Score: 5 / 5
An exuberant love letter to show business, The Greatest Showman is also one of the best pictures this year. Directed by Michael Gracey in his feature debut, this film is at once safely familiar and improbably fresh in execution. Though the historicity of its source material -- the real-life P.T. Barnum as he creates his renowned circus -- is never more than dubious, this movie is not meant to be a biopic. It's a musical, for heaven's sake! Rather, this film plays out like a fantasy (in the style of Chicago, Nine, Burlesque, or Glee) of life on the edges of society lived to the fullest. Its songs each mention stars, dreams, and love, and the film is full of each of these elements. The film is a nearly perfect marriage of style and substance, though the style is infinitely more engaging from this viewer's perspective.
The best thing about this movie -- and there are almost no bad things to consider, so the list is lengthy -- is its soundtrack. It's easily the best soundtrack this year and the most cohesive in thematic scope, surpassing even the Fifty Shades sequel soundtrack, which is again amazing. Scored by Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), the pop-Broadway beats and flair carry the film with seemingly little effort. Rousing ensemble numbers like "The Greatest Show", "Come Alive", and "From Now On" each grow from quiet intros to explosive dance beats and choral glory. Even soft solo numbers soar to heartrending heights, as in "Tightrope", "A Million Dreams", and my personal favorite, "Never Enough". And, of course, the romantic duet "Rewrite the Stars" deserves a place on every radio station. Taking the cake, though, is the Golden Globe-nominated song "This Is Me", which was featured on the trailer for the film as well, a powerhouse ensemble number declaring personal and communal empowerment for everyone who has felt out of place or different.
While the basic premise of the story is problematic when summarized -- Barnum grows through toil and strife to become the dreamer of fabulous dreams whose primary motivator is money, which he gains by exploiting "freaks" and undesirables -- the film does not solely focus on Barnum's character, played to perfection by Hugh Jackman. Its heart, rather, lies with the entertainers in his circus and the other lives around him, including those of his business partner (a typically excellent Zac Efron) and family (his wife is played magnificently by Michelle Williams). And while the film spends most of its time on these rich white people, I would argue that the most emotionally resonant scenes come from its freaks. The turn of the film is also the first act finale (were this to become a stage musical, which I hope happens) "This Is Me", in which Barnum is totally absent. The performers, excluded from a high society party by their boss, regroup and march through town, saying, "I'm not scared to be seen / I make no apologies" and showing that they are capable not only of running the show themselves but also of owning themselves in a world that hates them.
The film is thus an inspiration for the outcasts, the losers, the freaks. People with different skin colors, sexuality, abilities, and backgrounds are the heroes here. They band together not to fight the things they hate but to celebrate the things they love. They embrace themselves as they are and put it all on show. And in the process they change the hearts and minds of young hegemonic people who see them perform. It's a film so dripping with social justice commentary that it plays out like a manifesto of those who are and have been terrorized by the Trump administration. While not all its commentary is ideal -- there are always the problems of capitalism and exploitation looming -- it also doesn't necessarily promote those things at odds with its plebeian gospel.
Of course, it's also the most fun I've had at the movies in ages. Not a moment passes that isn't as richly detailed, sequined, glittering, or joyful as anything in Burlesque or even a Baz Luhrmann movie (Gatsby, I'm looking at you). I was crying through the whole thing because it's just that full of infectious happiness. To be sure, this is a movie for all the artists and performers out in the world. But it's also a movie for the dreamers, the stargazers, the outsiders and insiders, and the whole family. Start your kids watching movies like this while they're young, and our future will be just fine.
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