The Greatest Showman (2017)

Celebrates the birth of show business, and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Director:

Michael Gracey

Writers:

Jenny Bicks (screenplay by), Bill Condon (screenplay by)

Stars:

Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

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
Radu Spinghel	...	O'Clancy

Storyline

Orphaned, penniless but ambitious and with a mind crammed with imagination and fresh ideas, the American Phineas Taylor Barnum will always be remembered as the man with the gift to effortlessly blur the line between reality and fiction. Thirsty for innovation and hungry for success, the son of a tailor will manage to open a wax museum but will soon shift focus to the unique and peculiar, introducing extraordinary, never-seen-before live acts on the circus stage. Some will call Barnum's wide collection of oddities, a freak show; however, when the obsessed showman gambles everything on the opera singer Jenny Lind to appeal to a high-brow audience, he will somehow lose sight of the most important aspect of his life: his family. Will Barnum risk it all to be accepted?

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Plot Keywords:

social outcast | social prejudice | circus act | singing | showman | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements including a brawl

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

El gran showman

Filming Locations:

1 E 78th St, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$84,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,805,843, 24 December 2017, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$173,375,696, 19 April 2018

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$424,779,402, 16 April 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chernin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film portrays Barnum as a champion of racial equality his record on the subject was decidedly mixed. One of his first exhibits was an elderly African-American slave he had purchased and exhibited as "George Washington's Nursemaid". However in his later career as a politician he campaigned ardently for the abolition of slavery, swapping from the Democrat to the Republican party and declaring "A human soul, 'that God has created and Christ died for,' is not to be trifled with. It may tenant the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab or a Hottentot - it is still an immortal spirit."

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Goofs

At the end of the film when Carlyle runs into the ring he has a tail on his ringmaster jacket but when he turns around and starts dancing it is no longer there.

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Quotes

James Gordon Bennett: Tell me, Mr. Barnum, does it bother you that everything you're selling is fake?
P.T. Barnum: Do these smiles seem fake? It doesn't matter where they come from. The joy is real.
James Gordon Bennett: So you are a philanthropist?
P.T. Barnum: Well, hyperbole isn't the worst crime. Men suffer more from imagining too little than too much.
James Gordon Bennett: The creed of a true fraud.
P.T. Barnum: Mr Bennett, when was the last time you smiled? Or had a good laugh? A real laugh. A theater critic who can't find joy in the theater. Now who is the fraud?

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Crazy Credits

The modern 20th Century Fox logo along with the logos for TSG Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment are shown in sepia tone.

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Connections

Referenced in Film Discussions: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Film Discussion and Review (2017)

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Soundtracks

From Now On (Reprise)
Performed by Hugh Jackman & Michelle Williams
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Produced by Greg Wells, Justin Paul, Alex Lacamoire
Mixed by Greg Wells
Zendaya appears courtesy of Hollywood Records and Republic Records

User Reviews

Another Musical Classic: Don't Mind the Critics!

I think critics are missing the whole premise of the film. I never really saw this as a biography to begin with, but a fun, upbeat historical fiction musical. Each musical number had a fitting mood for the scene, especially the opening number where it was especially satisfying to see the visual aspects of the film. I saw this film as a mixture of the pop-style mood of Hamilton, mixed with the visual joyride that was Pippin. It works for me perfectly. I never really felt the runtime at all because the musical parts of the show were enough to keep me satisfied. Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman definitely brought my favorite performances, with Waitress actress Keala Settle delivering some satisfying vocal delivery. You can definitely feel the La La Land levels of genius lyrics here. As for story, I found myself telling the characters "NO DON'T DO THAT" or "YESSS" very softly in the theater. There were even a few moments where I smiled and laughed out loud. In the words of Rachel Bloom, "the modern musical is an American invention, and it is still alive and well." It's rare that we get to see wonderfully crafted theatrical musicals such as this and La La Land. This is also something I think many critics fail to see. This is definitely one of my favorite films of all time.