Everyone knows that I am a major Hugh Jackman fan.  They also know I live and breathe musicals both film and Broadway.  Naturally I went to see The Greatest Showman and thoroughly enjoyed it even while not quite getting why others were going ten and twenty times.  Also, naturally, I bought the movie as soon as it became available.  Now I am on my third viewing in two days and I get it.  Whatever the critics were quibbling about, they obviously missed what the audience knew immediately:  This movie makes you smile.

The film ends with the perfect Barnum quote:

“The noblest art is that of making others happy”

It does that and more.  Is it a biography of Barnum?  NO.  Is it a mirror of the period?  NO.  As Barnum knew all too well, you don’t need to tell the truth in order to get to truth.  This time the medium is the message, and the message is “Love others and have a damn good time doing it!”

If you happen to have missed what the majority of the globe has now seen and loved, do yourself a favor and rent, buy, download or even better put together a group of friends for a sing along in the living room and then go write really nasty notes to every critic that panned it just because it would be a fun thing to do before you watch The Greatest Showman one more time.

By now you have seen most of the song videos, but this is the love of joy it took to make it happen: