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Julianne Moore: "Dear Evan Hansen"

 Marriage-to-me means that you have to rent "Dear Evan Hansen," which "Smash Cut" tagged as "one of the worst movie-musicals of all time."


My husband was a good sport. For approximately one hour, approximately the length of Act One, my husband was enthusiastic. "I don't think Ben Platt looks thirty!" he said. "Do you think he looks thirty?"

A big treat arrived when Danny Pino, a former star of "Law and Order: SVU," wandered into the story. "Wait," said Marc. "Detective Amaro is married to Amy Adams now? And he was once married to Laura Benanti? Lucky guy...."

But I knew Marc was getting tired when he began to refer to Evan as "Connor." And I understood this. Evan had "CONNOR" printed on his cast, and this seemed to function as a name-tag, and the movie just feels so very, very long.

Everyone in my house was delirious for "Words Fail," the endless, formless soliloquy Platt delivers right before the resolution. "I just wish there were more verses," I said. And Amy Adams appeared and said, "Evan? You'd better leave now." And she had a very stern look. And there was a fade-to-black.

Some new directorial choices puzzled me. Can you really be *anonymous* if you're the class president? Did *no one* in Connor's family understand that he had this notable musical gift (even the Adams character, who does allude to Connor's guitar-ownership)? .....If Evan had profound thoughts about Toni Morrison's "Sula" .....what were those thoughts?

But I had a fine time. I'd watch this movie again--if there weren't other options, and if I could talk and do laundry during the slow parts. Certainly not "the all-time worst."

P.S. What if Platt had said, graciously, "There are talented age-appropriate actors who have taken on the role of Evan after me (Sam Tutty, Andrew Feldman, Nathan Levy)....I'd like to cede this opportunity to one of those lesser-known young actors...." Oddly enough, that move might have helped Platt's career.

P.P.S. Oops! I didn't talk about Julianne Moore here. I thought she was terrific--all the way through.
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