Dear Evan Hansen is a horror movie I Vocal Coach Reacts!

[@timn11.04]

Cutting "Good For You" is the biggest mistake they could've done. The characters hold him accountable for his actions in that song.

[@fashionablechangeling1988]

Oh it's still there...as the music that the band play in the gym scene after 'Waving Through a Window' followed by them playing 'Does Anybody Have a Map'. Pretty shitty way to give us one of/the most important song in the show

[@riffshe20]

They saw evan’s mom sings mostly in three songs and said ‘LeT’s ReMoVe tWO Of thEm’ because they’re the biggest haters of his mom for some reason (the evidence is right there)

[@kitkatelife8014]

Good for you is literally my favorite, I was so sad they cut that

[@abbycolquhoun7025]

PREACH!! It’s my favorite song in the musical

[@WaftingCurtains]

I was FURIOUS they did this. A super necessary song and I think it's because they just didn't want to call Evan out the entire movie.

[@Juliana_Elainee]

In the musical, there’s a part where Conner asks Evan “did you fall or did you let go?” and I really wish that was included in the movie! It’s such a poignant moment

[@Shae29]

Omg that wasn’t in the movie?? That’s one of (if not) the best line in the show!

[@_lLexa_l]

I'm REALLY mad about that. Like COME ON

[@Lychiiee]

I'm so sad this wasn't in the movie because it's my FAVOURITE line in the whole show - the scene is THAT good. I'm going to see the musical soon though, so I'm hoping they also keep the line because the impact that line had on me is insane.

[@LavenderExceptPink]

yeah but they cut out Connor in Evan's head 🙄

[@theveryreal.GH0ST3D]

That's the line that resonates the most with me. I can't believe they cut it T-T

[@YenamFam]

Not Hannah being so disgusted from Dear Evan Hansen that she left for 4 months

[@wilvercastromartinez9081]

Now 5

[@YenamFam]

@@wilvercastromartinez9081 yeah

[@smittenbean6266]

Dear Evan Hansen is an amazing example from a writing standpoint of how “protagonist” does not always mean “good” or “the hero”

[@REALLYLOVESCATS]

So is into the woods imo

[@circe2258]

@@REALLYLOVESCATSdepends who u think the protagonist is

[@abbycolquhoun7025]

@@REALLYLOVESCATS yes!! I love into the woods cause all the lead characters are flawed-A previous bakers wife :)

[@lionmuesli4321]

@@circe2258 aren't all of them? Like isn't the point of the last midnight that they all kind of suck

[@circe2258]

@@lionmuesli4321 thats what im saying?

[@karenn.396]

Requiem is such a great song. I love the idea that just because someone has died, that doesn’t mean you have to praise them or talk as though they were a saint. There aren’t many songs that allow for you to say no, they weren’t a good person, and I don’t have to be devastated.

[@ohhmangos]

Yes!! It reminds me of Jeanette McCurdy's "I'm Glad My Mom Died" memoir. Just because people are dead doesn't mean you need to pretend they never hurt you.

[@heatherdyson6815]

I love the song so much. Maybe you don’t want to necessarily speak ill of the dead for others’ sakes, but it doesn’t mean you should or maybe even can grieve the loss of someone who treated you poorly. And sometimes that brings up a lot of guilt, but it’s real and it’s valid.

[@sadsadtearsofaclown859]

Yeah death bias is def a thing

[@MarianaAlmazzi]

1:30:50 Actually Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Dever are only three years apart, atm he’s 30 and she’s 27 (they were 25 and 22 while filming) but he obviously looks older and she obviously looks younger 😅😅😅

[@andrewshirley9240]

"When the villain falls, the kingdoms never weep" is literally just "no one mourns the wicked" lol

[@therealkris-2]

that’s what i thought!!

[@saniyazamara]

Exactly!!

[@lily-t3z5q]

"No, no one mourns at all, when they lay them down to sleep" thank you! I needed someone to see this too!!!!

[@KimRayGina]

EXACTLY THANK YOU

[@_lLexa_l]

I THOUGHT THAT

[@reysterlightwood4127]

During If I Could Tell Her, when Ben Platt was advancing on Zoe with that depraved look in his eye my sister whispered "he's got a knife" and it was the most enjoyment I got out of this movie.

[@anonymouswind1]

I think if someone said that to me while I was watching it I'd have to turn it off until I was done laughing

[@dizzyizzie10]

this comment made my day omg 😂😂

[@fishnewt1331]

LMAO! I would so believe that if someone said that while watching this movie.

[@madi-l1n]

My favorite headcanon ive seen is that when he falls he says he "saw" connor and he okay it symbolises that when he fell he saw like heaven and wished he suceeded because everything would be "alright"

[@MindfulMya]

I love “does anybody have a map?” The moms are the best. They cut so many good songs.

[@abbycolquhoun7025]

Yes! I miss anybody have a map and good for you so much :(

[@nacho_girl]

CONNOR FINISHED THE MILK

[@mldag1678]

Right??? I love that song!! :-:

[@novantum]

I think the memories of Evan running through the forest kept shifting every time he told the story to kind of mirror how he saw the situation. At first with Jared, he played it off as just an accident - even though those who have seen the musical know he had the intentions of suicide - therefore the scene showed him accidentally falling after the branch “just snapped.” Then, telling his story in “for forever,” we see Connor coming to get him (even though obviously he didn’t) and Evan climbing up to sit higher in the tree and close his eyes. That’s also why (I think) he looks happier running around the forest - because he’s telling the story to Connor’s family and changing the tone of the actual event, and therefore rewriting the scenes in his head.

[@novantum]

(also you may have thought about this later in the video) wait yeah i might be dumb i forgot they showed that explicitly at the end of the movie LMAO

[@laurencawthron4538]

This was one of the few things the movie actually did well.

[@lilmass1992]

My own interpretation is that given Evan’s mental state, the flash backs are showing us how he really does remember it in that moment. Delusions (for lack of a better word) are a coping mechanism for many mental health issues, I’ve certainly had many instances where I’ve unconsciously deluded myself into believing something, despite knowing the truth, the better version becomes your truth in the forefront. I think a scene that also demonstrates this briefly is when Evan snaps at Jared that “Connor was my friend not yours”. I don’t think that’s a “don’t steal my thunder” moment. I think he really was at a point of believing the act and was offended by Jared “pretending”.

[@grace_ch4502]

I agree because in the movie they made it so Evan was almost in denial that it was a suicide attempt but by the end he lets himself realize that that was what was going on that day and that’s when the advocation for mental health comes in

[@ChristineAuberg]

I think it might even be more simple than all of this... psychologically speaking, when someone has made the decision to end their own life, they are often happy and at peace. One of the warning signs family and friends are told to watch for is when an otherwise depressive person suddenly seems to be getting better: happier, more productive, determined. Everyone thinks the individual is finally overcoming their depression. In reality, they've just made up their minds and feel the relief of letting go.

[@fiveelevenevan]

I have never seen a video with more rage from you... love it. Deserved. The sarcasm is EATING

[@Ray-hk1zm]

Hannah. I love you. Nearly every time you said "why did they add this???" it was a moment that was 150% in the musical LMAO we all just collectively glossed over how fucking weird the show's been the whole time. I don't know how this happened either.

[@strawberryqueen0382]

It’s really a good example of how if you can emotionally appeal to an audience and have some great highs than the audience can ignore the flaws that exist in a property. Because everything has s flaw but if you can make the audience care about the experience of your work they can ignore the glaring flaws.

[@BAIGAMESOG]

I WANT TO SEE THE LES MIS MOVIE ON HERE WITH YOU HANNAH!! :)

[@RosieTheWickedFangirl2007]

I can’t wait for the new Wicked movie💚

[@rachaeltrujillo9960]

Yes! Do Les Mis please!!

[@bnbart]

@@RosieTheWickedFangirl2007 yes. this. period. 💅

[@portokalowsok4779]

+1 vote

[@manoellanascimento3831]

I would like to see it, too!

[@benjamingrobstein583]

Fun fact! The song "Anonymous Ones" was actually written by the actress that plays Alana! She's actually a singer songwriter.

[@NicoFitz]

Oh. My. God. TWO HOURS?!?!?! WE'RE EATING GOOD TODAY!!

[@jacobmccain8794]

Right, I thought I looked at the screen wrong lol👏👏👏

[@chrisoneill325]

I noticed that just after her Patreon plug... if this is the KZbin edit, _how long_ is the Patreon *uncut* version?!?!

[@COSun25]

​@@chrisoneill325 Probably 5 hours.

[@rosequartz99]

omfg i didn't even notice??? THANK YOU HANNAH

[@merc253]

we thank momma hannah for the bountiful feast

[@elipatrick1352]

I think part of the reason the movie makes Evan feel so much more sinister is because of how clear it is that Ben Platt is much older than a teenager. Typically in the stage show, the audience can get in the headspace of, "Oh, this is a kid." Here, we see this clearly adult man doing these things, and as such it is harder to suspend our disbelief. What we are watching is a grown man tell these horrendous lies and hurt this family.

[@singingfan]

Hannah? It’s been a little while. You ok? You are missed!

[@sageyevans]

"We're gonna look at this song out of the context of the plot" *5 seconds later* "and ANOTHER THING"😂

[@LoraK31]

I think the biggest issue with this adaptation is that there's a huge difference between DEPICTING something and CONDONING it. Most of the broadway musical's choices feel like they're depicting these really problematic story beats, but giving themselves room to acknowledge how bad what Evan does is ("Good for You" being the prime example). The movie's too focused on condoning Evan's behavior in an effort to try to make him more likable, which was a recipe for disaster

[@kaelin_cherise]

They did the same thing with Mean Girls, too. In fact, a lot of western media nowadays has done this trend of "we can't show this (problematic behavior), people might think we condone (problematic behavior)!" Instead of, researching, writing a 'problematic' character (like an abuser, for example) and showing all the red flags of them. You can make it a teaching moment for some, because 'problematic' people exist. They don't need redemption. You don't need to make them sympathetic. They don't all need happy endings. Sometimes the best part of a bad ending for a terrible character is the writers giving them karmic justice. The mark of a good writer is a well-written character you can hate on because they're a good depiction of terrible behaviors.

[@Victoria-_]

AGREED

[@nachogodoy7556]

And also Evan’s actions, at least in the first act, could be explained (though not justified) by the rush of every scene, feeding into his anxiety and trying to find a way out through flight response because everything happened so fast… In the movie, these scenes are so slow and dragging, either because of editing/cinematography or just a directing issue, they don’t show a kid exploding after being bombarded by questions or requests, they show him making almost calculating decisions and, like you said, take out scenes that show the fallout of these decisions…

[@Vincent.E.M.Thorn.Author]

56:17 "Did he say anything else? Maybe something that *wasn't* incredibly creepy for a brother to say?"

[@codasinger5298]

Connor’s mom DOES fill in details for Evan during For Forever. In the musical and in the movie, Evan says something simple like “we would climb trees” and the mom would go off with her own story about going to the ice cream shoot. And then Evan would be like “Yeah! We went there too!” And sing about that as well.

[@codasinger5298]

Also she gave him Connor’s tie in the musical as well. There’s a lot of things you say are “added” into this movie that are actually straight from the musical

[@TheUntalentedCouple]

@@codasinger5298 agreed!!

[@codasinger5298]

@@TheUntalentedCouple I totally understand her saying that the direction and tone, as well as Ben Platt being too old, definitely makes the whole show feel more sinister. But some of these elements have always been present

[@enbie_pal]

As a person who recently watched “slime tutorials” of DEH, some of the scenes in the movie that you said didn't happen on stage, actually did. He did tell Jared about him falling off the tree first, and Jared treats it the same way. And Connor’s mom spoon-feeds information to contribute to Evan’s lie. (I could be misunderstanding what Hannah means)

[@amberrowling2611]

I came here for this comment! I’ve seen the musical live multiple times and was screaming at my screen, “SHE DID HAND FEED HIM THE DETAILS IN THE MUSICAL!” 😂

[@elliegd]

Was about to comment the same thing lol thank you for doing it for me 😂

[@goldenpie6]

a lot of the jokes jared makes, like the "sex thing" to the letters is also in the musical

[@brodyeisenhour8191]

This!!!! And some of the added “unnecessary “ scenes are from the book, where the musical came from!

[@CareylovesNY]

YES!! Also, She does give Connor's tie to Evan to wear at the memorial assembly in the musical. The lines are almost the same in that scene.

[@samanthaarredondo8237]

My understanding from the musical was that Jared was his cousin. Which is why in the original I'm pretty sure he doesn't say "We're family friends that's different than real friends "in the musical He says "we're family, not friends."

[@youshallsufferthewrathofth6307]

I’m pretty sure he always said they were “family friends”? Even in the musical

[@basedinprague]

What is REALLY surprising to me is that Dear Evan Hansen was directed by Stephen Chbosky - the writer and also a director of The Perks of being a Wallflower, in my opinion one of the best coming-of-age books/movies about mental health struggles. I just can't wrap my head around it

[@anar8343]

He also directed the movie Wonder, Right? I keep having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the person who wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower also directed Wonder, idk why

[@hellfireclub3934]

Here’s the thing: I personally don’t think that this film is badly directed necessarily. I like some of the choices made in the film like the scene in requiem of all of the Murphys going through their everyday lives and everyone is looking at them. I do think that Dear Evan Hansen fits the type of film that he typically does which is about socially anxious outcast boys who find community after so many years of feeling alone. But this film has a protagonist who is so morally wrong and who you don’t want to root for, so it doesn’t work. Charlie in The Perks of being a Wallflower and Auggie from Wonder absolutely have flaws, but they have just as many good traits to balance it out that make them compelling and make you want to root for them. This film doesn’t work because it tries to still make Evan redeemable and makes a lot of choices that just made him even worse of a character. I think this is on the writers and producers (Ben’s dad) who adapted the story and the characters to the screen in a way that ruined the story. Directors only really handle the visual elements of films.

[@myaaaxchavez]

WHAT?! that's so surprising to me! the perks of being a wallflower is one my favorite movies of all time and dear evan hansen is just.... uhm... yeah

[@emmalunasommer]

Fun fact: When Evan talks to Jared in the beginning of the movie, the school band plays the melody of ''Does Anybody Have A Map?''

[@hellfireclub3934]

I thought that was Good for you?

[@jianyu05]

​@@hellfireclub3934 they play both!

[@danisahar2010-n7j]

I noticed that too i was waiting for someone to bring it up

[@winstonpotts9776]

Thank god I watched this with you and not alone because I’d be so triggered! I’m sad Good For You was cut, but it was cathartic to hear Evan finally get called out in such a powerful way.

[@carolineh8713]

I expect someone else has mentioned this already but Hannah releasing this at the end of May, or early June? BRILLIANT 🤣👏

[@malenejensen02]

Lol, yeah 😂😂😂

[@earthcrosserr]

the way ben platt is only three years older than kaitlyn dever and yet they look decades apart is ASTOUNDING

[@nether2227]

Its that baby face. some lose it in their late teens. some dont till their 30s. Ben seemed to have 2 stages. he had some baby face features in 2015. and still does weirdly at 30. But Katlyn definetly still had the majority of her baby face. She looks younger then Benji during Pitch perfect and he was FULL baby face Platt back then!

[@carter_jean145]

this isnt related but its kinda crazy how she got casted as such a muscular woman who is like gigantic (height wise) like shes such a small young looking woman

[@nerdynicole9025]

So the feelings that Hannah is having during sincerely me is exactly how we are supposed to feel. If you notice in the beginning of the song Connor's movements are actually pretty big and very fluid almost too much so. Which is what we would see with a marionette or puppet. Connor in this song is being used as a puppet so Evan can get closer to the family.

[@bonnielol4987]

This movie desperately needed the aspect of the show where Connor reappears to act as Evan's conscious because it shows that Evan is human and that he is trying to do right by Connor and the song "disappear" really aids in that. Without it Evan seems incredibly self-serving and honestly evil, ben looking older furthers this because it loses the childlike innocence and stupidity.

[@lanceareadbhar]

I thought the comments about Ben Platt were mean initially since plenty of late twenty year olds have played teenagers until I realized that he didn't get the part because he looked young enough and beat out other candidates, but because his Dad financed the movie. I do think it's pretty funny that Colton Ryan, who's only two years younger than Ben, outshined him given that Ben apparently was expecting Oscar buzz for his performance.

[@tinywitchfrogs_]

I think a big part of it is they made him look so much older than he normally does 💀

[@shaa3706]

​@@foxyplayspokemon none of the og mean girls from the movie played their same roles though. He looks older than most of the people who took on the role after him. He wasn't the best option.

[@mylittlepeonies8693]

His casting is no different to Renee Rapp in Mean Girls. There wouldn’t have been a movie without the insane praise his performance received on Broadway and his dad mostly works on movie musicals so obviously he were gonna get involved in this production. You’re making a big deal off of nothing

[@left2rightanimations561]

@@mylittlepeonies8693 yeah but renee looks 20 and ben looks 45

[@JackieWarner13]

They had been talking about this movie for years before it got announced that Marc was producing.

[@Poafa]

On the off chance you see this, you should definitely listen to epic the musical, it’s only a concept album right now, but it’s fairly popular and really well made!

[@ultima1594]

Fun fact: In the Dear Evan Hansen book, Connor is actually queer and talks about how he went to an all boys school before and had a crush on a queer friend. I heard Sincerely Me first so when I read the book I was like PARDON Also the people who played Zoe and Connor carried the movie.

[@karenn.396]

The book is soooo good

[@tinywitchfrogs_]

Omg???? i never knew that,,, them making the musical so "no homo"-core feels insane now

[@NuniPikachu]

True true! I loved the book a lot for that, that we also got his POV

[@karenn.396]

@@NuniPikachu I read the book before I heard the soundtrack and before the movie came out (I haven’t been able to see the Broadway show). So already knowing the emails and the requiem lyrics etc made it so much more satisfying to hear the soundtrack. The suicide reveal was really intense too, I think it’s the first time I ever cried while reading a book

[@currysky]

my biggest flex is that my middle school went to a deh book signing so I have a copy of the book signed by pasek and paul

[@KayleeSeals-sd7sy]

I think the dad’s verse is an important perspective for the song because when you loose someone in that way or in a similar way you do have some anger asking why you weren’t enough for them.

[@kme06d]

Exactly. The whole point of the song is the three of them had different ways of grieving about Conner and reasons why they will "sing no requiem". Zoe was angry, the dad was disappointed and the mom was hopeful that her son was still there in spirit. The three verses made perfect sense.

[@reginameyers]

"Does anybody have a map" and "good for you" were my favorite songs, and i was so disappointed they weren't in the movie.

[@maria.hamandi]

I love the complete persona difference when Hannah switches between vocal coach and movie-reviewer 😆💛

[@WaftingCurtains]

My major criticisms of this movie, and note I am a big fan of the play! 1. Removing Anybody Have a Map was a terrible idea because the point of it is setting up both families, introducing all the characters, showing how they're all stuck in their own lives, setting up the two mothers as opposites in the same position, and setting the world. I know it's not everyone's favorite but there's a reason it exists and starts out the musical. 2. Removing Good For You which should be a goddamn crime as that's the song where all the chickens are coming to roost and Evan realizes he's about to be caught and starting to panic, and allow the main characters to call out Evan for his selfish behavior. It also is very important for Evan's mother to take the spotlight and gives necessary backstory about their family dynamic before her eventual song. It gives her so much nuance and I am furious it was taken out lol. 3. Making pretty much every choice of Evan's in the play turn into something that was forced onto him rather than his choice, and my guess is it's because they wanted to make him as sympathetic as possible. They didn't want to admit that Evan is both the protagonist AND the antagonist of this show. So Connor's mother prompts him and asks him to tell stories, he doesn't offer it right away, he doesn't make the club as a way to keep attention when people start to forget about Connor, he's basically made into someone who accidentally did bad things rather than accidentally started it but then intentionally continued it. 4. Removing the songs/conversations between Connor's ghost (well his representation in Evan's mind) and Evan which gives in-depth insight into what Evan is thinking and feeling that makes him more complicated and would solve their problem of him not being likable enough, because showing how complex his feelings are and why he's doing what he's doing actually sells the story. It also would give the fantastic actor more to do than appear very briefly when his role in the musical is regular. 5. Making Jared gay so they could try to get away with the gay jokes. LOL sure. 6. They took all the humor out of it? All the lines that used to get laughs out of the show were made incredibly depressing instead. I get they were not sure what to do with the black comedy aspects that made the stage play work but keeping all the lines but making them sad was just overkill. 7. Ben Platt should never have starred in this. And yeah I know most people start with that but I'll finish with it, because it's the most evident thing in it, but yeah, all the other things matter more in terms of storytelling for me. Note: I understand some of this was cut due to time but I think there were ways to get them in without extending it too much, and things they could have cut in the movie to fill that space. There were fundamental story reasons for these songs and scenes to exist within the text that makes the story complete. Okay sorry for the rant.

[@cidneylittle8554]

ahhh you said absolutely everything i was thinking!! especially with the point of Ben Platt looking like a grown man corrupting this family. when we see Evan onstage, he looks like a kid, he’s 17 and it’s evident. It takes the show from “this is a bad person doing bad things” to “this is a child who is under the impression that he’s doing something right, and even though his actions aren’t right in any way, he’s a mentally ill kid who is trying, it just bites him in the ass.” and surrounding like 33 year old Ben Platt with people who actually look 14-17 makes this whole thing look like Evan is doing everything with malicious intent and hurting this family. We can’t view him as a kid making a mistake because he doesn’t LOOK like a kid.

[@serahne]

All of this. Like, I'm a big fan of the musical ( even if it's less than perfect ) but the subtle changes they made for the movies were 99% bad choices.

[@nanalove3819]

Completely agree. I don't know why everytime they do a movie adaptation, they just make things worse. This story obly works if you acknowledge Evan was a villain. A villain for whom you have sympathy, but still a villain.

[@JB-qf5ep]

Point 6 is a problem for so many movie musicals. For some reason the film directors can't figure out how to translate the humour from stage to screen, so they often substitute the humour (which is the balance to the emotion on stage, so they end up enhancing each other - my favourite shows make you laugh and weep equally deeply) for tone, atmosphere, visual effects, or they cut the humour out, so the sad parts have no contrast. The emotional parts on film tend to be less powerful or the director feels the need to cut the most impactful parts to cushion the blow for film audiences (like the terrible decision to cut most of Goodbye Love from the Rent movie, when it is so important to what happens after). I think specifically of Into The Woods. The show is hilarious, which makes the emotional and dark parts have weight. The movie removes the humour and subs in aesthetics and atmosphere instead, which means the movie has an entirely different vibe to the show. The only people in that cast who seemed to want to infuse the movie with the vibe of the show were the princes during Agony, which was the right kind of over-the-top. While the cast were generally talented and good to watch, the movie is style over substance unfortunately. I feel movie musicals should be written/directed by people who have both stage and screen experience. Pure film directors seem to struggle to capture the emotional ups and downs of a musical as well as the atmosphere of being in a theatre. I mean, Lin Manuel Miranda did a FANTASTIC job making Tick Tick Boom - it was the best of stage and screen.

[@nanalove3819]

@@JB-qf5ep into the woods the movie was a crime against musical, change my mind. They remove all the humor but they also don't get the musical at all. They wanted to do it darker and yet they remove moqt of part 2 which is darker than part 1. They also clearly don't get the importance if part 2 and the structure of the play. They simultaneously tried to do it darker and more kid friendly cause they clearly forget it was directed to adults even in the morale of the story.

[@jeff.fliehman]

girl where r u… we need you back for Wicked reaction ATLEAST 💔

[@izzierose2]

ben literally looks like someone CAKED his face with makeup in an attempt to make him look younger, but ended up making him look... not human

[@abieditz7932]

Omg yes

[@ninocaetano7064]

he looks like voldemort on the hp movies and it's like ...... fitting?

[@melturcotte8848]

I understand they wanted his voice for the songs, it's hard to replace , but they could've cast someone younger.. maybe it would have been less creepy ? 🤔

[@mkyeti8]

“I have longer videos over on my patreon so if this one is 45 minutes the one over there may be 2 hours.” 2 hours here = how long over there?! Haha this is incredible and I’m loving it.

[@FlapFlapOctopus]

I totally agree about the mirror thing. I wish they had him show up behind her in the mirror as if she is still haunted by him

[@rorolilred]

I agree so much that taking out the crush aspect and making Zoe a lot younger would have made Evan a much more sympathetic character

[@rorolilred]

Maybe they could have had a romantic subplot with Evan and Alana if they'd really wanted, that way they could have kept Only Us.

[@risingintheash]

I wanna see you react to Les Mis just because of the absolutely horrifying things they did during production, like Hugh Jackman depriving himself of food and water for 32 hours before performing.

[@May.aaaaaaaaa]

girl pls come back 💔💔

[@sallywhitesides44]

I lost my brother to an overdose and I felt the way Zoe felt when my brother passed. Everyone was telling me all the good stories and memories of my brother but I never saw that side to him. He was a very cruel person to me. I had a lot of anger and resentment towards him and myself for that. It has and will take me awhile to understand everything surrounding our relationship. So I completely understand that part.

[@htac22849]

My brother is also an addict and so many people see him as a "great guy". I think that I'll feel this way too if he bites the dust first.

[@louiesanchez7142]

Hannah briefly spoke about Connor’s “breaking point” being the last interaction with Evan. Fun fact: if you use the book for information not proven in the musical, Connor does give life one more try, maybe if he made a friend, everything would be okay. So he does reach out to make a friend (the interaction with Evan) and then realized that the most “loser” kid doesn’t even want to be friends with him but would use him to get to his sister. That was his breaking point. To realize he has nobody and all anyone wants from him is to make fun of him.

[@thepinkelephant2520]

That’s so heartbreaking 💔

[@elizabethiman7442]

I like one or two songs of the broadway show and was not planning on watching it (cuz I really don’t want stories with those topics in ma life) but stayed for the whole two hours to see your reaction and I’m glad I stayed. Thank you for your service 🫡

[@savleslie]

never gonna forgive the movie for removing anybody have a map, disappear, to break in a glove and good for you ☹️😭

[@Content_Rat]

LITERALLY like those are some of my favorite songs 😭😭

[@williamtimonen6814]

One one side I get that most people dont care for the glove song. But if youre not gonna use atleast a shorter version you might aswell cut the dad entirely.

[@savleslie]

@@williamtimonen6814 especially as they went through all the effort of rewriting the dad as the stepdad to fit the actor who was a different

[@PutBoxOnMe]

Good for you is one of the best songs 😭

[@aviezer_who_drinks_seltzer371]

Some of the most plot relevant songs

[@Jah_LEASE_yah]

"I am conflicted about this song because It's a really good song. If I didn't know anything about the plot..." Thats true for so many songs in this movie. You will be Found, Only Us, If I Could Tell Her, Sincerely Me, all songs that sound really sweet or inspiring or beautiful if you don't know the plot, but in context are just really fucking sad.

[@GStar93]

Me personally I think that's the point it's the fantasy of horrible situations

[@lionblaze0384]

Finally, someone is here to stand up for the original musical like me. Cutting the songs they cut absolutely decimated this musical. Half of the stage show is about the parents! You NEED their perspective! Larry breaking down during you will be found on stage made me openly weep in the theatre! You cannot just REMOVE the parent part, for me it was the most powerful part, /as/ a teenager, because of the ways they grieved and cared for their children. Genuinely tear up at so big so small every single time I listen to the damn soundtrack, it’s criminal for someone to make a show this powerful and then fuck it up so bad in film form that the entire show becomes a joke or even considered insulting by outsiders looking in, only familiar with the mainstream film and controversy. I will never stop being mad about this movie, THANK you for this, fellow dear Evan Hansen enjoyers named Hannah rise UP

[@lionblaze0384]

You know what, reply to my own comment to explain myself; you will be found, before I saw the stage show, was one of the weaker numbers for me. But when I actually saw it, there was a moment, played completely silently, no dialogue, just acted out, I believe towards the end of the song where everything is building up. It shines a spotlight on the Murphy’s, and shows Larry, who has been angry and stoic the entire show, trying to remain a pillar, showing no emotion to keep the rest of his family stable, finally breaks down and starts sobbing, and Cynthia takes him in her arms. The moment I saw that I started fucking sobbing, it resonated directly into my soul, because that was how /I/ reacted when an extremely close family member died. Defensive, angry, stoic, refusing to cry, until the funeral finally came and everything broke down. I saw myself in the character of an old man losing his nearly adult son, and it made me sob then and there. This is the MAIN factor as to why the removal of almost all the parent stuff pisses me off so bad. This is, to me, first and foremost, a musical about grief, and how different people deal with it in their own fucked up ways. Even Evan and Heidi in their own weird ways are grieving, Evan grieving a family he never got to have, and trying to take one for himself, Heidi grieving for the son she barely knows, that she can feel slipping away, despite him still being alive. The entire show is very clearly about grief to me and this adaptation fucks that up so severely that you genuinely cannot tell what the show is supposed to be about anymore, which made people feel like it was just a fucked up mess. The original show was never supposed to be about perfect people. It’s about two miserable mentally ill families dealing with all sorts of grief in their own fucked up ways, and the fallout all of it causes.

[@LaurenLindblad]

between u and jenny nicholson covering this movie, any desire i had to watch this movie has evaporated. thank u for your service

[@coatimundi69]

sarah z's analysis was also really good!

[@_lLexa_l]

In "If I Could Tell Her" Evan looked like the 30 year old in a group chat of 13+ year olds. With that being said, instead of "Words Fail", it shoulda been him with a ukulele singing "Toxic Gossip Train" 💀

[@f1nnick.f1lms]

Lmao real

[@stevenwilson8822]

I just love that she has hope that teens aren't actually brutal and heartless sometimes. How Evan feels is very accurate to how school for outcasts rlly is

[@LeahPrice-jb1eg]

Colton Ryan is the lead in Alice By Heart! HIS VOCALS? HIS ACTING? Hannah, trust me when I tell you this, his voice is so healthy and beautiful I can’t ✋😭

[@joymoua6651]

LITERALLY I found Colton from Alice By Heart and I’m literally obsessed with him 😭

[@jd14-o6m]

Colton Ryan regularly breaks my heart when I listen to Alice by Heart

[@LeahPrice-jb1eg]

@@jd14-o6m sameeee 😭, I just got casted in Alice By Heart and during the readthrough EVERYONE was sobbing. Bonding moment fr 😂

[@suriahross9536]

@@LeahPrice-jb1eg How could you casually drop that? I love that musical, that's awesome! Congrats! What role are you playing?

[@LeahPrice-jb1eg]

@@suriahross9536 Thank you so much! I’m the swing, which means I’m the understudy for EVERYONE, along with the mock turtle/ensemble. It’s a lot of memorizing but I’m SO EXCITED!!

[@keila3063]

it's crazy when you realize ben platt and kaitlyn dever have a three year age difference when you say Zoey's actor looks like a teenager (she's 27 LOL but she really does look like a teen here)

[@brianfoss571]

Kaitlyn Dever can convincingly play both a teenager and a woman in her late 30s. She has incredible range for a younger actor.

[@MoonyFBM]

wasn't she 22 when they recorded tho?

[@Savanna9005]

@@MoonyFBMyes, she was

[@Delaney.N]

Please come back to KZbin we miss you 😭😭🥹🥹🥹

[@PrincesSakura]

2 HOURS?? I forgive you for not posting often omg 😭❤️

[@ngweso]

She posts every week tho no?

[@lordinaa2790]

@@ngwesoNo not really

[@datdavid]

Imagine watching this moron talk for two full hours

[@mitica-mar]

1:05:47 In the musical she give him Connor’s sweater. He wears it for the rest of the show until the big reveal. It symbolizes the grief pattern of Mrs Murphy. She is trying, although unconsciously, to replace her son with Evan. Evan, on the other hand, is finding comfort and acceptance from her as a mom who doesn’t see how “broken” he is. His relationship with his own mother is a big part of the stage musical (not seen the movie so idk how big is his mom’s character in this version) It shown how every member of the family has a twisted way of dealing with their grief and how they project it onto Evan and how Evan just lets it happen because he finally feels seen. It’s terrible in hindsight, yes. The father is looking for a son to do manly things with. The mom is looking for a son to love and protect. The sister is looking for someone to see her and who puts her first, before her brother.

[@cameronsmiljan9374]

Actually no. In the musical (I watched it just before the movie back to back to compare), Mrs. Murphy does give Evan the tie.

[@mitica-mar]

@@cameronsmiljan9374 maybe I misremembered? Idk, but the point still stands on the significance of that moment

[@cameronsmiljan9374]

@@mitica-mar True, I made my own comment on it too

[@moacirg.dsratliff1244]

Well said

[@jesfitz89]

this is so validating lol when this musical first got big on Broadway i was the only one of my friends who didn't like it bc it made me so sad and disgusted with what evan did to everyone and my friends were like "stop taking it so seriously omg ur focusing on the wrong stuff" and then watching this you hit on every single point that upset me so much back then!!!! lmfaooo so thank you for understanding

[@vexxa366]

I watched this movie with my mom who knew NOTHING about this musical. She sobbed at the end. I held back laughter the whole time

[@jada6848]

I’m so happy you reacted/commentated on this! Another movie that came out recently with similar musical/vocal shooting techniques was the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. There are numerous BTS videos of Rachel Zegler singing live on set, and it shows onscreen (wink wink, you should check some clips or the whole movie out!) Rachel Zegler has really proven herself as a movie musical powerhouse with West Side Story and BOSAS!

[@fahalldenoramithe2nd404]

I would love for Hannah to react to both of those movies

[@dougie2615]

omg PLS i hope she reacts to that movie

[@catherinelenihan9389]

Yes I BEG

[@jw3053]

Hi Hannah! Long time fan, first time commenter. I don't know if this has already been said, but I took the long beat of his mom pulling up to their house, seeing no lights on, and calling out Evan's name repeatedly as a way for the audience to worry about whether Evan tried to commit suicide again and then being grateful to see him sitting in the dark crying in his room. Just my two cents. It was a suspenseful reveal for me in the theater on first watch.

[@masonkurtzzz]

For Sincerely Me, I’ve assumed they cut the line “the only man that I love is my dad” because in the movie version, Connor’s dad is his step-dad who didn’t have a relationship with him. That’s also why they cut To Break in a Glove

[@jordanpatterson5686]

I’ve never understood why Evan sings that line in the show. His dad left when he was young and they don’t have a relationship

[@jxnx19]

the whole point of that line (and why they go “well anyways…”) is neither of them have a good relationship with their dad. conner in the stage show also doesn’t. they know they’re supposed to love their dads, but neither do.

[@Magda-ly5rp]

​@@jordanpatterson5686 That's the joke. Neither of them had good relationships with their dads

[@MoonyFBM]

but.. that's the joke

[@proxydream]

I really love Evan's memory of him breaking his arm and how much it shifts with when he's thinking about it. Also, one detail I especially love is when he's in the bathroom stall and it's cut to make it look like it was the branch that made him fall. Really good subversion of expectation for later in the movie.

[@frankieholt6721]

for forever is such an odd song by itself because it could’ve easily been a more ensemble piece with the mom maybe chiming in with a memory while zoe is silent, but instead they’re talking to evan while he just sings. and in the movie specifically, the way he jumps from his seat and the murphys just stare at him 😭 i think the main issue with this musical (other than the themes and the messaging) is that there’s not enough ensemble, ben has too many solos and while he’s a great singer, that’s not how musicals should be composed. i still love this musical but it def has a lot of flaws. ALSO I AM SO MAD ABOUT GOOD FOR YOU BEING CUT ITS MY FAV SONG

[@lukeleshnitzel327]

THE SONGS THEY CUT ARE SO GOOOD!!! And I feel like, as you said, they move the plot along so much!

[@sabinajoh]

On the whole ”did he try to end himself” thing: I think he has created a fantasy where he didn’t try, where it was just an accident. I know that in general people regret it just as it happens, and he could’ve experienced that regret then rewrote it in his brain to make the memory easier to handle. Instead of a failed attempt, it was an accident. Just like he’s rewriting his memories to include Connor to make them happier. I think it’s like a coping strategy

[@Littleturt]

To be honest, teenagers can really come together when the time comes. I had a friend who passed away when I was little and our entire school came together, but, we were also so young and we didn't have much drama and bullying. But, at the end of the day when it came to high school and middle school, there were bullies and when someone got hurt or someone had a drug overdose or something to that level people made fun of them and laughed. This movie was not very good, but I think, sadly, they got the teenager part quite perfectly. It sucks that there are people, teenagers specifically who would be so cruel but that's the reality of the times we are living in. It's very sad.

[@tarabrookecarroll1176]

For real for real, I think Hannah should be hired as a consultant for movie musicals to make sure they are done well! She would be so great at catching what others miss but make such a difference

[@mikaelateixeira8083]

"Dear Evan Hansen" (2021) was an absolute fever dream when I saw it. Bless your soul Hannah. You deserve a long break after this roller coaster.

[@aubreydecker5533]

Jaw to the floor when I realized you gave us 2hrs+ of footage. You really went through the whole movie. You little blessing. :)

[@gerbil_is_typing]

Perhaps someone has already mentioned this, but Jenny Nicholson on youtube also made a video essay on DEH and had a lot of similar grievances (such as Evan's constant indicating gestures during "For Forever" and the serial k*ller lurching shot in "If I Could Tell Her"). You might find that cathartic to watch, but you definitely deserve a break from this movie first lol. She also made a video about the illegal musicals put on by one Canadian church every Easter. Hannah, they literally strap Iron Man to a cross while he duets with Loki a mashup of "Tubthumping" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)." There's nothing else like it on this earth. Highly recommend.

[@michelleortman7010]

Love finding another Jenny Nicholson fan! Both those videos are so good!! the church play one felt like a fever dream lol

[@sklynn]

Jenny Nicholson really doesn't like the musical though, so I think this youtuber not enjoy many of the comments about how superficial and weak the musical was. Even though this youtuber also made fun of a line from the musical thinking it was from the play (letters to yourself? is that some kind of s## thing?) 😅

[@ivynelson3526]

There actually is a book for the musical where they flip between the perspectives of Evan and Connor and we see Connor dealing with the consequeunces of taking his own life and what he was like to Zoe he even watches Zoe when she "sings" requiem.

[@tatianamelendez490]

Oooooo, that sounds interesting! It reminds me a bit of Carousel with Billy Bigelou, but more modern. Would've liked to have seen that interpretation.

[@myaaaxchavez]

i read the book a few years ago and i don't remember it switching perspectives... maybe it's been too long

[@jukori]

I think 'Dear Evan Hansen' is perhaps the best story I've ever experienced - all of the characters are so deeply flawed and yet they all yearn for connection

[@honey.blossom456]

“What can I say? I’m a certified yapper” you and me both Hannah😭😭

[@Abigailwells-fm5bg]

And I'm a certified listener😂

[@honey.blossom456]

@@Abigailwells-fm5bg Amen 👏

[@ashy_inking1476]

@@Abigailwells-fm5bg me too!

[@_lLexa_l]

-certified p3dophil3- I'm a certified yapper aswell 🙏

[@Dinkybiker]

5 minutes in and the sarcasm is already top notch! Very confident that the next 2 hours won't disappoint!

[@annaakhn]

I just wanted to say that in the movie Evan says that it’s the third day of connor missing in school so it’s not just been 18 hours since he took his life and the parents maybe wanted to talk to him after like 48 hours I guess and also I understood it that way that Evan wanted to take his life that day and he failed, like he wanted to climb the tree to take his life but already fell during the climb you know? To make it seem more sad and to earn compassion for Evan that he couldn’t even do that „right“ does that make sense?

[@Cutiepenguin42]

I feel like there were so many subtle moments in the musical where you see Evan 1) agonizing over what he has done as he's doing it, and 2) talking to his mom where he wants her around, but she's just busy with work-- all of which really add depth and circumstance to Evan, but all got cut out of the movie!

[@XavierReichbaum]

It really sucks because this same director wrote and directed The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is a movie that depicts teen depression and anxiety EXTREMELY well. He's a great director and ideally would've been a perfect match for this story. I can't help but think there was a lot of studio interference with this movie because OMG it's BAD.

[@arneyd1793]

he did try to off himself, but the reason why the visuals were like that was most probably because he was creating the vision in his head, not only to convince connor's family, but also himself, i've always seen it like that, even in the musical, that situation was incredibly sad for evan, it was depressing, and he was pretty much handed a way to change what happened for himself too, it gives him an escape, it's so manipulative and also incredibly sad... (or maybe i'm just looking way too much into it)!

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I always interpreted “if I could tell her” as zoey picking up on the fact that evan is flirting with her but doesn’t know how to respond so just pretends they are still talking about Connor. Then she just feels like she loves Evan when she sings “I love you” even if she doesn’t.

[@laurenmooers1723]

Yes same! Like the subtext is that they both know this is Evan talking to Zoe and they are pretending that it’s connor which is why she is into it and it’s when Zoe starts reciprocating feelings. In the stage show I feel like you get that turn. At first she’s like “what the f it’s weird my brother said this stuff” and then she sees Evan’s earnestness and her creeped out reactions go to being into it. If we can pick up that subtly on stage then it’s really poor directing for it to not be 10 times more obvious in a movie.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@laurenmooers1723 i have yet to see the whole show on broadway, but there was a video with jordan fisher as evan and the video he did with the girl who played zoey gave this context and that was a 3, 4 minute video.

[@Victoria-_]

Exactly

[@seeleyboothfan2]

I liked Amys portrayal in the movie. She was so desperate to get proof that Connor was a "good person" and had friends before he ended his life way too soon. She was trying to be the positive peacemaker of the family so she was forcing the smiles. I really enjoyed the movie in it's own right (i miss the cut songs though) Evan is a complicated character where he's unreliable and he's so desperate to be wanted and it's only by being the friend that connors family thinks he is that he keeps the story going to keep that feeling going. And then it just keeps snowballing.

[@left2rightanimations561]

the brightest part of this movie for sure

[@TheUntalentedCouple]

great singing and acting talent. I have watched this many many times in theatre and at home!

[@Kamechan98]

I also think she was far in denial about not only Connor’s passing, but also how he was struggling. Like, she’s a stay-at-home mom, all she really had to do was be a mother to her kids. And one of them was struggling so hard and felt so alone, hopeless and anguished that he took his own life. She’d probably look over her actions and behavior, wondering where she went wrong and what she could have done differently to save her son’s life. So Evan’s stories and letters give her comfort as well as a form of reassurance that make her feel like less of a failure. She refuses to acknowledge any of the ‘bad stuff’ and wants to remember the good things for her own sake as well, because the bad things reinforce that her son was ill in a way she couldn’t fix and as a reminder that she failed her own son. The more I look at this musical, I honestly wish it had been about the Murphy family instead. Could have been similar to Next To Normal, about a family that in the surface looks like they have everything with a perfect house, loving parents and beautiful children, but underneath is very dysfunctional and the sudden tragedy of Connor’s passing make them grow closer as a family as they deal with their complicated feelings and grief.

[@morganleonard4200]

First off I love your videos, Secondly I'm not sure if anyone has suggested it, but there is a musical called Epic.There are different animatics floating around for each part of the sagas

[@cloudyycolfer]

2 hours?? you’re spoiling us hannah :)

[@firedox-LB21]

Just got jumpscared by Evan Buckley😂 was not expecting to see him lol

[@cambenji]

you’re right about jared and the way they changed it. ESPECIALLY because he has jokes like the school shooter joke. he’s awkward in the opposite way of evan (meaning he blurts out inappropriate things that make the room feel awkward). also I think making it his step dad and taking out all the parents songs was a CHOICE.

[@annabellaeaton5461]

why do you think they made him his step dad? they didn’t do it for any particular reason so i was just confused honestly?

[@Kamechan98]

Yeah I was honestly confused about why they made Larry Connor and Zoe’s stepdad rather than actual dad. Maybe it’s because it mirrors Evan’s situation, that his biological dad walked out but no one stepped up for him the way Larry stepped up for Zoe and Connor? But honestly it felt pretty dang pointless, because having a dad who just didn’t leave in the first place and stuck it out was good enough.

[@cambenji]

@@Kamechan98 well and it’s a lyric in one of the songs from the play about having a dad who stuck it out. 😭 so it makes even less sense

[@cambenji]

@@annabellaeaton5461 literally no reason they just decided sure why not lmfao

[@sallyroslin4634]

Something that I can say, Connor singing at the end made me cry the most

[@ritsuvampy]

hannah's little "oof" at 36:07 right when he falls feels like a video game damage sound LMFAO

[@tiffany02020]

I think ur anger is so justified. I honestly haven’t seen the movie outside of this lovely video and I’m grateful to have kind of had you with me for it. The play I think did a much more intentional push to have Conner and Evan on this parallel journey where they were both alone and mentally supremely unwell and spiraling. And one completed their suicide and one didn’t. And the one who didn’t - projected what he would have wanted onto the dead boy. He was put in a weird spot and it felt so clear he had had these like VIVID fantasies about what it would be like to just have a friend. And given the first opportunity those fantasies spilled out of him before he’d even thought of the greater repercussions. From there the story gives him a chance to dig himself deeper and deeper until we get Good For You, which in my opinion is the THESIS of the piece. And the fact they cut it is the prime singular reason I truly never watched the movie. Evan is supposed to be fairly unlikable - that’s why he doesn’t have any fucking friends. I was that in many ways in high school. Weird and overbearing and awkward and a liar the second I had the chance to speak. He’s not supposed to be this psycho stalker we see in the movie. He’s supposed to be a kid who has spent so much time alone in his head he’s mixing reality and real pain with his powerful loneliness.

[@tahliagonzalez4442]

This whole ass video was so funny, I am not opposed to your shift into movies because your commentary was so good! Every little quip genuinely got a chuckle out of me. I've never seen the musical or movie so watching along with you as a sort of point of reference or guide was so fun. Thank you for posting!

[@ToastKnight_]

I've never noticed how sharp Hannah's teeth are. A bubbly musical theater loving vampire. I'm a fan.

[@rjs2035]

In honor of her blessing us with a 2+ HOUR REACTION, can we get Hannah to 1M subs already?! LETS GO YALL! 👏🏾👏🏾

[@brodyvancamp6449]

HANNAH I NEED YOU TO POST SOON BEFORE I LOSE IT PLEASE

[@maria.hamandi]

Hannah you deserve an award for the number of different ways you managed to express your agony 😆

[@ellisritz1561]

1:07:46 talking about the people pleasing tendencies: I’ve always read Evan as being so trapped by his trauma responses. Fight, flight, freeze and fawn. Running to the trees alone is flight, the scene in the principle’s office is freeze, the a la mode scene is fawn, later in the show (still watching the vid, I don’t know if it happens in the movie) when Jared confronts him is fight. He’s so deeply embedded in his trauma responses. And I think it’s so important what Hannah is saying here and said earlier as well. When you are so wrapped up in your own shit, you are hurting people even if you don’t mean to. You’re not concerned with what’s right, you’re doing what you have to do to protect yourself and survive. And that is really dangerous when it harms other people.

[@PutBoxOnMe]

Skipping straight into waving through a window feels so weird

[@davidhoffman4641]

I love that in boredom and pain of watching this movie adaptation, that Mike Faist, the original Broadway actor for Connor, just dazzled in Spielberg's West Side Story and in Challengers. Holy shit.

[@anlolsi]

I am Zoey. I have a brother who I can only describe as a monster. Life with him was a nightmare but my family have never held him accountable. He was cruel and awful. This entire movie feels like a reflection of my experience - abusive & predatory actions ignored in favor of delusion or self comfort and labeled as sympathy or grace. I appreciate you getting upset. Consuming media without internalizing it can make people comfortable with unacceptable.

[@SagaTheGemini-tg6fz]

That's why critical consumption of media is so important!! The media is a really big factor of how people act, what they like and what they think is okay

[@isabelladixonsmith5278]

Thank you for this comment and your bravery for posting it. I am sorry for what you have been through

[@emilyharfst6468]

The songs they cut were literally my favorite songs 😭

[@viixxxie]

15:20 it was revealed in the book that connor killed himself bc he and his situationship kinda broke up and he can't express his feelings to him or something. thats not the entire reason but that is what threw him over the edge.

[@viixxxie]

1:05:50 it was in the musical actually, during the end of disappear

[@Ellie_xo]

Oh my GOD I FORGOT there was a book!!!! 💀💀💀 and I read it too! (Immediately donated it afterwards 💀)