now have the additional burden of living out said lie, etc). By contrast, Batman's action works because whether he is right or wrong in his thinking, he is freely choosing to suffer out of love for what he believes is for the greater good, out of love for the people of Gotham, and it's implied that he will pretty much be the only person to suffer as a result. He's *sacrificing* society's acceptance of him. So therefore, the morality of the piece isn't contradictory or hypocritical or whatever...it comes off merely as an interesting perspective. Batman has nothing to gain and everything to lose and so the audience is therefore free to debate the validity of the lie without feeling weird about Batman's morality. It's not a perfect comparison because the lie doesn't drive the plot in 'Dark Knight', it's just the conclusion...so the comparison to 'World's Greatest Dad' is much better...but I think it's still worth thinking about this story's execution. Side-note: on top of all of that, Batman's lie also serves as an answer to a *separate* dramatic question of whether he can ever stop being Batman, what kind of hero he has to become, etc etc. And last, as a final cherry on top...regardless of the fact that the film worked on its own merits...it was eventually followed by a sequel that was pretty much 3 hours of delving into the lie's long-term negative consequences.

[@TheAngryMarshmallow]

World's Greatest Dad is one of my favorite movies of all time. As someone who lost two friends to suicide it felt WHOLLY cathartic to watch the ending

[@PupCake1025]

Dear Evan Hansen _can_ work with the (stage) script as is with one major requisite - Evan _must_ be young. It needs to be blatantly obvious to the audience that this is a 17-year-old whose instinct at the first sign of conflict is to say and do whatever will get people to stop yelling (his parent's separation is heavily implied to have been on very bad terms, so there's little doubt that he was witness to a fair share of fights when he was at an age where avoidance and deescalation were the only tools available). In the stage show we see him try to remove himself from the situation multiple times, only going along with the lie when the Murphys start raising their voices at each other. The youth and helplessness of the character _has_ to be emphasized. His anxiety prevents him from speaking up and his trauma pushes him to continue the lie, but that only works when the audience recognizes that he hasn't had the time to build a functioning coping mechanism. When Evan looks like a teenager, we can see a frightened, unhealthy kid. When he looks like a 27-year-old made up to look like a 40-year-old, he looks like a manchild who should have gotten his act together ages ago at best and a genuine psychopath at worst. In addition, cutting Good For You was probably the worst move in the movie (along with cutting Ghost Connor to act as the devil on his shoulder, explaining why Evan doesn't cut his losses). Having a moment to call Evan out point-blank is absolutely essential to make the story work.

[@farrex0]

I would like to see a version of this story. But really play into his social anxiety. Meaning that, imagine you set it up as this highly agreeable person, who in the very first minutes we are shown, how he goes along with everything people tell him because he doesn't want to correct them. So for example, you have someone that calls him by his wrong name, but he doesn't want to correct them because of his social anxiety. You see that he is allergic to something, and he is eating at a restaurant, they got his order wrong, it has this food he is allergic to. You see him raise his hand, and when the waitress comes he just gets all anxious and says everything is ok, and immedeately eats the food extremely fast. Then you see him the rest of the day, suffering due to his allergy. You can set, that he talks to himself when he is alone, and that he wishes to be more brave and be able to say no to people. Then after all that, the same thing happens, and the family believes he was his sons best friend. But he is so agreeable and anxious he doesn't want to tell them no. But you can see him extremely struggle when he is alone, talking to himself again, clearly knowing he is in the wrong. Then, things get crazier and he gets deeper in the lie, just because he can't. Each time you see him talking to himself, he is more and more in distress, not knowing what to do. He knows he has to say the truth, but the longer he maintains the lie the worse it will be. Until he finally has the courage to tell the truth. Everyone hates him for it, he ends up being alone again. But he is changed, you can see that know he has more courage and has overcome a bit of his anxiety. Not completely tho, but he starts going to the right direction. What he did might never be forgotten or forgiven, he tries to ask for forgiveness to the family, but the mom while crying just tells him to leave and never see them again. It all ends bittersweet, with him first, talking to himself. Accepting that he will never make it truly right, but from now on he will be honest to himself and everyone. And that he will try his best to make up for it, via being a better person. He goes out, and through his new found courage he makes new friends.

[@jburnaquatic]

World's greatest Dad is legit my most favorite movie of all time. EVER. thank you for drawing attention to it.

[@asiagov6996]

I remember when the trailer for "World's Greatest Dad" came out on youtube, people in the comments were crapping on it. I thought it looked pretty good and when I finally saw it months later, it was one of my favorite movies released in 2009. I'm glad people are putting some respect on this movie. Idk if it's because robins passing or not but I'm happy regardless

[@taurusoushii9916]

I have never seen anyone give Worlds Greatest Dad the time of day, I'm happy to have come across this video.

[@ZombieSandwiches]

I love this comparison between the two stories. I remember watching Dear Evan Hansen and thinking "this was worthy of all those awards?". Great work on this video, keep it up, love your content

[@MacabreStorytelling]

❤

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

As a theater fan, words cannot express how angry I was at the movie adaptation of DEH. They literally took any and all complexity and nuance out of the story in order to create a more sanitized and palatable story for the general public. Not only that but they ruined a lot of the characters, ESPECIALLY Jared. Yes, he was supposed to be a jerk, but he also served as the comedy relief for the story. Movie Jared was just a boring plank of wood.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

It was jarring too since the first act is almost entirely comedy free but then Sincerely Me is so lighthearted, the film has massive tonal problems.

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

@@MacabreStorytelling Yeah the stage play had just the right balance when it came to tone. It knew when to get serious, and when we needed relief, Jared would make a sarcastic comment to lighten the mood. That's why Sincerely Me worked so well in the play but not as well in the movie.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

@@silverstarlightproductions1292 Well said. It's hard to really nail down why DEH worked so well on the stage, as you said it was just that perfect balance like lighting in a bottle.

[@renno2679]

And was it REALLY crucial to the story for Jared to be gay? Seemed like an unnecessary thing to include since it added nothing to his character besides diversity.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

@@renno2679 simmer doggo

[@ianmeadows6941]

Also the fact that Ben Platt looks 35 doesn’t help either. Should’ve stuck to play where you can’t really notice it unless your really close up. Where as with the movie if they hired someone that can pass for a high schooler it would’ve created a bit of sympathy.

[@rayewonderland]

Yeah I don't understand getting the actor from the original play to be in the movie. Menzel and Chenworth aren't in the upcoming wicked movie 😂

[@mlpmeg1213]

I never watched the DEH movie and I’m glad I didn’t. I found the musical when I was in the worst of my depression and suicidal ideation and it helped me. The hopeful message that it sent helped me. Not to say I didn’t see how fucked up Evan’s actions were, don’t worry I didn’t miss that, or at least I realized and accepted that realization as I healed (I wasn’t too far departed from my phase where I idolized JD from Heathers, had some learning and growth since then don’t worry). This show and the book were able to help me work through my lowest points and see hope for the future. I remember being so excited when they announced there was going to be a movie version, and I remember how as more and more was announced and people talked I became more disappointed and kind of felt shamed for liking DEH at all. This movie nearly ruined it for me. I’m happy that I never saw it and that I can be ok with liking the musical and the book, both showing that what Evan did was not ok at all with the book adding extra layers that the musical couldn’t given the format. I’m sad that this movie isn’t what I so desperately wanted it to be but that’s just how it is I guess. I’ve never seen or heard of World’s Greatest Dad before this video, I’ll definitely be giving it a watch.

[@FredwardDrawn]

I'll admit during highschool, I empathized with the musical evan's isolation from true connections. As a teenager, it was enough that the consequence is his separation from the murphy family because that normalcy mattered immensely to him. It was what well meaning but patronizing families can't provide- "honest" support, "sincere" compliments, both to give and receive. Even though it wasn't "real", it's still what he was willing to abandon his life to have. Even if I knew he deserved worst, I had been relieved he learned to appreciate his mother instead of feeling like her burden. As an adult, it's MUCH clearer to me now that Evan was terrible to the murphy family, but whenever I try to find reviews to properly talk about this, they just insult EVERYTHING. They make fun of how he looks (like no movie/show set in highschool had adult actors before), his hand gestures (for some reason?) and even that he printed out his therapy assignment, like they could never fathom his therapist would maybe ask to see it. It's like anxiety is only respectable when the story is good, but when it's bad, it's ok to make fun of stuttering and twitching. I feel like you're the only review I've seen that not only didn't do that but admits yeah, I wouldn't tell this grieving mother that her son died alone. That no, evan was understandably anxious during the dinner scene. There's so many reviews where they think a suicidal anxious kid would somehow be capable of handling those situations. So thanks for such a thoughtful bashing that bothered to acknowledge what the story did right. While the barrel fire is crappy compared to a hearth, at least you admit the barrel fire is warm.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Many of the most negative reviews of the movie have come from people who hated the stage play as well, or who at least hate the premise of the stage play as they understand it, even if they've never seen it.

[@Kristyle187]

Thank you for saying this. I agree with every point you’ve made here, and I REALLY appreciate the nuanced way this video analyzed both the musical and the film. I’m so beyond tired of seeing the same shallow and needlessly cruel remarks from all the critics who clearly don’t remember at all what it was like to be a teenager.

[@saulitix]

Luckily, the failure of Cats and Dear Evan Hanson will finally make Hollywood STOP making movie adaptations of musicals

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Or at least put more effort into understanding what makes them work on screen and making them more cinematic

[@michaelkugler7836]

Idk man they just made a new west side story

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

Movie adaptations of musicals aren't inherently bad, or else there wouldn't be good original movies that are musicals. These people just suck at their job.

[@Quackervoltz]

I used to be really attached to Jared as a baby theater kid as self projection of my own issues. I look back at the character now and just go "Wow, he was really just a one dimensional character that did basically nothing but make slightly homophobic jokes and could be cut for time with enough rewrites." I think that perfectly describes my current thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen.

[@Quackervoltz]

Anyways stan Goosebumps the Musical and Be More Chill

[@ajiththomas2465]

I disagree. I think Jared plays the biggest role in setting the groundwork in the narrative for "Good For You" and making it feel earned. Part of what makes "Good For You" feel earned and not feel like it came out of nowhere is that it's set up and foreshadowed by the presence of Evan's friend and sarcastic conspirator Jared Kleinman, who throughout the musical up to that point acts as the audience surrogate in a way, snarking at and calling out Evan's lies and fabrications, all while Jared plays a direct hand in helping Evan facilitate the big lie. Part of what makes Evan sympathetic despite the flaws is that Jared's presence acts as a sort of valve of criticism that provides a mini-catharsis to the audience. Without Jared acting as a sort of narrative foil, people wouldn't be nearly as sympathetic to Evan throughout the story because it would feel like the narrative was condoning Evan's terrible actions without any acknowledgement or consequence. Multiple times the show defused tension by having an emotional scene with Evan at the Murphys' house immediately followed by a video chat with Jared where he laughs uproariously at Evan's situation. It's because Jared in the story set it up that "Good For You" really hits the mark as the ultimate callout song of Evan. --- That being said, it should be noted that Evan Hansen isn't some devious scheming mastermind. A big part of why shit got so much bigger than anyone intended it to be was because Evan couldn't spit out the truth because of his severe social anxiety and even when he tries to admit the truth or when his lies obviously contradict themselves, the Murphys are so desperate to cling to any convenient narrative that their deceased son Connor was anything more than an abusive POS jerk with no friends that they ignore the contradictions or the truth.

[@eatatjoes6751]

I did that for Evan and Connor. Like, I am this stupid anxious person with anxiety issues who wants to kill myself too, let's see how they - and Evan is a jerk who manipulates people to gain popularity while Connor is just a plot device? Wow, great representation there, guys...

[@Quackervoltz]

@@ajiththomas2465 Okay that makes sense

[@nadieimportante1979]

The worst part about the movie is that they cut two of the best songs, "anybody have a map?" And "good for you", taking away scenes in which the spectator gets to know more about Evan's mom and truly care about her struggles. What I liked the msot in the original musical was the dynamic Evan and his mom had and how they both failed to understand each other

[@GiftSparks]

I agree that the cutting out of the songs really hurt the film. The thing that killed the film for me was the sympathetic treatment of Alana. In the show, Alana is an annoying obnoxious character. In fact, some of her actions push Evan even further into the deception. I hated the ending too. I would rather it kept the ending of the show.

[@Kristyle187]

Yep-taking out both of those songs was criminal, as well as the song “Disappear,” which is absolutely crucial in explaining the misguided reasoning behind SO many of Evan’s decisions.

[@FlyMeUpSoHigh]

When it was announced I wondered how they were going to adapt this 3-hour musical into a standard under 2-hour teen movie and it seems like they decided by taking out all the nuances of the story. I haven't seen it (especially once I heard that they took out "Good for You") but wow, it looks like they really took out all of Evan's agency throughout this whole thing. Like yes, his anxiety was debilitating in many occasions but he was still shown to make active decisions. Also disappointing that they also took out Evan's inner monologue with Connor because even just the simple fact that his version of Connor refers to the situation as a "you and me" being forgotten shows how much Evan puts his current existence into, not Connor but the death of Connor. Oh also, I need to add that one of the moments in the musical with Zoe that was just greatly executed was at the end of Act I when he kisses her and the chord just changes into something sinister and it's like, Evan this ain't it. He reveals himself at the end of the movie?? What?? That is such a weird choice to make... One of things I really enjoyed from the musical is how it also ropes you in with this idea of Connor only to leave you with a realization that you actually know nothing about Connor. Even in the very end, Evan only *mentions* reading Connor's 8th grade Top 10 favorite books but we don't even get a mention of a single book on that list because at that point it's a sincere attempt by Evan and it's no longer for show.

[@spouwnerring]

Now I'm kind of wondering if there is a movie out there where someone exploits someone's suicide for personal gain like Evan Hanson, but instead of them being the protagonist, their the antagonist (twist villian).

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I could def see a black comedy working with that

[@agenthappypotato868]

Heathers kinda does that. Bad boy JD poisons the queen bee of the high school, and he and the female protagonist Veronica concoct a fake suicide story that tricks the school into feeling bad. Difference between Heathers and DEH is Veronica comes to see JD as the wacko he is and stops him at the end of the movie

[@anaccount4354]

While DEH: The Musical isn't perfect, it's perfect compared to the movie. Good For You gives Evan Hansen what he needs. A slap in the face. Because he is a terrible person. That never happens in the movie, leading to Evan ACTUALLY BEING THE GOOD GUY. The bit at the end when he decides to learn more about Connor is sweet if you forget the entire story magically. The movie is infuriating in how it tries to portray Evan as a nice little boy caught up in this horrible depression. Oh no, I guess?

[@music_YT2023]

Are we sure DEH wasn't a black comedy that had good psychological horror but was lacking in the humor? Love your breakdowns and analyses; this video makes me want to watch World's Greatest Dad now.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Check it out! You won't regret it.

[@MattVargas]

As much as Even Hansen is a hot mess I'm glad you note that the initial inciting incident functions well and isn't until later that it falls apart and looks really evil while probably not meaning to.

[@SnoFitzroy]

This video actually shows a lot more footage from both movies than the other two I've seen about DEH - which I'm glad about because this brings some context I was missing, as do your unique perspective. Looking at it now, I'm actually not so quick to immediately condemn Evan's actions. Like you said, if I were in that room across from Connor's mom, I would not have the guts or social awareness to stomach saying to her "actually no, your son died pathetic, friendless, and alone, and he was my bully who I hated." Sure, if it's someone you really hated who really made life painful for you, there could be catharsis in SAYING that, but not right then and there. That would have to come later.

[@book1182]

So happy to see this video out! It’s been truly fascinating seeing people unravel how this film has managed to fail so hard in the adaptation of the musical. So it was really excited to see how you wanted to tackle it with the comparison to this film. Your point to empathy vs sympathy towards a character is something I have often thought of. And I think the instances where writers try too hard to make you feel bad for them, are often what breaks you out of the immersion of the story. Like you can see the writer holding up a “pity them” sign over the characters head.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Exactly. It almost comes off as condescending, as if the filmmakers think you couldn't possibly care for this character if they weren't a perfectly innocent angel, which we all know no human is.

[@Trowa71]

No doubt he just loves that his stage play and life's work is being compared that one autoerotic asphyxiation movie.

[@LicoriceLain]

World's Greatest Dad remains one of my all time favorite films. It is truly brilliantly executed.

[@peachigo5495]

As someone who wrote an essay on DEH, this might be the best video that explains my gripes with it that I struggle to put in words. Some ppl keep saying “Idk why people hate DEH, him being a bad person is the whole point!” like nooo you don’t understand! I also just finished watching World’s Greatest Dad. I wish DEH kept that dark comedic tone after the “Sincerely, Me” song. “Great potential, poor execution” is my go-to phrase for these kinds of films because it’s just so true.

[@kombuchas4684]

I really loved the Dear Evan Hansen musical. I can't speak for the book or movie, but the musical made it clear that Evan was doing an incredibly fucked up thing, but it was hard to hate him because his songs was so genuine and heartfelt. The movie though... Just a quick glance at the trailer was enough to make me avoid it lol.

[@MouseGoat]

I mean songs really do help win hearts right? Like even villain's that sing are a lot more symphonic than ones that don't XD looking over at be prepared and hellfire

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Make sure to like, comment, and share! Enjoy!

[@JazzyUnderscoreTrumpeter]

Yessir, father, sir

[@MacabreStorytelling]

You the father man

[@danculbert6349]

The stage musical does a much better job at making Evan sympathetic

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@MacabreStorytelling Looking at this, this is exactly how I feel about Disney’s LOOSE adaptation of the Little Mermaid. It makes Hans Christian Andersen’s original look like a masterpiece by comparison. The execution to both of those stories are very big. The Original Mermaid (I’ll call her Marina, after the then popular 1975 anime adaptation) gets rewarded for saving a Prince from Drowning, even if she knew she did a bad thing. Ariel gets punished for disobeying her close-minded father, by having her Grotto completely destroyed. And while Ariel got to marry the prince in the end after her 3 days are up, Marina doesn’t, for she had all the time she needed to convince her crush that she’s the same woman who saved him from drowning, but the Prince thinks it was the Raven-Haired Girl, who happens to be the same princess he’s engaged to. And while Marina was going to use a magic knife to end him and use his blood to turn her legs back to a fishtail, she refuses, because her love for the prince was too strong, and thus, tossed the knife overboard and herself after it, thus ending her life on earth. I love Marina for her story, because she was making strong decisions for her age; and the ironic thing is that Ariel could’ve been at the surface for being above 15 years old, had her father not be a closeminded elitist.

[@charliedango2664]

Maybe I'm misinterpreting things since the only knowledge I have of Dear Evan Hansen is this video, but it seems like the protagonist having no guilt in his nefarious actions is meant to embolden the idea that mental disorder is some kind of virtue. That a person who isn't consciously aware of how creepy their social interactions are is an innocent when compared to the "normal" people who use Evan's lie to their advantage. I don't know. I'm still not interested enough of the plot to actually watch the thing. World's Greatest Dad was a pretty good movie though. Not great, but funny and well done for the time.

[@bigman1163]

“Hey, please don’t show this to anyone” “Ok, I won’t” *Shows it to everyone* (although to her knowledge this is very disrespectful and would be very emotional for her “friend”, from her perspective she just directly disrespected a friend who is in mourning direct wishes)

[@MrTeniguafez]

Me, who has seen neither of these films: "Hmm yes very good analysis"

[@DwRockett]

Legend, making a video on this when no one else had. As a fan of musicals, it was weird to have my reaction to it be “oh wow, this one’s plot is actually just like ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ “

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I saw WGD on Netflix lowkey almost 10 years ago and I've always loved it. And then DEH comes along...

[@cammyNpammy]

I had totally forgotten about Worlds Greatest Dad until this video and after Robins passing it does sorta leave you feeling off watching it but I truly agree it accomplishes something Dear Evan Hansen cannot seem to wrap its head around. Either make the person who is lying the villain or make the person who died such a bastard you dont care if the lead is lying... Also actually cast a sympathetic actor to lead your movie

[@jennifer5512]

This was a really thoughtful and entertaining analysis that articulated the problems of Dear Evan Hansen better than I ever could. I especially liked how you pointed out how Dear Evan Hansen feels more exploitative since Connor has such obvious problems. In addition, like you said World's Greatest Dad is not trying to inspire and pretend to make some kind of statement about mental illness.

[@unprofessionalvideos]

World's Greatest Dad is a beautiful film!

[@nl396]

World's Greatest Dad has to be one of the most criminally underrated movies I've seen. Just about every line in that movies has some of the best quotes out there and that's not even the best part of it. Robin Williams was freakin awesome and the kid who played his son was so good at playing a hilarious jerk.

[@waynesfiction8382]

This video made me think of a controversial topic you could possibly touch upon in the future. That topic being the focus on People who jump on the Bandwagon of glorifying/worshiping the recently deceased despite having little to no personal connection with them. This is not only present with celebrities but also everyday people. I've seen people act like the characters in both movies you reviewed. Personally, I often found this to be extremely uncomfortable and immoral (especially when those deceased committed suicide) as it just speaks to the message of "You're more valuable dead than alive." I also have a theory that this kind of human behavior has lead to a subconscious increase in suicides. More than ever I find this to be the worse aspect of virtue signaling, especially in a day and age where virtue signaling is at an all time high. I think by hearing from different experiences could possibly bring light to this unhealthy act of Human Nature. Hopefully with the right research and discussions, a possible solution can be found. I am thankful you've made this video because for years I thought there wasn't anyone willing to talk about this topic. I'm surprised to see a film production ever wanting to make a film about this topic too, considering the "Entertainment Business" is a major culprit in this kind of behavior. It feels good to know I'm not the only one who notices this in human society. I will see both movies in the near future. I understand if this is a heavy topic to go over, but I wanted to bring it up as I've also enjoyed your video discussions outside of movies too.

[@Carnationpetal]

I remember when a kid I didn't know committed suicide at my high-school. The funeral home was a relatively short walk away from the high-school. The school and parents of the kid decided it would totally fine that if you wanted to go to the funeral that they would organize a walk to it during the school day. Cue many many kids only going to this poor kids funeral just to skip school essentially and bragging about it, including his bullies. I didn't go because honestly I genuinely didn't know him and felt uncomfortable going to the funeral of someone I didn't know. It was pretty sickening.

[@dmitryboardman9762]

@OP: "Heathers" sounds like a work (either the original film or the musical) that could really connect to you, if you haven't already seen it. It's a pretty chilling comedic satire of teen movies, and a major theme of the story is people glorifying [murdered people framed as] suicides and lifting up the victims despite not being close to them and the deceased being horrible people. The story also directly addresses the potential for this to lead to increased suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. It's an incredibly dark and bizarre story but it makes all the points you're advocating for.

[@currybread5298]

Literally one Facebook group basically got one young woman committing suicide (by constant bullying) and then when someone posted a memory post, all the bullies commented a candle there..

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

The controversial topic you have mentioned is precisely what its authors intended *Dear Evan Hansen* to be about.

[@osmanyousif7849]

@@Carnationpetal , I feel the same way too when there are kids who end up killed in school shootings. Therefore, when there’s a memorial to honor them, the surviving kids act all, “Oh, they were just good souls that will be missed among all of us.”, yet they never knew or cared about them.

[@DecadesApartProductions]

Wow, I was convinced for years that I was the only person who knew World's Greatest Dad existed. Glad to see a video essay discussing that gem. Very good video, btw.

[@jerryschramm4399]

What is interesting is that the trailers for the film hid the fact it was a musical. Similar to Evan, they chose to lie to gain something, but instead, found backlash once word got out.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

So much of Evan's actions would've read as more understandable in the first act to me if they'd cast a teenage actor. I know logically I should feel sympathetic towards Evan but he looks older than a lot of people on my college campus, and thus old enough to know better, regardless of what the movie states is his actual age. And then the first act turn hits and you basically explained why it goes off the rails from there.

[@steffany-raelynch4030]

World’s Greatest Dad was awesome .. watched it when it came out, time for a rewatch .. great video 🖤

[@blaisetelfer8499]

Thanks for making this; World's Greatest Dad has been one of my favorite comedies for 10 years now

[@coffeefrog]

Ooh, I love your decision to compare these stories--it really highlights what works and what doesn't. Great stuff!

[@GypsyxDarling]

This was such a great video! World’s Greatest Dad messed me UP when I watched it in 2011 - I knew someone who died like that in high school - and it even though I haven’t been able to rewatch it, it has always stuck out in my memory as a great example of how to do this kind of story. It was cool to see that reinforced here!

[@JasWritesInDarkness]

Literally wrote all of these questions down and now I have homework to do! Thank you lovely human!!! 😆❤️

[@PB-qe6ce]

I'm so glad someone finally compared those two stories because since I saw DEH I just kept thinking about this Robin Williams movie and the fact that no one ever bring it up was driving me crazy.

[@thecynicalcinephile8211]

You always make me see things in a way that I didn't before. You are very eloquent yet concise with your analyses

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I've come a long way from my 2.5-3 hour rants lulz

[@ceres090]

I've never seen either movie, and definitely assumed the star of Evan Hansen was actually the star of Greatest Dad. The first 2 minutes of this video blew my mind.

[@animelvr99]

I feel like I watched both and were summarized wonderfully and gave future screenplay writers something to be wary of

[@LacoSinfonia]

Not to get all boomer about it, but I also think the films cater to their audiences. World’s Greastest Dad was for general audiences, probably grown adults, whereas DEH is for younger audiences/theatre people. By focusing on Evan’s lack of social prowess and not intentionally giving him any negative qualities, they make him a hero to the young generation and theatre kids (I went to hs about 8 years ago and was in the theatre department and let me tell you, those kids CANNOT handle scrutiny). World’s Greatest Dad is realistic with itself about how dark the premise actually is and the characters are written as real people instead of idealized stand-ins for the audience to say “hey! I don’t know how to talk to people either!”

[@WendyMenjivar_Videos]

Maybe it's just me but until now I had yet to hear anyone making the connection between this show and World's Greatest Dad! Thank you!!! WGD was great!

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👍

[@foo3268]

The way you describe it, Evan Hansen is just a male Sierra Burguers except that hack fraud movie is even less realistic than this one.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

That b*tch was insane

[@171QA]

Thanks for comparing and contrast these films. A very informative video.

[@Spoogebro]

im glad someone other than me remembered worlds greatest dad.

[@ZanguSwe]

The thing about more "problematic" setups for stories is all in how the directors approach the story. There needs to be sympathy and empathy for characters, even if they make selfish decisions, to keep the audience engaged. I absolutely hate the high horse that Evan gets put on in the film adaptation. I'm not super familiar with the musical (a few of my friends knew the musical in name and some story beats) but at the very least there's y'know...an actual character for Evan to have. In the movie he's such a blank nothing of a character that the whole story gets completely skewed and not engaging whatsoever, plus it's more creepy than the original setup for the musical. It's not self-aware, it's trying way too hard to be dramatic and serious and for the love of god the main guy can't be passed off as a 17 year old any more than a 65 year old grandpa can be passed off as a toddler.

[@afterdinnercreations936]

Bonus points to "World's Greatest Dad" for the Krist Novoselic cameo, not just as a Nirvana fan, but as a nod to the subject at hand.

[@gideongrace1977]

I'm gonna watch world's greatest dad now. Thanks. This video was awesome.

[@therealCrazyJake]

No lie, I quoted Lance’s speech from World’s Greatest Dad as my monologue piece for my Speech Class in College. XD

[@Cloudsurfer69]

15:55 holy cow that really made me chuckle. nice delivery good sir!

[@samg3456]

i was waiting for someone to compare these two

[@bekkahboodles]

I saw World's Greatest Dad with no idea of what I was getting into lmao...and loved it. It was very well done and very funny

[@colonelweird]

Just started watching the video. It's impressive how you come up with interesting, unexpected takes on your subjects, so unlike the many channels that repeat themselves over and over. There are several good videos about why Dear Evan Hansen failed, but you're looking at it from a new angle. Good job. Now let's hear what you actually have to say...

[@yeeyee352]

This is so well crafted!! Thank you for this :)))

[@briea.7870]

I’m glad someone is finally comparing the two! I love World’s Greatest Dad, especially the scene where he’s seeing how the lie is effecting the student body and there’s a moment where he believes the lie himself. He sees Kyle and he says “I love you Dad” and that part always gets me. I think he mostly went into the broader lie for himself but also I think he wanted to make himself believe that he son wasn’t a complete asshole and that he could have redeeming qualities even though the movie explicitly says that there were none. That was the moment I knew it was a great film.

[@mmem4264]

Dear Evan Hansen reminds me a bit of While You Were Sleeping. I was probably too young when I watched that movie, but I remember being left feeling uncomfortable by the ending and the whole situation actually. Anywho, interesting video. I've actually never heard of World's Greatest Dad so it was really nice to learn about it. Plus, wow, the stage musical ver sounds so much better.

[@reallivebird520]

Paused this video to go watch World’s greatest dad… thank you for this video, really enjoyed the movie!

[@larissaorozco3255]

I remember watching worlds greatest dad and liked and kind of forgot about it, and rewatched it a couple years after Robin's death and it made it sadder and it's message have more meaning.

[@ozy667]

Thanks for talking about a good movie, i never heard of worlds greatest dad and now its one my favorites.

[@bakivaki]

I told my main albeit only chick, about World's Greatest Dad when she mentioned Dear Evan Hansen. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw the similarities.

[@tobiaswidjaya1304]

Dude I love this type of video of yours I always find a new movie to watch when you compare these type of movies

[@MacabreStorytelling]

❤

[@adamfelixobrien]

I am so glad someone made this video. I’ve been ranting about this for years. 😅

[@lizc6393]

I'm not sure if it's relevant, but there's an extra layer of complications in the fact that Lance raised Kyle, who is (from the view of the audience) a terrible person. As an adult but a non parent, that makes me immediately wonder how he ended up that way.

[@812558]

Some kids are just shitty people. Like you can try your best to instill good morals and teach them how to act well but, at the end of the day, they're still individuals who can and will choose to act however they feel like: And sometimes that takes the form of being a gigantic dick.

[@hairglowingkyle4572]

Usually it's the environment in where they grow up, the school bullies definitely gives a hint to that

[@lizc6393]

@@812558 That's true, but nurture always plays a role, whether very small or instrumental. You'll still get the occasional Ted Bundy no matter what, but monsters are seldom raised in vacuums.

[@laffy4584]

Can't even remember how I stumbled upon World's Greatest Dad. It may have just been after Robin died. All I remember was being absolutely shocked how the movie began and loved it so much.

[@JRBeast-nw3xg]

World’s Greatest Dad was a really dang good movie. Shit got me crying.

[@eelano1070]

great video dude! i couldnt have said better myself. and btw, the jokes you made throughout really helped to break the tension without betraying just how serious this issue of suicide + the industry being built from it really is.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

❤

[@TNT011gaming]

“The kid looks like he would go into cardiac arrest at the sight of his own shadow”😂😂😂

[@AlwaysAmTired]

I hope this inspires people to watch World's Greatest Dad. It's such a great film that will stick with you. Funny and touching. I also think it goes so well with Bobcat's other film Sleeping Dogs Lie. Both have crazy plots about hiding the truth, but with wildly opposing conclusions as to whether one should tell the truth or keep the lie. One thing about the ending of world's greatest Dad, at least in my interpretation, is that I think telling the truth isn't just about being honest, but about honoring his son. He does love his son, and hates to see others creating a false version of him. He can't mourn properly until he lets out the truth. Just how I always saw it, and why he keeps that picture on the table at the end. It shows his love for his asshole kid.

[@guitarhero8110]

Love the Randall quote at the beginning.