The Greatest Showman: No Truth and All Play Makes Jackman an Entertaining Boy

It is refreshing that, ever since the success of Moulin Rouge, the movie musical has been more and more popular over time. The Greatest Showman is certainly a fun film but never reaches the same dramatic heights as many of its predecessors. Some might consider this a bad thing. Showman, however, clearly doesn’t care. Much like P.T. Barnum, this film is concerned with pure entertainment above all else.

The Greatest Showman is a straightforward rags-to-riches story about P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), the man who pioneered the circus and, in many ways, modern entertainment. Along the way, he finds a business partner in playwright Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), whose character is a composite of multiple historical figures—most notably James Anthony Bailey (of Barnum & Bailey fame). Barnum’s dutiful wife, Charity (a surprisingly refreshing Michelle Williams) stays at his side through the highs and lows and, with the film leaning into the cliché, serves as a moral compass throughout. The cast is rounded out by Barnum’s circus of “freaks” including a pink-haired Zendaya and Keala Settle in a star-making role as bearded lady Lettie Lutz.

Keala Settle brings down the house during her show-stopping "This Is Me"

With a soundtrack by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (of La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen fame) it is no surprise that the songs are all incredibly catchy. The score is littered with cut-and-dry hip-hop and pop ditties which will leave any audience member humming. Sure, the ballads quickly fade from memory, replaced by the flashier numbers like “The Greatest Show” and “Come Alive.” Most notable is the film’s Golden Globe-nominated tune “This is Me,” a life-affirming song powerfully executed by Ms. Settle and her posse of circus performers.

While I enjoyed the film almost entirely from beginning to end I would be remiss if I did not bring up the egregious and, at time, distractingly bad lip-syncing. Most distracting was when Rebecca Ferguson (playing famed opera singer Jenny Lind) becomes the only cast member to have a ghost-singer (The Voice’s Loren Allred) for her ballad, “Never Enough.” The number, unfortunately, is never enough to be the show-stopper it was meant to be. This is largely due to the over-exaggerated nature of her singing performance. I continued to long for the days of Les Misérables. Live singing just makes a movie so much more effective.

This movie was made in 2017. I find it hard to believe that no actress could both act and sing the role of Ms. Lind. Rebecca Ferguson was not even a large part of the marketing campaign for Showman so her name doesn’t seem important enough to make such a decision. I would rather watch Russell Crowe and Pierce Brosnan sing a series of duets for several hours than watch someone with a ghost-singer. It’s why I avoid the first High School Musical so much.

(That’s a lie, I love High School Musical).

Hugh Jackman shines thanks in large part to smart styling and flashy production values.

From a production standpoint, The Greatest Showman was the most fantastic spectacle from all of 2017. Every number flew by in a sea of expertly constructed shots. Dancers executed their moves in military-like precision, cameramen pulled the audience in with dynamic and ever-changing angles, and each and every outfit was flawless. I sat drooling at all of Hugh Jackman's impeccable suits.

Historically speaking, the film gets Barnum’s name right and not much else. A quick Google search will show just how much the movie leaves out. Barnum is not the saint that Showman so desperately wants him to be. Maybe that’s okay. There’s no reason for every single period piece to be historically accurate. Sometimes just embodying one’s spirit, in this case Barnum’s determination that the weird, the odd, and the unusual be appreciated, is enough.

At the end of the day, if you want a historically accurate flick to make you think skip this film.

If you want a movie musical that grounds itself in realism skip this film.

If you want to experience one of the most entertaining two hours of your life run to the theater and see this movie. It is impossible to leave without a smile.

Photos courtesy Niko Tavernise - ©TM & ©2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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