The Greatest Showman Will Inspire Your Non-Circus Dreams

Having big dreams takes courage. Believing that one day, something can be exactly the way it is in your imagination, in contrast to your present reality, takes faith and conviction. This world is full of people who don’t think twice about discouraging and disparaging those who dare to be different.

I had the pleasure of seeing The Greatest Showman in a private screening, and I was inspired, encouraged, and emboldened.

I didn’t have any high expectations about a musical biopic on the life of P.T. Barnum, but I identified with his struggle and related it to my own.

Space Nation Orbit Editor Candice Kilpatrick Brathwaite (center) and her celebrity best friends

After viewing the movie, I had the opportunity to interview Hugh Jackman, who played the role of P.T. Barnum. Mr. Jackman shared what message he hopes viewers take away from the film:

I love the message of this movie, of accepting ourselves for who we are and what we love and the things that really make us feel passionate and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

He went on to say his hopes for his teen children and their peers:

This movie is speaking to that, that actually being yourself is the coolest thing you can do. Actually owning up to the things that you love, the music that you like, the food you want to eat, who your friends are, the things you want to do whether it’s cool or not, that is where the joy of life is. And really should be your marker for your path.

The Greatest Showman has several themes about not belonging: P.T. Barnum trying to prove himself as a member of high society though he came from poverty, the people of his “freak show” who are misunderstood and not accepted by the outside world, and there is even an interracial love interest as a side plot.

Space Nation Orbit Editor Candice Kilpatrick Brathwaite with Pasek and Paul, an American songwriting duo and composing team for musical theater, films, and television.

The anthem of the movie, This Is Me, made me inspired cry a dozen times and will definitely bring vocalist Keala Settle some awards this year.

Director Michael Gracey, Keala Settle, and Rebecca Ferguson

Hugh Jackman summed it up the best when he said,

Just do the thing you love to do because it makes you happy. And if you follow that path, you will make other people happy. And you will ultimately be cool or whatever it is you think is cool. That is the coolest thing.

This is an important thing to remember, no matter where your passions and interests take you: be it ecology or the colonization of Mars, follow YOUR path that makes YOU happy, and you will be able to make others happy.

Watch the preview and get ready!

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #GreatestShowman