I recently saw a movie that hit hard. Not only was the music completely well done, but the story was one that was truly beautiful. "The Greatest Showman" is the best movie of 2017, and you should just go see for yourself. Even though there are many reasons for this fact, here's just a few reasons why it outshines most big hollywood films this year.
1. The music.
I mean, obviously the music is the best part of the entire show. But I have honestly been blasting the soundtrack since the second I walked out of the theater. There is a mix of fast and slow songs, and it is definitely an even listen. "A Million Dreams" is probably my favorite song because it goes so perfectly with the story line. But when I am ready to jam out, "Come Alive" is perfect. Each song piece is catchy and you won't want to skip any of the songs when listening to the album.
2. The story line.
The point of this movie is to show the details of the life of P.T Barnum. His imagination and passion is shown in such a unique way. Prior to this movie, I did not know about him, but he is honestly the reason show business is what it is. He created something magnificent out of an idea and changed many lives with complete magic through the "Greatest Show on Earth."
3. The lessons of the story.
I was not expecting to see such amazing themes presented in this original musical. I was just expecting to be entertained, but there were many aspects that stood out having to do with being different in a world that expects everybody to look the same. We get a look into the many mistakes that Barnum made through his shows, but he drastically changed the lives of many people who never even felt like they even mattered to their parents. He chose people who looked different to entertain crowds of people. As the movie goes, these different characters become incredibly confident in who they are. The song, "This is Me" represents the moment when they saw how important they were. We are also shown the importance of family. Barnum made mistakes by doing what he thought was helping his family, but realizes just how important it is to give them his time instead.
4. The acting/singing.
This part was super important to the reason why I enjoyed it so much. Unlike other on-screen musicals that have recently come out (cough cough, "La La Land"), the singing is done by phenomenal singers. The acting is also incredible. Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron make a fantastic team, but everyone else is outstanding as well. Each actor had the perfect look that they need to represent the non-fiction character that they play. My favorite performer was the bearded lady played by Keala Settle. She had the perfect voice and movements for her character. Each performer brought something new. Even the children were captivating the moment they entered their first scene. They all had difficult acting decisions to make when having to represent the beginning of show business in the 1800's, but it was very well done.
5. The era.
Taking place in the mid 1800's, we are shown accurate looks from the costumes to the scene designs. Obviously, the movie is not accurate to Barnum's real life. Much of it is romanticized, and hollywood definitely sugar coats many issues that were going on during that time. But if you stop thinking realistically, you can see that they did a pretty good job of following the right era. It was not good to look different back then, which is why the strange acts caused so much outrage. There is a mixed-race couple presented that reminds us that love is love. The issues of looking different and loving who you want are crucial to this era as well, so they definitely relate to one another. How wonderful is it to see that in a film meant to just show us what the 1800's were like regarding the creative souls of that era.
This film is definitely in my top five favorite movies. I wouldn't call it my favorite musical, but it is definitely one of the best soundtracks of all time. I was intrigued from the second the first song began until the very ending scene. "The Greatest Showman" was definitely the best movie of the year, and I highly doubt you will be disappointed.
