“The Greatest Showman” is a classic tale of P.T. Barnum’s rags-to-riches story and the birth of show business. In the movie, Barnum goes from a poor child to the great visionary he is remembered as.
When the movie began, I will admit I was a little critical and skeptical as I felt I had seen better musicals and better movies in general. Now, I can say with full confidence that “The Greatest Showman” is probably among my favorite musicals, if not among my favorite movies. Every bit of it was a work of art with a good message.
Of the many great things about the movie, the acting was by far one of the best parts. There were great performances from Hugh Jackman, Zendaya and Zac Efron. There were even some amazing performances from some new faces like Keala Settle playing Lettie Lutz, a bearded woman, and Sam Humphrey, playing Tom Thumb. Settle, who had been on Broadway before this film, performed all of her songs amazingly. Her main song, “This Is Me” carried a great message of being proud of who her character really was, and the song summarized the rest of the film.
There were a few historical inaccuracies, but they were both excusable and forgivable. Barnum never had a near-affair with singer Jenny Lind, and he did not start his circus until he was in his 60s. Creative differences are necessary when it comes to adapting things to film and especially when adapting them to musicals.
Overall, the musical was extraordinary. The actors all gave their best performances, even Jackman, who has been amazing in other movies.
The plot of the movie was also great. I almost cried once or twice from pure emotional exhaustion, and it took every bone in my body not to jump up and cheer at the end of the movie when Barnum repaired his relationship with his wife. Director Michael Gracey really captured the essence of individuality with what is now one of my favorite musicals.
I would rate the film a four out of five stars. I recommend it to anyone who would like a pleasant experience at the movie theater, and I see myself buying this movie when it comes out on DVD.
Graphic made in Adobe Spark by Jessica Sawyer
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