PG | 1h 45min | Drama, Musical | Dec. 20, 2017 (USA)
A new musical that celebrates marriage, family, and the American Dream. Impossible, right?
“The Greatest Showman” (2017) isn’t quite new, but it’s the best movie musical to appear in many years. It’s based on the life of visionary showman P.T. Barnum (1810–91), whose Barnum & Bailey Circus, founded in 1871, only folded its tent for good five years ago.
Barnum & Bailey Circus billed itself as the greatest show on earth. (Public Domain)
The film begins in shadows, with Barnum (Hugh Jackman) murmuring over a heavy beat. Suddenly the scene explodes into color, light, song, and dance: his circus at its peak….