"Dear Evan Hansen (2021)" Review with Jackson Hendrix (SPOILERS) 

You guys talked about one of my BIGGEST criticisms of the movie and the musical. How mental illness is talked about. I have social anxiety. I was diagnosed in college. It was horrible in high school, to the point where I would not talk to anyone for DAYS. I get what Evan goes through early on in the show. But I feel like he is shielded from any consequences by his anxiety. I've seen people's reviews even saying that he has anxiety, so he shouldn't need consequences. And I legit saw one reviewer say that you can't talk negatively about the show unless you have social anxiety. (Which, wtf?) I think this show is trying to say that "Mental illness can EXPLAIN why something happened, but that does not EXCUSE you for that action." But the plot itself is so fumbled. Where is his therapist? What is he saying to his therapist? Why is him stopping his medication NOT TALKED ABOUT? (That has the potential to be dangerous!) I used to like DEH because I saw my illness portrayed onstage. But after it won its Tonys I went, "Wait, let me look at this show more." And I don't think that they really looked into the illness or even talked to people who have it. Not to mention, yeah it is good that Evan got to know Connor more in the movie than stage show. However, Connor had said that he did not want his performances shown to his parents. (Not to mention, the recording of him is taken I assume in group therapy. Is that not a breach of privacy for all the kids there?) Evan decides to show it to Connor's parents, despite Connor not wanting that to happen. Even when trying to fix the stage show, they have made even more issues arise. Just... yikes. I just have a LOT to say about the show, but I am really glad that someone else is saying what I was thinking. Evan pretty much destroys a family and gets a slap on the wrist, if that. At least in the stage show, Alana, Jared, and his mom have a song that is basically them roasting Evan for doing horrible stuff. Cutting the song, "Good For You," from the movie was a horrible idea.