About a week ago, my wife and I saw the new movie “The Greatest Showman.” In the days that followed, I found myself listening to the soundtrack all day, every day. When a chance for a babysitter came up a few days later, we went to see it again.
Something about that movie really captured me. There’s something uniquely powerful about the combination of a compelling story, stunning visuals, talented actors and beautiful harmonies meeting at just the right moment. You feel like you’re a part of it somehow. You see how the story wraps into your life. It makes you feel something and may even make you emotional. Of course I didn’t cry, because I’m a manly man who would never shed a tear over a song about trapeze artists … it was a really close call, though.
This movie resonated with me for several reasons, but I think I connected so deeply because it was so creative. Most new movies coming out these days are either sequels, remakes or film adaptations of comic books. For the creators of “The Greatest Showman,” it took some real guts to film an original musical about a circus ringleader — and the director had never made a movie before. (But it worked!)
I don’t know about you, but when I witness something great and creative like that, it makes me want to stretch my creativity. It wakes up my dreams and makes me want to create something great. It’s almost equally inspiring and frustrating.
Matt Ehresman 