Snow White, Rewritten in a Minor Key
Despite the film’s efforts to reframe its heroine with modern complexity, a certain emotional distance lingers.

Benjamin Pasek (born June 9, 1985), known professionally as Benj Pasek, is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing songs for films such as La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017), and the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, all of which he co-wrote with his songwriting partner, Justin Paul. With Paul, Pasek became the 20th/21st person to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards).
Despite the film’s efforts to reframe its heroine with modern complexity, a certain emotional distance lingers.
This comedy brings a big surprise to Josh and his family when they move to New York City and struggle to adapt to their new friend.
Spirited inverts the tropes of the holiday musical genre to update an age-old tale for 2022. It's a paean to those who make grand spectacles possible.
I first saw Dear Evan Hansen on the Broadway stage. Apparently, I was so blown away by the magic of theater that I didn’t pick up on the questionable dynamics. The story's clumsy handling in the movie brought those issues to light.
The gentle, emotional nuances of Evan’s coming-of-age story would have been so beneficial to have incorporated into the life of a POC character. Showing a Black, Asian or Latino young man that is afforded the space to be vulnerable, flawed and sensitive while driving a compelling and widely-loved narrative would have been a game changer.