Directed by first-time director Michael Gracey with music by Benj Pasik and Justin Paul (La La Land), a sugarcoated version of P.T. Barnum's life is told through musical. The movie "The Greatest Showman" stars Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, and Zac Efron in its family-friendly tale. Based on real events, the movie lacks a lot of key details and not-so-pleasant truths about the real P.T. Barnum. Without taking that into account, I was surprised by how charismatic, catchy, and enjoyable the songs and story were.
I had originally been hesitant about seeing this movie. Coming from a circus background, a little part of me wants to be the person up there on the trapeze. I also wasn't sure if it was my type of movie. However, I convinced myself to check it out and I'm glad that I did. From the very beginning, I was instantly hooked.
Hugh Jackman opens the musical to the upbeat tune of "The Greatest Show" followed by "A Million Dreams," the duet between Barnum and his love interest, Charity. With barely any time focused on Barnum's childhood, the audience is rushed through his hardships and almost immediately, his success begins.
With the purchase of the American Museum, Barnum and his repertoire of people with various oddities form a circus. "This Is Me" is a powerful song that emphasizes their pride in being different than others.
I'm not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one will love you as you are
[Pre-Chorus]
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am proof
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
With the help of playwright Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) and opera singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), Barnum reaches the success that he had always been dreaming of. With the mildest affair between Barnum and Lind, and the love story between Carlyle and trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya), the story adds a bit of personal conflict.
One thing I noticed is that there is a lack of information regarding the characters in the musical, and a bit of misinformation when it comes to P.T. Barnum himself. First of all, the audience doesn't learn much about each individual circus character. There isn't much known about Phillip Carlyle either, other than the fact that he comes from a prestigious background.
Secondly, the real P.T. Barnum is not the family-friendly, innocent rags to riches, entrepreneur that the movie depicts. In fact, he did a lot of really terrible things such as purchasing a slave and parading her around as the "former nurse of George Washington." Rather than letting her die in peace, he also used her death as a spectacle and charade to make more money.
In 1919, the Barnum and Bailey circus was merged with the Ringling brothers to create the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. In 2017, "The Greatest Show on Earth" came to a close due to the decrease in ticket sales. I personally find this to be a bit sad, knowing that in the future, my children won't be able to visit the circus. Yes, Cirque du Soleil is an option, but it's not the same thing.
If you don't care too much about the history of P.T. Barnum, and want to watch a movie filled with cute, somewhat cheesy moments, catchy tunes, and a feel-good story, then I would definitely suggest "The Greatest Showman." I really enjoyed it. But if you want to learn about P.T. Barnum, then I would suggest searching online. Overall, it was a fun movie that was well-directed, perfectly cast, and has a great musical soundtrack.