The Greatest Showman Review

The Greatest Showman Really Is The Greatest Show
By Kat Franklin
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*This review contains spoilers. Read at your own discretion!

The Greatest Showman Really Is The Greatest Show
By Kat Franklin
*This review contains spoilers. Read at your own discretion!

      The Greatest Showman is a movie that contains two of my favorite things: the circus and Zac Efron. It’s directed by Michael Gracey, and stars audience favorites Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, and, of course, Zac Efron. The movie tells the story of P.T. Barnum, the co-founder of “The Greatest Show On Earth.” It showcases not only the beginning of the circus industry, but also the difficulties Barnum’s “freaks” faced in that day. The characters have conditions like albinism (all hair and skin is pale white), polycystic ovary syndrome (causes women to have deepened voices and grow facial hair), and dwarfism (causes adults to be less than four feet ten inches).  In the movie, Barnum also hires African-American siblings, Anne Wheeler and W.D. Wheeler. While completely fictional, Anne Wheeler appears to be biracial (like her actor, Zendaya) and at the time the circus was founded, that was almost unheard of, thus dubbing her another oddity.

      This movie is in no way a historically correct representation of the real P.T. Barnum, but Hollywood worked its magic and created a much more likeable character for modern audiences.  P.T. Barnum had a troubled life; this fact is made known immediately with a short, expositional scene and montage explaining his family’s place in the world and the way he met his wife. The kid actors look surprisingly like the adults, something most movies can never get right. From there you’re transported to his adult life, where he is the father to two young girls and holds a mundane job at an ambiguous office. When the entire company is laid off, he sees it as a perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Barnum takes a loan out from the bank, and, after a few false starts, he develops the live circus, similar to what can be seen today. This sets the stage for the main part of the show. The circus features acts such as dancers, animal performers, and a “freak show” made of things that “can’t be seen anywhere else.” He continuously struggles with the inability of the public to accept his show, as well as the people in it. Throughout the show, he falls into trouble because of his strive for high-brow content, later scorning the same people he had originally stuck up for. Portrayed by Hugh Jackman, this character is almost magnetic, drawing you to the screen with a hypnotizing charm.

      P.T. Barnum’s wife, Charity (Michelle Williams)  is a loving, devoted wife who is willing to  follow him through all his endeavors, as long as they don’t lose the “magic”. She raises their two daughters and supports Barnum’s work for the circus. Charity comes from a high-society family, and she only knew Barnum in the first place because he was the son of her father’s tailor. She struggles to understand his need to be accepted, as she has spent her whole life running away from the same high-society that he yearns for.

      Apprentice to the showman, Phillip Carlyle is another runaway from the upper class. He leaves the tedious world of writing ballets to join the circus, becoming a junior partner in the business. He quickly falls in love with the trapeze artist Anne Wheeler, but he faces complications with his image. The movie takes place right after the American Civil War, a time when interracial marriage was not only frowned upon, but entirely illegal. This romantic pairing is just as crucial to the plot as Barnum and Charity’s love story, and audiences will fall in love with the chemistry that can be seen between the two young lovers. Played compellingly by Zac Efron, Phillip Carlyle is so tangible a character that you almost feel like you could reach out and touch him. He’s relatable, dazzling, and his pain is felt by audiences nationwide. When his heart breaks, so does yours.

      Anne Wheeler, acted by Zendaya, is a trapeze artist, presumably the main act of the circus. She has a close bond with her brother W.D. Wheeler, although his character is marginally less present than hers. Anne’s character feels the strain of racism more so than any other character and has a harder time dealing with it. When P.T. Barnum first hires her and her brother, she says, “People aren’t going to like it if you put us on stage.” She’s right, of course. The protesters grow as much as the crowds. She wants to be with Phillip Carlyle, but, as she says, “You can’t rewrite the stars.”

      Barnum’s show features more than just trapeze and a charming apprentice. There are many “oddities” from the time, before their conditions and disfigurements were widely known. Lettie Lutz is a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome, causing her to have a bigger figure, deepened voice, and a full beard on her face. She also has an incredible (alto) singing voice, which emphasizes the point that her condition is not the defining feature of her character- her courage is. She sings and performs, defiant in the face of all who mock her and the circus. “Tom Thumb” is another of Barnum’s performers. He suffers from extreme dwarfism, standing at about the height of a four year old child. The actor, Sam Humphrey, who is a small person, had to walk on his knees to be small enough. If you look closely, you’ll notice he doesn’t appear in any overhead shots. His act is to ride around on a horse in military regalia, dubbing him with the title of General. He is also more than meets the eye. Tom is snarky, sarcastic, and at one point fired back at the Queen of England herself. They also have “the world’s largest man”, the “Irish Giant,” a man covered in hair, and an albino woman, along with two conjoined twins. All of the performers in Barnum’s show prove themselves to be brave people who are used to being despised, ignored, and hated (even some of the performer’s own mothers hate them). Despite their personal issues, they rise above and accept themselves as they are. The circus provides a place for the socially homeless to find acceptance, and it leaves a powerful message with the audience: everyone is worthy of love.

      The characters were not the only remarkable part of this film. The song and dance numbers, composed by Justin Paul and Benj Pasek (the composers of Dear Evan Hansen) will leave viewers humming the upbeat tunes for days to come. All of the dance numbers are perfectly choreographed, with every actor and actress coming together as a whole. The sets provide a brand of magic rarely seen anymore, extraordinarily constructed and perfect for a creative character like Barnum. Although the set feels more roaring twenties than the yellow fever years, it’s a place you feel like you could walk right in to. It embodies the true spirit of New York City, even after all these years.

      You’re guaranteed to fall in love with all 115 minutes of this movie, from the moment it begins until the credits roll. Outstanding characters, incredible development, and hilarious dialogue make it the perfect musical and a crowd favorite. The Greatest Showman is the story of the American dream, in musical form; it teaches about making something of nothing and overcoming adversity, no matter what you look like. It will leave you with chills at some moments and tears in your eyes at others. The humor in this film will make anyone want to “z snap”, and the acting by Zac Efron gives you perfect High School Musical nostalgia. Many great voices came together to make this movie. Out of five stars, I’d give this movie a full five stars. It demonstrates that no matter who you are, no matter what circumstances you face, you truly can be anything you want to be.


The Greatest Showman
Opens in theaters December 20, 2017
    Directed by Michael Gracey; written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon, based on the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum; director of photography/ camera; Seamus McGarvey; Casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey; edited by Tom Cross, Robert Duffy, Joe Hutshing, Michael McCusker, Jon Poll, and Spencer Susser; music by Justin Paul, Benj Pasek, John Debney, and Joseph Trapanese; production design by Nathan Crowley; produced by Peter Chernin; released by Twentieth Century Fox. Running time: 1o5 minutes. This film is rated PG.
WITH THE ACTING OF: Hugh Jackman (P.T. Barnum), Zendaya (Anne Wheeler), Zac Efron (Phillip Carlyle), Michelle Williams (Charity Barnum), Keala Settle (Lettie Lutz), Sam Humphrey (General Tom Thumb), and Rebecca Ferguson (Jenny Lind)

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