The Greatest Showman Parent Guide

The Greatest Showman is a fanciful reinvention of the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum, a 19^th Century businessman who defined the entertainment industry, and whose influence survives to this day. I say fanciful because this film is not committed to historical accuracy—and doesn’t even want to be. Instead it relishes the anachronisms. It’s full to the brim with modern music and clever choreography that adds a playfulness that’s very fitting. Barnum himself was never shy about taking liberties with the truth.

After a childhood of poverty, P.T. Barnum, (played by Hugh Jackman,) is anxious to provide the comforts of life to his wife Charity (Michelle Williams) and their two daughters (Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely). Motivated by love for his family, and his need to prove himself to Charity’s wealthy parents, Barnum buys a rundown museum in New York City and transforms it into a lively circus. Yet making any kind of profit on this massive investment will require good attendance from the crowds.

To attract the masses, Barnum collects an array of unusual performers, including bearded woman Lettie Lutz, (Keala Settle,) the dwarf Charles Stratton, (Sam Humphrey,) and Anne and W.D. Wheeler, a pair of sibling trapeze artists (Zendaya and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.) They, and a dozen other misfits, are charmed by Barnum’s magnetic personality. More importantly, they appreciate his willingness to treat them with respect. But even with the circus as a haven, the outside world shuns Barnum’s performers and scoffs at his attempts to fit in with high society.

This musical takes a sympathetic look at the universal longing for acceptance, despite underprivileged backgrounds or the limitations of physical appearance. And these themes stay strong in a screenplay that avoids most content concerns. There are several depictions of drinking in bars and a lot of champagne sipping with the upper crust, yet no smoking. Violence is limited to some fistfights, threats, and shouted insults.

Viewers may notice New York City is a lot cleaner and more orderly than one would expect from this time-period. And so are the people with their hair dye and glowing smiles. It’s not too surprising that most of the story is fictional as well. While Barnum’s wife and daughters, Charles Stratton, Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) and journalist James Gordon Bennett (Paul Sparks) are actual people, Lettie Lutz, the Wheeler Siblings, and even Barnum’s assistant Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), are inventions. Still, their presence pays homage to the many individuals who saw a future for themselves in Barnum’s vision.

The filmmakers clearly did their research, and their choice to tell this tale unbounded by the constraints of facts may be a way of avoiding the more complicated side of Barnum’s career choice. Was the ring master really ahead of his time in offering a working partnership to people who were so visibly different, or was he exploiting their abnormalities for personal gain? That Barnum’s circus provided a substantial income to people like Charles Stratton is not debated. However, Barnum’s true motives are. The movie dutifully touches on some of these issues, although it avoids delving into the moral dilemmas that trouble those who study the legacy of the real Barnum.

If you don’t go in expecting a documentary, then you’ll find The Greatest Showman to be a vibrant, entertaining spectacle that carries its message of tolerance, kindness, and self-acceptance with sincerity. Historically speaking, it’s a lot of humbug, but the real P.T. Barnum once declared himself the prince of humbug. I get the feeling he would approve.