My MO any time I’m moved… by music, by a kind deed, even by a commercial… is to cry. It’s just what I do. It happens often. So, here I am (a few weeks ago), 7 minutes or so into A Greatest Showman, and I can already feel the tears building. The little boy singing! I was done.
(Side note: In doing a little reading after the movie, I know Barnum may not have been the most stand-up guy always (the movie is loosely biographical), and I also had moments where I was questioning whether I felt like his character in the movie was a little more exploitative than he was actually cheering for the underdog, so let’s just get that out of the way. But, by the end of the movie, it had come full circle for me and now here I am writing a post about it because you must see it.)
It was a cold Saturday and not much was going on, so I took Parker to the movies. We both love our one-on-one parent-child dates, and to the movies? The best. Anyway, this movie. The music, the cinematography, the acting, the dancing. It’s a really beautiful film (and I’m also all about Hollywood making more musicals. I support this movement!! Another side note: you heard it here first, Aladdin is going to be made into a major motion picture musical similar to Beauty and the Beast was this summer; I can feel it in my bones.). But more than that, The Greatest Showman is inspiring and moving and had me crying multiple times. Am I being too intense? I can be intense, guys.
As soon as the movie ended, he says, “That’s my second favorite movie. Swiss Family Robinson and then The Greatest Showman.”
We got in the car to drive home and began listening to the soundtrack immediately. A Million Dreams has really, really, really got me (all of us) wrapped around its little finger. And that Ziv Zaifman is going to be a big star (his voice!). And since then, we’ve all learned the lyrics, Steve has even blasted it with the lyrics pulled up online as he sings along (and he hasn’t even seen the movie!), and Parker stands on the couch and belts it out really feeling it. As for me, I came home, put it on headphones, went upstairs, and immediately journaled to Parker about how I want him to discover what makes him happy, excites him, and pursue it, even if it’s not a popular choice, even if it’s something that makes him timid, embarrassed. To find joy despite circumstances. How, perhaps more than anything in life, I want him to be kind, empathetic, to meet others in their brokenness, to be vulnerable with his own brokenness, and to love one another through it. (I’m an emotional-journaler. Always.)
See? Intense.
All that to say–see the movie. Tell me what you think. I hope you’re moved by it like Parker and I were.
And this song! Listen, live it, love it.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about this movie. Most of my friends are raving about it… but I’m scared my expectations are too high now, haha! ❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I have seen the movie twice now and I listen to the soundtrack almost every day. I am a little obsessed. I agree that maybe PT Barnum was not a stand-up guy but I loved the movie and hello Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman!!! You and Steve need to take a date to see it. I liked it better the 2nd time!!!
LOVED The Greatest Showman! I am also all about Hollywood doing musicals in this vein – keep ’em coming!
I’m dying to see this movie–but I just had to comment– your bones are correct! They are making an Aladdin movie! It’s all cast, and I believe they’re filming now!!
oooh!!! thanks!
This movie/soundtrack was the most perfect “Post Christmas music blues/January blahs” remedy.
I prescribe it to everyone I can ?
it seriously was!!! january blues were significantly lowered b/c of this movie.
I went to the movie with my mom and came home to immediately find childcare for my kids so I could take my husband. I love it too! I told my husband…if the woman who gave the apple to young P.T. was a real and true person (is she? anyone know?) then her act of kindness and compassion changed the world forever. P.T. looked at people who were “different” in a different light probably for the first time ever! How beautiful! I hope we all get A LOT of that in our life times!
And have you seen this?!? Makes me love the whole production and cast even more 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PluaPvhkIMU
watching tonight!! thank you!
Preach sister!
I could haven’t every word of this post. I was also disenchanted when I, of course, Wikipedia Barum and his life when I got home, but the movie was SO GOOD!
The dancing! Oh, my word the singing and dancing. I think “This is Me” is going to be my anthem for the year.
I loved it from the moment it started! Smiled and cried throughout the whole thing! I love a musical of any kind and this one was so wonderful, such a great underlying message !!!
I am always hoping that people will break out in song as I am walking down street!
So I agree with Hollywood making more musicals!!!
My boys (10&7) thought it was a great movie as well! Although my 7 yr old looked at me in the middle and asked why they were always singing
I totally agree with everything here – the exploitive part I felt too….in fact I think it tainted my perspective of the movie on the way out. Was her really cheering them on? When I got home and Kurt asked me if I liked it, I was still torn. Until of course I also started listening to the soundtrack and the next day came back and told him we had to go see it. Ugh, crying.
Two of my boys saw it with my husband, parents and some siblings over Christmas’s break and as soon as they got home they were telling me how it was “THE BEST MOVIE EVER!” We downloaded the soundtrack immediately and have been listening to it non-stop 🙂 I finally got a chance to see it last weekend (we usually tag team movies since our 2 year old and one year old aren’t quite ready to sit through a film) and it lived up to the hype. I was singing along in my head and appeciated so many of the themes. I ❤️ a good musical!
Yes! To all of this!! I felt the same way, my kids responded the same way, and we listen to the soundtrack basically nonstop. 😀