Alien at the Movies

Dear Evan Hansen

When a therapy lesson ends up in the wrong hands, an innocent lie escalates out of control. Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) is an anxious socially awkward high schooler being raised by an overworked single mom (Julianne Moore). When his stolen letter to himself is found on another loner/troubled classmate/recent suicide victim Connor Murphy, he must face Connor’s grieving family (Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Devers, & Danny Pino) & he tries to comfort them as he struggles with his disorder. Evan is an invisible nobody but this tragic event thrusts him into the limelight & he starts to feel connected. This is a emotional film highlighting feelings of loneliness, loss, & grieving. It’s a wake up call to look around you for someone suffering silently in pain & needing some help. This is a film adaptation of a Broadway play & book. It’s one of those musicals where the songs sound more like dialogue sung acapella. The performances are terrific & the story is moving but sad.

Alien gives it 3 “signed cast” stars out of 4.