The Greatest Showman Strikes a Deeper Chord
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
I wrote this article for a class, which is why it's a little more formal than the posts I usually share here. Or, in the words of Shawn Spencer, "It lacked all nuance, my signature mocking tone, and was utterly devoid of emoticons." =)
“When the sharpest words wanna cut me down,
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown
‘em out.
I am brave, I am bruised, I am who
I’m meant to be.
This is me."
These
lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, sung with a breathless intensity by Keala
Settle, are the heart and soul of The
Greatest Showman, a musical that, in just over a month, has become an
unqualified hit, topping the Billboard 200 and iTunes charts and bringing in
well over $100 million at the box office. The film tells the story
of P.T. Barnum’s ascent to fame and the way his circus changed entertainment
forever.
Given the beautifully written
score, dazzling costumes, all-star cast, and excellent performances, the
movie’s commercial success is no surprise. However, this particular film, and
its soundtrack, are quickly becoming ubiquitous in the tradition of Rogers and
Hammerstein and Walt Disney. The movie owes its popularity not only to the
director, composers, and actors, but mainly to the word-of-mouth and social
media frenzy that has spread The Greatest
Showman – and its message – like wildfire. Beyond the broad appeal of stars
like Hugh Jackman (Wolverine in a musical?) or Zac Efron and Zendaya, who both
attract the Disney Channel demographic, there seems to be a deeper resonance that
transcends its entertainment value. The film and score speak to the desires of our
souls: acceptance, forgiveness, and redemption. That these elements are also
found within the gospel of Christ is hardly a coincidence and can serve as a powerful
reminder to believers.
As mentioned, “This Is Me” has
become the movie’s theme song, inspiring hundreds of covers and earning an
Oscar nomination. (Keala Settles, who plays the “Bearded Lady” Lettie Lutz in
Barnum’s circus, will be performing the song at the Academy Awards.) Lettie and
the rest of the circus “freaks” sing “This Is Me” after Barnum, their former
champion, excludes them from a party. His rejection is merely another wound to
add to the lifelong sting of shame felt by these people who are startlingly,
painfully different. As Lettie
comments, “Our own mothers were ashamed of us.”
The response to this particular
song has been overwhelming, and not just because of its powerfully anthemic
melody or Settles’s inspired performance. It is speaking to people at a
spiritual level – who hasn’t felt shame for simply being themselves? To be
despised, feared, or rejected for whatever is “different” is a rejection of a
whole person – one who is created in God’s image. Such was the life of the
circus performers; in a time in which “sameness” was valued as a moral
principle, to be an “oddity” not only broke propriety, it was practically
criminal. The film also portrays the relationship between Barnum’s partner Phillip
Carlyle and Anne Wheeler, an African-American acrobat performer in the show
whose only “difference” is the color of her skin. Their relationship was indeed
considered criminal by many at the time, and it takes a tragedy for them to
overcome the prejudices keeping them apart.
The circus troupe also finds among
themselves a community, a respite from those who kept them hidden away. They
quickly bond by finding common ground in their very “otherness” and ultimately
in the art they create together. When protesters gather with angry accusations
and demands for the performers to once again go into hiding, the group rallies
together to defend each other. Even when Barnum goes bankrupt and their theater
is burned down by the protesters, the performers insist on finding a way to
rebuild, because to accept defeat is to lose the only family they have.
Brokenness and Redemption
Beyond Barnum’s charm and charisma,
his most prominent trait is ambition. Even as a young boy, he promises his
future bride:
“I think of what the world could
be,
A vision of the one I see,
A million dreams is all it’s gonna
take;
A million dreams for the world
we’re gonna make.”
But
what began as a lifelong quest to create a life of adventure that he and his
childhood sweetheart Charity had planned slowly morphs into a relentless
pursuit of approval and fame. While Barnum is not rejected for the same reasons
the performers are, he still feels the sting of being considered “less than” by
the merits of his birth. Class distinctions were deeply ingrained in society and
rising above one’s station was no small task. Proving himself, especially to
his condescending father-in-law, becomes less about monetary success and more
about achieving a certain notoriety that even the city’s upper crust cannot
ignore. Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale” who tours with Barnum and
represents that “other world” in his mind, is portrayed as his ultimate
temptation, the prize to accompany his journey to fame and fortune. As she
sings, “Towers of gold are still too
little, these hands could hold the world, but it’ll never be enough… for me,”
we are given a look into each character’s yearning for what they cannot have:
Barnum for success, Phillip and Anne for love, and Charity Barnum for the heart
of her husband.
Fortunately, at least in this
semi-fictional portrayal, Barnum ultimately refuses the opportunity for an
adulterous affair (although one could argue that an emotional one had already
taken place.) While he does have the good sense to return to his family, he
quickly realizes just how much he had truly sacrificed for his so-called
success. In the wake of the disastrous fire started by the mob of protesters,
he faces both financial and personal ruin. It is his own employees that
encourage him to fight for what they have created – not just a show, but a
family. In one of the movie’s most compelling scenes, Barnum sings (in perhaps
Hugh Jackman’s best performance in the film) of chasing “someone else’s dreams”
and how -- looking at a picture of his wife and daughters -- he can now “remember
who all this was for.” Naturally, the movie’s happy ending shows the family
(both the circus and the Barnums) reunited, Anne and Philip happily in love,
and the circus as magical as ever.
Other recent movie adaptions of
musicals, such as Sondheim’s Into the
Woods or even Disney’s live-action Beauty
and the Beast, have enjoyed commercial success, but there is something
about The Greatest Showman, a
cult-like following that has risen up and surpassed any love for similar movies.
Those who love it really love it; audiences
are not just seeing the movie once, but multiple times, and listening to the
soundtrack on repeat. (The fact that a “sing-a-long” version of the movie was made
available in theaters only a few weeks after its original release, with
audiences already singing the songs from memory, is proof of this.) Perhaps, beyond the fact that it’s just plain
fun to watch, audiences are also refreshed by a family-friendly movie, one that
relies on pure entertainment value and not sex or profanity for its excitement.
Furthermore, is 2018 all that
different from Barnum’s day? Compared to the 19th century, diversity
and tolerance are certainly more “mainstream,” but, ironically, the very
resources that connect us also have the ability to divide and alienate like
never before. Technology makes it easier than ever to reject or ridicule those
who are different in some way -- whether physically or ideologically, we know
that “different” is usually equated with “wrong.” No wonder people are thrilled
at being told otherwise.
What can we learn from this public
response? The Greatest Showman’s
message is inspiring, but ultimately that message is meaningful to us as
Christians because its truth is found in Christ. We can unapologetically
declare “this is me” -- not just as an empowering statement but as God’s
handiwork, “fearfully and wonderfully made” by the Creator of the Universe. We
should also be reminded that we are surrounded by people who feel marginalized
or alienated and are in search of acceptance or redemption. We can offer them
our compassion, our love, and ultimately the Good News of salvation.
With the ugliest of hate speech
found across both political aisles, emboldened white supremacy, belated
responses to widespread sexual abuse, and other political, racial, and
religious tensions in America today, a movie that preaches (or sings) about positive,
uplifting themes is worth celebrating. However, as C.S. Lewis reminds us, “God
cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because… there is no
such thing.” People can offer love and acceptance that only repairs so
much damage; ultimate healing is found in Jesus. The response to The Greatest Showman reminds us that
people are desperately seeking fulfillment and connection, and we have a
message for them that will outlast any brightly lit theater or memorable song:
the gospel of Jesus Christ. With His gift of eternal life, we can truly look
forward to being “home again.”
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