Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for. The Greatest Showman is a PG movie based on a true story, directed by Michael Gracey. The drama/romance movie premiered on December 8, 2017 and was released to theaters on December 20 in the US that same year. The movie received 34 nominations and earned 13 of them. This movie is great for all ages as shown by the many awards it won, from the Golden Globe Awards and the Grammy Awards to the Kids’ Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards. It also grossed over $435 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest grossing live-action musical of all time.

The soundtrack for The Greatest Showman, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, was very successful on its own, too. It reached number one in over 77 countries, and it became the best selling album of 2018 in the United States. Most of the music is very upbeat, although there are occasional sad songs but either way, they are written accordingly and match well with the themes present during the scenes the songs appear in. The lyrics stay in your head long after the movie is over and remind you of the emotions that were taking place during the film. The movie had an amazing score which, combined with the lyrical songs, were very catchy and I thought they were the best part of the movie. They supported the mood well and were composed by Joseph Trapanese and John Debney.

The movie is based on the events in P.T. Barnum, a popular showman and businessman’s, life. It is set in the mid 1800s, and tells the story of a poor boy who grew up to create the world’s first circus, dubbed, “the greatest show on Earth.” The story was written by Jenny Bicks, who also wrote the screenplay with Bill Condon. The point of this movie was to educate and entertain the audience. One theme is that money and fame can get the best of you, but you have to focus on what’s truly important: family.

The director, Michael Gracey, is an Australian director best-known for directing The Greatest Showman. One of his many works include 2019’s Rocketman, a story about international superstar Elton John. During The Greatest Showman, I loved how Gracey chose to tell the story; the tension worked and created the right amount of suspense for the watchers. The storytelling was complex, but in a good way. P.T. Barnum faced many challenges in life like being disregarded because of his economic status and also a tragedy that occurred at his circus, which created many problems, but they were shown in a way that wasn’t confusing.

The motion picture was well shot and framed nicely, and the camera followed each actor in a way that enhanced the emotion with each scene. The sets in The Greatest Showman were very realistic and made me feel like I was actually in the 1800s; the cobblestone roads and huge circuses definitely felt authentic. The costumes were also amazing because there was much effort put into making them and every little detail was included, for example, the delicate pearls on Jenny Lind’s most memorable performance dress. Also, the environments definitely heightened the atmosphere on camera. The costumes and sets almost identically replicated the real version, with the costumes ranging from having a simple life to living a lavish one in luxury. There weren’t that many special effects during the movie, but the ones that were included were the fires used throughout the shows, which were very believable and integrated well.

The acting in The Greatest Showman was exceptional, but only some of the characters had complex personalities. For instance, Charity Hallett-Barnum, P.T. Barnum’s wife, was a kind and loving mother who cared about her family greatly. On the other hand, Phillip Carlyle only cares about money and fame in the beginning of the movie and follows societal standards to fit in, but later changes the way he acts. I feel that there were other characters that deserved more thought but weren’t fleshed out enough. Many very famous actors had roles in this movie, including Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Zac Efron, and Michelle Williams. They each represented their characters beautifully and emotionally, giving great performances.

The editing was clean and flowed well, and although the pace was semi organized, the long scenes were interesting and they added to the story. The conversations were believable and the words matched well with the tone. The dialogue was very real and it made me feel like I was actually there and part of the movie. The way the conversations were portrayed in the movie seems like it is the exact way the story played out in real life. When P.T. Barnum discusses jobs with his old boss in the beginning of the movie, it feels very genuine, like it would occur in reality.

The Greatest Showman is a wonderful movie created for all ages. Its numerous awards and achievements further convince people to watch it. With a great plot and amazing direction, the movie will wow audience and capture their hearts with love stories told and friendships made. It truly is the greatest show on Earth.