Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Hugh Jackman | ... | P.T. Barnum | |
Michelle Williams | ... | Charity Barnum | |
Zac Efron | ... | Phillip Carlyle | |
Zendaya | ... | Anne Wheeler | |
Rebecca Ferguson | ... | Jenny Lind | |
Austyn Johnson | ... | Caroline Barnum | |
Cameron Seely | ... | Helen Barnum | |
Keala Settle | ... | Lettie Lutz | |
Sam Humphrey | ... | Tom Thumb | |
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | ... | W.D. Wheeler | |
Eric Anderson | ... | Mr. O'Malley | |
Ellis Rubin | ... | Young Barnum | |
Skylar Dunn | ... | Young Charity | |
Daniel Everidge | ... | Lord of Leeds | |
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Radu Spinghel | ... | O'Clancy |
Orphaned, penniless, but ambitious and with a mind crammed with imagination and fresh ideas, the American entertainer, Phineas Taylor Barnum, will always be remembered as the man with the gift to blur the line between reality and fiction. Thirsty for innovation and hungry for success, the son of a tailor manages to open a wax museum; however, he soon shifts focus to the unique and the peculiar, introducing extraordinary, never-seen-before live acts on the circus stage. Now, some people call Barnum's rich collection of oddities, an outright freak show; but, when Phineas, obsessed for cheers and respectability, gambles everything on the opera singer, Jenny Lind, to appeal to a high-brow audience, he will lose sight of the most crucial aspect of his life: his family. Will Barnum, the greatest showman, risk it all to be accepted? Written by Nick Riganas
Sunday was my niece's birthday. 16. I invited her and two of her friends to do whatever they wanted. They chose to stay home, eat cake and watch The Greatest Showman on HBO and I thought Oh no. But, I had cake with them and sat to watch this Michael Gracy, who? Michael Gracy to see the story of PT Barnum with Hugh Jackman. Sentimental and pretty, yes but also, engrossing, moving, beautiful and structured in such a way that doesn't fall into the usual biopic traps. It moves at a breathless pace with smart and unexpected transitions. Hugh Jackman is great and Michelle Williams truthful to a fault. She's never less than that. What a wonderful actress. Zac Effron gives, what it may very well be, his most convincing performance and the Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson was a revelation to me. The script by Jenny Bicks and the remarkable Bill Condon tells a classic tale with contemporary rhythms and contemporary pace. Needless to say, I enjoyed it much more that I could possibly had imagine. So, thank you Lilli, happy 16!