by Clara Hooton
This past week I had the opportunity to go see the newly raved about movie, “The Greatest Showman.” I went into this movie with high expectations, not only because the soundtrack was phenomenal, but also because it seemed like a family friendly movie that everyone could enjoy. To my surprise the movie skyrocketed beyond my expectations and I fell in love with everything about it. Each character developed a special place in my heart and I left the theatre humming the soundtrack.
One of the many things that stood out for me in this movie was the music. The songs connected with me in a way that moved me to tears, and I had constant chills the entire time. Each song was performed and sung with passion, which helped me immerse myself into the movie. The unique melodies and harmonies were on repeat in my head for days.
In addition to the phenomenally composed soundtrack, the story behind the movie inspired me, which was the story of American showman P.T Barnum. In the movie, P.T. Barnum was introduced as a poor man who later attained wealth after he created the circus. His generous heart and creative mind inspired the characters in the movie, who were perceived as different, to come out of the shadows and freely express who they were.
While the inspiring story was a huge part of what made the movie enjoyable, the diverse characters portrayed in the movie, such as The Bearded Lady and The Irish Giant, connected with me in some way. The sheer fact that these individuals were not afraid to express who they were showed me that I should never be afraid to be who I am. Although everyone in the audience may not have connected with the characters as much as I did, the moving story behind the film made it hard not to find something to relate to.
Another one of the main reasons why this movie was great, was because it was family friendly. While appropriateness may not be a huge concern for some people, I believe that the more family friendly a movie is, the bigger impact it can have and the wider range of people it can reach. With this particular movie a wider range of people should be able to see it.
" Each character developed a special place in my heart and I left the theatre humming the soundtrack."
However, this movie, like many other quality films, has its flaws. The fast paced plot makes it difficult to fill in story holes. While these holes are insignificant to the big picture, they could have helped make the movie a little more interesting. I am well aware that this movie could not be all about the biography of the characters, but it would have been nice to see more into the lives of the people P.T Barnum hired into his circus. This flaw however is not significant enough to make me not recommend this film. All films have flaws and in my opinion, this movie has very few.
All in all, the music, characters, story, and appropriateness create a welcoming atmosphere for all people. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend you go as soon as you can. I promise you won't regret it, and I hope you take away as much as I did after I left the theatre.