Usually, I try to avoid watching musicals. Movies with actors that suddenly spring into song and dance have never appealed to me. On top of the cringy and awkward nature of musicals, choreography and the search for perfect lyrics become the main focus, drowning out the plot . But this doesn't apply to The Greatest Showman. 

The Greatest Showman is a 2017 film that revolves around the story of P. T. Barnum, the famous American entertainer and showman, played by Hugh Jackman. I was surprised when I saw that Hugh Jackman would be in a musical, considering that he was most known for playing Wolverine in the 2000 X-Men movie. But with further research, you can see why Jackman was the obvious choice for this role. With his range of past roles and his skills in the entertainment industry, he is able to play any given role and captivate the audience with his charm.  

The movie showcases Barnum’s journey of escaping his life of poverty and the lessons he learned from his rise to fame. In his first stages of developing the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum recruits an array of unique characters and personalities. He provides a family to these performers who have been mocked and looked down upon all their lives ,  such as Lettie Lutz, the bearded lady, played by Keala Settle. The actress is also the main vocalist in “This Is Me,” one of the nine songs in the movie.

“This Is Me” is an upbeat and catchy song you can easily find yourself singing along to. One of my favorite lyrics from the song, “I’m not scared to be seen, this is who I’m meant to be” is an uplifting phrase that shows the characters confidence and how the opinions of others do not determine their worth as a person. During this song the characters dance with energy and bring  a certain enthusiasm to the viewer, the  costumes that the actors wear during the song are colorful and extravagant, each being unique by highlighting the characteristics that  make them who they are. 

I appreciated the pace of the movie, it wasn’t too slow where I found myself losing interest or too fast where I felt like I was lost or missing certain details. When basing a movie on a person’s real-life experiences it can be difficult to determine which parts to highlight and which to leave out. The movie is definitely not an accurate representation of the life of P.T. Barnum, but it does shed light on an interesting person from history that we don’t often hear about 

The Greatest Showman is a must-watch film that provides eye-catching visuals and sentimental themes. The producers have proven that it is possible for musicals to have a balanced mix of song and plot.