A Wonderful Holiday Present

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2017)

As is evidenced on this site, critical reviews of "The Greatest Showman" have been lackluster - at best. Sadly, it seems that unless a film features mind-numbing special effects, anguished characters and/or "a real thinker" of an ending, the critical community doesn't feel the film is worth your time. This time, they got it wrong...
"The Greatest Showman" is an uplifting, joyous experience that we all need, now more than ever. The musical numbers are glorious and the plot, while not historically accurate (if you want a history lesson, rent "Dunkirk",) is heartfelt and engrossing. It is a film that families can enjoy together, devoid of the sappiness and goofy grownups that infest most family fare. And, the greatest present of all: you feel wonderful at the end!
Within the film, an entertainment critic who describes Mr. Barnum's offerings as "a circus of humbug" asks whether it bothers him that all he offers is fake. Barnum, referring to his customers, replies, "Do their smiles look fake?" No, they don't - nor do the ones in the theater. And those smiles are reaffirmed through the round of applause that many audiences bestow upon the film at its conclusion.
Gather the family, enjoy the music and leave the theater feeling better than when you came in. Happy Holidays.