The Greatest Showman
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Keala Settle, Samuel Humphrey
Taken from the imagination of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), “The Greatest Showman” is a musical that celebrates the birth of the circus. Growing up in the early 1800s, P.T. Barnum displays a natural gift for theatrics and an eye for the weird and eccentric. After trying his hands at various endeavors, Barnum finally turns to show business to inspire his limitless imagination, ultimately rising from the ashes of poverty and despair to create the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
There is a quote at the end of this film which says, "the noblest art is that of making others happy – P.T. Barnum". The perfect irony of this movie may be illustrated in how the characters perceive that word “happiness”. Happiness is illustrated in two unique ways from the perspective of Phineas T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and how he understands happiness with his family and his circus troupe.
Barnum’s definition of "happiness" was to rise out of the life he had as a poor man with nothing and become someone worthy of respect. He wanted to give the world "something real" in his circus...he wanted to give his family "the life he promised them"...but in truth, both his circus troupe and his family were happy just as they were. His circus troupe were just freaks and outcasts before he found them. Their own mothers were so ashamed of their children that they hid them out of sight and memory. They were scorned and laughed at...until they joined Barnum's circus, and in doing so, they became a real family. They found a home with people like them; people who would respect them and love them for just being who they were. Like the critic said...Barnum brought people of all colors, shapes, and sizes together and some might call that "a celebration of humanity". They didn't have to prove anything. They didn't want glory or riches. They just wanted to be together as a family. It is the same with his wife and children. His wife came from a privileged family. Barnum wanted to show her father that he could give Charity a life like the one she had...when all his wife just wanted to be happy with him. She didn't need the fancy house and the money and the glory. She just wanted his heart because he was the man she fell in love with.
There is an ironic dichotomy between the two leading ladies in this film (Barnum’s wife, Charity, and his singing star, Jenny). The ladies both want the same thing (to live their dream) …and while it seems they want it with the same man (Barnum), their dreams are exact opposite of each other. Charity’s dream is that she wishes to spend her life and raise her daughters with the man she fell in love with. It didn't matter to Charity if her family lived in a shining castle and led a rich and lavish life and she and her daughters dressed in glittering jewels and fine silks...it was just enough for her, to love Barnum and be loved by him. For Jenny...she is also living her dream when she meets Barnum. Jenny has the voice of an angel, but I don’t think her dream is fully realized when she meets Barnum and his troupe in England. She starts out as just a stepping-stone for him on the road to success with the rich and privileged class, but I think she was secretly in love with Barnum herself, and she wanted to rise to the glitter and fame of stardom with him by her side. Her dream of being a star wasn't enough for her if Barnum wasn't there to share it with her…because if you listen to the lyrics of her song, he’s the one she’s really singing to. That's why she quit when he told her he was going home to his family.
While I love movies of all genres, musicals are a particular flavor that must really be good to impress me. This movie did exactly that. The Greatest Showman was truly an epic masterpiece. The casting was stellar, the songs were amazing, the story went right to my heart. And the message was beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Keala Settle, Samuel Humphrey
Taken from the imagination of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), “The Greatest Showman” is a musical that celebrates the birth of the circus. Growing up in the early 1800s, P.T. Barnum displays a natural gift for theatrics and an eye for the weird and eccentric. After trying his hands at various endeavors, Barnum finally turns to show business to inspire his limitless imagination, ultimately rising from the ashes of poverty and despair to create the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
There is a quote at the end of this film which says, "the noblest art is that of making others happy – P.T. Barnum". The perfect irony of this movie may be illustrated in how the characters perceive that word “happiness”. Happiness is illustrated in two unique ways from the perspective of Phineas T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and how he understands happiness with his family and his circus troupe.
Barnum’s definition of "happiness" was to rise out of the life he had as a poor man with nothing and become someone worthy of respect. He wanted to give the world "something real" in his circus...he wanted to give his family "the life he promised them"...but in truth, both his circus troupe and his family were happy just as they were. His circus troupe were just freaks and outcasts before he found them. Their own mothers were so ashamed of their children that they hid them out of sight and memory. They were scorned and laughed at...until they joined Barnum's circus, and in doing so, they became a real family. They found a home with people like them; people who would respect them and love them for just being who they were. Like the critic said...Barnum brought people of all colors, shapes, and sizes together and some might call that "a celebration of humanity". They didn't have to prove anything. They didn't want glory or riches. They just wanted to be together as a family. It is the same with his wife and children. His wife came from a privileged family. Barnum wanted to show her father that he could give Charity a life like the one she had...when all his wife just wanted to be happy with him. She didn't need the fancy house and the money and the glory. She just wanted his heart because he was the man she fell in love with.
There is an ironic dichotomy between the two leading ladies in this film (Barnum’s wife, Charity, and his singing star, Jenny). The ladies both want the same thing (to live their dream) …and while it seems they want it with the same man (Barnum), their dreams are exact opposite of each other. Charity’s dream is that she wishes to spend her life and raise her daughters with the man she fell in love with. It didn't matter to Charity if her family lived in a shining castle and led a rich and lavish life and she and her daughters dressed in glittering jewels and fine silks...it was just enough for her, to love Barnum and be loved by him. For Jenny...she is also living her dream when she meets Barnum. Jenny has the voice of an angel, but I don’t think her dream is fully realized when she meets Barnum and his troupe in England. She starts out as just a stepping-stone for him on the road to success with the rich and privileged class, but I think she was secretly in love with Barnum herself, and she wanted to rise to the glitter and fame of stardom with him by her side. Her dream of being a star wasn't enough for her if Barnum wasn't there to share it with her…because if you listen to the lyrics of her song, he’s the one she’s really singing to. That's why she quit when he told her he was going home to his family.
While I love movies of all genres, musicals are a particular flavor that must really be good to impress me. This movie did exactly that. The Greatest Showman was truly an epic masterpiece. The casting was stellar, the songs were amazing, the story went right to my heart. And the message was beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2021 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved