If you’re looking for motivation, this is the movie you need to see. 

Director Michael Gracey brings P.T. Barnum back to life in a rags-to-riches musical, following the true story of how the visionary started at rock bottom and rose to fame, surpassing everyone’s expectations.

Set in the 1800s, “The Greatest Showman” starts out with Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, as a young boy growing up alongside his father with hardly any money in their pockets. All his life he dreamed that he would create something great to simply bring joy to others, despite his economic status. He never let anybody drag him down. His story proves nothing is impossible; all you need is ambition, passion and determination to make your dream come true.

Gracey couldn’t have picked a better casting. Jackman portrayed the vivid imagination of Barnum with true perfection, drawing the audience into Barnum’s life and mind instantly. You can’t help but fall in love with every character, especially the roles played by Zac Efron and Zendaya (no spoilers, I promise).

This movie is a rollercoaster of emotion. One minute you’re overwhelmed by the difficult situations the characters face, and the next minute you want to jump out of your seat and dance along.

The music, produced by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, encourages the average viewer to let their imagination run wild, reminding them of the time they were a child with high hopes and dreams. Not only does the musical send the message that anybody is capable of their goals as long as they want it bad enough, but it includes other themes such as inclusivity and self-love. Gracey did excellent at continuing the legacy of musicals in film since ‘La La Land’ in 2016 (also a must-see).

If anything, Barnums life story should motivate everyone to go after their goals. It shows that even though it’s a long road ahead, you will most definitely have failures along the way, but you’ll be able pick yourself up and keep going. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, you can quite literally do anything with a little bit of imagination.

“The nobelst art is that of making others happy.” – P.T. Barnum.

Lydia Taylor is the editor of KentWired. Contact her at [email protected].