THE GREATEST SHOWMAN : Awards Talk

[jo]

I wonder - why are new articles coming out that would sound as if they were meant as pre-release publicity when the movie has been in release for almost 3 weeks now?

*First was mention of a Q&A supposedly handled by Hugh with Benj Pasek ( Justin Paul was snowbound in NYC) in an Billboard interview with the songwriter. But what was the purpose of Hugh being involved?

*Now this recently released article by the LA Times on the whole concept of costume design for the movie --

beta.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-costumes-greatest-showman-20170109-story.html


If not for pre-release publicity, why publish this late-dated articles? Could they be for AMPAS consideration purposes? AMPAS nominations are due to be announced on January 21, 2018.


Jo

[njr]

Jan 9, 2018 4:54:45 GMT -5 jo said:

Variety's report on the Globes after-party :

variety.com/2018/scene/news/golden-globes-after-party-timeline-schedule-1202657411/

8:45 p.m. The night’s best original song winners for “The Greatest Showman” — songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, of “La La Land” fame — know good music when they hear it. They bob their heads and work the crowd as Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” plays.

9:45 p.m. Always a showman, Hugh Jackman arrives at Fox just in time to take a photo with Stacey Snider and Emma Watts.

Last entry --

12:55 a.m. The last of the partygoers rush to the gift-bag window just as it’s closing up. Women get a Kate Spade bag and men get an Away carry-on suitcase. Among the treasures inside each: The Variety-sponsored coffee-table book celebrating 75 years of the Golden Globes, with forward by HFPA president Meher Tatna, an intro from Kirk Douglas, and a history written by Variety’s Tim Gray

No dinner? Maybe that's why Hugh was sharing that Instagram image with him breaking his fast

Aren’t they served food prior to the GGs? I thought that’s why they were seated at tables.
Yes:
www.elitedaily.com/p/what-do-celebrities-eat-at-the-golden-globes-the-menu-will-make-your-mouth-water-7789163

Nancy

[jo]

What time did the ceremonies start on the West Coast -- late afternoon? Maybe a little early for dinner? Maybe they were served excellent snacks. I could see champagne bottles on the tables...but no shots of the camera panning across the room showing anyone eating. Some would be too nervous to eat a full meal...while some of the ladies may not want to add an ounce to their figures in case they would go up the stage - LOL!

Also, the Globes always try to show a great party atmosphere - hence the seating arrangement and the offering of food and drinks.

[jo]

Thank goodness this article debunks that nonsense report from a tabloid site alleging Hugh threw a tantrum about his loss!

www.wonderwall.com/celebrity/hugh-jackman-did-not-flip-out-after-losing-golden-globe-to-james-franco-despite-report-3011811.article

Please check the video from the link.

Here's the full report --

Hugh Jackman Did NOT "Flip Out" After Losing Golden Globe To James Franco, Despite Report

By GossipCop 3:06pm PST, Jan 8, 2018



Hugh Jackman did not "flip out off-camera" after losing to James Franco at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards, despite a made-up report. Gossip Cop can exclusively debunk this claim. We're told it never happened.


Latour/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

Franco won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in The Disaster Artist, beating out Jackman, who was nominated in the same category for his role in The Greatest Showman. The camera caught Jackman looking slightly bewildered during his competitor's acceptance speech, leading some Twitter users and disreputable outlets to speculate that he was stunned by the loss. That wasn't the case.

In fact, when Jackman was asked by TMZ on Friday night about his chances of winning, the actor said, "I don't know if I'd put money on me. I think James in my category. That's my money." Clearly, he wasn't surprised by the outcome. Instead, Jackman's befuddled look during Franco's speech was likely a result of the bizarre moment when the actor had to prevent cult filmmaker Tommy Wiseau, who he plays in The Disaster Artist, from grabbing the microphone. Franco went on to give his speech in Wiseau's distinctive accent, which may have further confused Jackman.

Unfortunately, RadarOnline has decided to escalate the situation by falsely claiming that Jackman threw a backstage tantrum following his defeat. An alleged "source" tells the site, "He thought he had the win in the bag, and wasn't as visibly upset on-camera as he was off-camera. Hugh was on fire afterwards, and was super upset at his management team. At one point, he got up out of his seat and didn't return for a few minutes!"

Gossip Cop, however, is exclusively told by sources close to the situation that no such incident took place. The webloid's phony article is simply based on Jackman having a puzzled look on his face during Franco's speech. Watch the video below for proof that the actor's loss didn't come as a shock to him. Also, watch Franco's Golden Globes acceptance speech to see what sparked this nonsense in the first place.

I once read a great quote about athletes and what one admires in them -- one of these traits is " how to wear defeat"! Hugh is a very sporting person and always the gracious one. It would not have been in character if Hugh showed such an unsportsmanlike conduct even if he had been privately disappointed. That is why we all admire the performer and the man!

[jo]

Three weeks into release -- and now articles are sprouting up to further give praise to the film's worth? Hmm... is this part of the awards-baiting, if at all

But this article from CINEMABLEND favors the value of the music in advancing the story for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN over last year's musical sensation LA LA LAND --


www.cinemablend.com/news/1829790/why-the-greatest-showman-is-a-better-musical-than-la-la-land

Why The Greatest Showman Is A Better Musical Than La La Land

By Dirk Libbey
2 hours ago
10 Comments


A year ago the movie world was buzzing about a hot new movie musical that was winning over critics and audiences alike and winning all the awards. Well, almost all the awards. A year later, there's a new movie out which isn't doing quite as well, even though, it's actually a much better musical. La La Land was the hottest movie in theaters last year, and while that wasn't without good reason, the simple fact is that The Greatest Showman is actually a much better musical. You heard me.

To be clear, La La Land is a good movie. In fact, it's a great movie. It won Academy Awards for acting, directing and cinematography (among others) because those qualities of the film are excellent. It also saw two of its songs nominated for Oscars, because the music is also fantastic, but that's only half the battle when you're filming a musical.


The songs in musicals aren't simply there for entertainment value. They have purpose. They're part of the story. Songs represent moments in a film where emotions boil over and result in characters expressing themselves in song. They work like fight scenes in an action movie. When done right, they help tell the story in addition to being fun to watch, and this is where La La Land fails and The Greatest Showman excels.

I've been watching a lot of Disney movies recently as part of an ongoing project, and I recently rewatched The Little Mermaid. On the Blu-Ray release of the film are clips from a lecture that lyricist Howard Ashman gave Disney animators during the film's production. Ashman wrote songs for Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and he's the reason those three films have some of the best music in Disney history. He puts it as clearly as you possibly can. In a musical, music is information.

Music, for me anyway, is information. It's a way to get character and plot information across. So you want music to be information. You want it to develop story or character in some way, so the song will carry its own weight and justify its existence.

Put simply, as director John Musker does later in the Blu-Ray extra, if you can remove the song from the story and your story still makes sense, then you haven't done your job properly with the music. By that logic, La La Land didn't do its job properly.

Go back in your mind, or go watch La La Land, and remove the songs. The plot remains almost perfectly intact. Only the Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone duet number "A Lovely Night" contains any information which the film requires to keep a coherent story. Even La La Land director Damien Chazelle admitted that there were different edits of the movie which contained one number or another cut from the film. Something which could be done, because the songs are utterly superfluous. "Another Day of Sun" is a beautifully shot and perfectly edited sequence that is completely unnecessary to the story. Emma Stone is absolutely amazing in her performance of "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," but cut it out, as the director nearly did, and you realize it's not strictly necessary.

Compare that to The Greatest Showman. If you start removing songs from this movie the entire story falls apart. Take out "The Other Side" and Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum and Zac Efron's Philip Carlyle never become partners, because that entire transaction takes place in a song. Carlyle and Zendaya's Anne Wheeler never admit their love for each other without "Rewrite the Stars." Barnum never finds his redemption without "From Now On." On the character development side, the showstopping "This is Me" is a direct reaction to the story and gives the audience insight into the emotions of the circus performers. Without the song, we don't understand how they feel, and without that, their actions later in the movie would make no sense. All these songs contain vital information of one form or another that is gone if the song is taken out.

Nearly every great musical has a number early on where the main character sings about their dreams. It's the song on which everything that follows is based, it's literally referred to as the "I want" song. In the aforementioned The Little Mermaid it's "Part of Your World." In the more recent Moana it's "How Far I'll Go." In The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman sings the rather obviously titled "A Million Dreams."


At no point in La La Land to either of the leads ever sing about what it is they really want. This is a classic musical element that's necessary if you're going to connect with your main character that's missing entirely from a movie that claims to be a musical.

There is plenty to be critical about when it comes to The Greatest Showman. The film plays fast and loose with history, leading to a story that has to piece together a mediocre story around its big musical numbers. But as far as those musical numbers do, they do their job within the context of the film.

Not every song in every musical needs to justify itself in this way. The song which opens and closes The Greatest Showman, the nearly self-titled "The Greatest Show" isn't strictly necessary to the film any more than "Another Day of Sun" is, but on the whole, Showman does a much better job of making its songs necessary than La La Land did. The Greatest Showman isn't a great film, but it's a fine one that happens to be a great musical. La La Land is a great movie, that happens to include songs in it.

Excellent albeit somewhat controversial article.

But it is not surprising that the music in the movie is viewed as a score that advances the story --

*The score was developed like a stage musical. It was workshopped with Broadway singers over 4 years.

*According to Pasek and Paul, the score was developed together with the cinematic vision of director Michael Gracey in mind. It's even interesting that the title of FROM NOW ON came from Gracey's laying out the premise of the song message and had even used the same words ( " from now on") as he explained to P&P how he wanted to express presumably what sounded like an "eleven o'clock number".

*Even if A MILLION DREAMS was P&P's "audition song" ( there were several songwriters invited at the start to contribute musically to the score, with a cinematic premise coming from Gracey on what he wanted explored...eventually the whole score was written by Pasek & Paul) -- it was based on how Gracey envisioned its role in advancing the story. Which it did, literally-speaking

*And I perfectly agree about the role of THE OTHER SIDE in fully advancing the story! Great number, too!



It is not surprising that many have reacted to the movie saying that it looks and sounds like a stage musical. And there have been many suggestions to adapt it to the stage on Broadway!


Jo

[jo]

This fan agrees --

[carouselkathy]

Interesting take on the difference between the two films. It's almost like comparing Rodgers & Hart to Rodgers & Hammerstein. Both were successful for different reasons. When Richard Rodgers wrote with Lorenz Hart, their songs were clever, sophisticated, and easily performed as popular songs on their own. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote songs that moved along the plots of their stories as extensions of the dialog. Example: "Poor Jud is Dead" in OKLAHOMA! establishes the tension between two major characters in the narrative, but was far from being a popular number on the hit parade. LA LA LAND selections, for the most part, are stand alone songs. I liked them, but they were, for the most part, stand alone compositions which could easily be performed outside of the film and still make sense.

When I first listened to THE GREATEST SHOWMAN'S music score, I couldn't decide which song I liked the best because they all were important to moving the story along. Maybe some could be stand alone songs, but their purpose was character or plot development. Audiences seem to identify with the narrative about outcasts coming together and sharing their talents as a way to rise above the obstacles that they face in life. LA LA LAND was about a romance that conflicted with the life ambitions of the main characters. The songs were good. They were stand alone numbers which could be performed independently of the film.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN has a great score and an inspiring story. Perhaps it's too corny for the sensibilities of today's critics. The public loves it. Not many films gain momentum after their initial release. Social media seems to have sparked the box office growth. The early release of the soundtrack may also have helped to sell out the seats.

[jo]

The problem with some critics is that they refuse to move on with the times. Centuries ago, maybe the only highbrow form of entertainment were classical plays (the Greek plays... and later on Shakespearean plays...but even then the Bard's works were not always looked upon as a holy grail for actors)...and the likely musical medium was pure opera ( with the display of the finest voices, no matter that the actors may not resemble the characters they portray even if properly costumed).

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN was probably pitched to appeal very strongly to the internet-natives ( the millennials and younger) and not to internet immigrants. This younger generation wants immediate satisfaction as there are other things to do, to savor, to accomplish! So a fast-paced storyline with a very catchy and appealing songbook and notes was probably the best formula to capture the majority of audiences's hearts! And it worked, very successfully! What the critics damned as low-brow entertainment has been hailed on social media ( the litany of hosannas has not stopped to this day -- and it has been three weeks since release of the movie), so much so that one major film site ( Deadline.com) has attributed the major turnaround in box office receipts as due to " very warm word of mouth"!

And very surprisingly, if you analyze the IMDB users ratings profile -- the appeal is very broad-based with two sectors rating the movie the highest ( the less than 18 years old ... and the 45 years-and-over range)! The greatest number of voters were in the desired demos of 18-44 and the voting is pretty even among the males and among the females ( ( with the female sector finding it more appealing). But an overall rating of 8.0 of 10.0 from all the 35,000+ who rated the movie is outstanding, considering the "56%" rating aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes from critics! What a disconnect!

I am not saying that a critic should change his personal preferences -- but maybe he should change his calling if his prism for viewing a creative/artistic work is stuck in only one point in time! No recognition of how culture and mores are moving...as the only constant in humankind is change!

Jo

[jo]

Accusations against James Franco come up after GGlobes win --

variety.com/2018/biz/news/james-franco-timestalk-cancelled-1202659239/


variety.com/2018/film/news/james-franco-sexual-harassment-not-accurate-late-show-1202659490/


deadline.com/2018/01/james-franco-new-york-time-event-canceled-sexual-harassment-1202239756/


www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/stephen-colbert-presses-james-franco-sexual-harassment-claims-1073543


people.com/movies/james-franco-denies-sexual-harassment-allegations/




This is going to be particularly awkward for the GOLDEN GLOBES particularly because the show was hailed for its effective presentation of the sensitive issue of the times. Not only were the women showing solidarity but everything from the red carpet interviews to the opening monologue to Oprah's speech to some of the acceptance speeches focused on " Time's Up" and "Me, Too".

*If allegations are true and/or more allegations sprout -- what will Hollywood Foreign Press Association ( which sponsors the Golden Globes) do?

*Franco's reputation can be at stake now, if allegations prove to be true and/or other women speak up.

*How will this affect the Oscar nomination voting which is currently underway?

[jo]

Hugh is always very generous praising other people's talent!

http://instagram.com/p/BdwEpDuDRVI

[jo]

A nomination from the Costume Designers Guild for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN --

www.broadwayworld.com/article/Disneys-BEAUTY-AND-THE-BEAST-Among-Nominees-for-2018-Costume-Designers-Guild-Awards-20180110

There are several categories - Contemporary/Period/Sci-Fi/Fantasy


In its category ( Period Film ), these are the nominees --

Excellence in Period Film

Dunkirk - Jeffrey Kurland
Murder on the Orient Express - Alexandra Byrne
Phantom Thread - Mark Bridges
The Greatest Showman - Ellen Mirojnick
The Shape of Water - Luis Sequeira

[njr]

Jan 9, 2018 17:35:25 GMT -5 jo said:

What time did the ceremonies start on the West Coast -- late afternoon? Maybe a little early for dinner? Maybe they were served excellent snacks. I could see champagne bottles on the tables...but no shots of the camera panning across the room showing anyone eating. Some would be too nervous to eat a full meal...while some of the ladies may not want to add an ounce to their figures in case they would go up the stage - LOL!

Also, the Globes always try to show a great party atmosphere - hence the seating arrangement and the offering of food and drinks.

3 hour time difference, so 5 pm. They serve food before this I thought. Did you read the article?

[njr]

I still thought this was funny:

www.msn.com/en-us/tv/golden-globes/confused-hugh-jackman-is-the-most-relatable-meme-of-the-2018-golden-globes/ar-BBI7c4Y?li=BBnbfcL

Nancy

[mamaleh]

I didn't record the whole ceremony, but there was one very brief shot of Hugh, not in the foreground but way in the background, with his mouth visibly full. So unless he was practicing puffing up a cheek, yes, it appeared he ate something.

Ellen

[jo]

Lol- So he wasn't sort of fasting after all -- as he implied in his morning-after big snack used to break his detox regime

http://instagram.com/p/Bdsl0qsjH6e

[jo]

Awkward interview re James Franco, reported by Washington Post --

www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/01/11/seth-meyers-presses-james-franco-on-why-he-hasnt-contacted-ally-sheedy-about-her-tweets/?__twitter_impression=true&tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.c26270939827

Will other things come up for other Hollywood personalities, too, as the Oscars draw near?

EDIT:

New allegations are coming up -- will James Franco beat the notoriety to get an Oscar nomination?

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/james-franco-accused-sexual-misconduct-by-5-women-1073910


It is getting much worse -- the Los Angeles Times report may be the signal to say goodbye to Oscar for him?

beta.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html


Jo

[jo]

Hugh Jackman, always the professional, always the gentleman!

popculture.com/celebrity/2018/01/11/hugh-jackman-declines-comment-james-franco-allegations/


Video clip inside the article.

[jo]

As Ellen has suggested, maybe if they retitled the movie THE GREATEST SHOWWOMAN, it might have won at the "Time'sUp/Me,Too"-themed GOLDEN GLOBES.

Look at the title of this article on Keala --

The greatest show woman: SUU alum Keala Settle finds success on screen and stage

[jo]

Two fails of awards by CRITICS CHOICE --

*WONDER WOMAN was BEST ACTION MOVIE

*THIS IS ME lost out to REMEMBER ME ( from Coco)


Interesting that Best Actor for Comedy went to James Franco, but social media reports say --

*He was not there
*There was very little applause when it was announced
*It was a very cringe-worthy moment.

Voting probably took place before the scandal broke out.


Jo

[jo]

Two nods for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for Best Music Supervision --

variety.com/2018/music/news/guild-of-music-supervisors-awards-nominations-1202661480/


*Music Supervision -- Pasek and Paul

*Best Song - THIS IS ME

[hughmanity]

Wins for Patrick Stewart and Dafne Keen would've been nice as well.  
I remember when WONDER WOMAN came out and was so critically and commercially successful, I thought, "This movie is going to steal a  bit of recognition away from LOGAN."  And, it has, primarily for impacting the present cultural zeitgeist with a female star and director. 

Jan 12, 2018 2:19:13 GMT -5 jo said:

Two fails of awards by CRITICS CHOICE --

*WONDER WOMAN was BEST ACTION MOVIE

*THIS IS ME lost out to REMEMBER ME ( from Coco)


Interesting that Best Actor for Comedy went to James Franco, but social media reports say --

*He was not there
*There was very little applause when it was announced
*It was a very cringe-worthy moment.

Voting probably took place before the scandal broke out.


Jo

[jo]

Deadline.com sets up a podcast with Keala Settle, maybe partly because THIS IS ME has been submitted for Oscar consideration...and also to discover the person and talent behind that " crown jewel" song from THE GREATEST SHOWMAN--

deadline.com/2018/01/new-hollywood-podcast-keala-settle-the-greatest-showman-this-is-me-musical-broadway-1202242777/

[jo]

So, why did you ( Golden Globes) not recognize HUGH JACKMAN for the outstanding job that triple-threat talent Hugh Jackman did in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN?

Bah!

[jo]

How true and how sad!

But then if the whole world is rejoicing for the joy that THE GREATEST SHOWMAN has given them -- let the Oscars be d*mned if they are blind and deaf!

[jo]

Congratulations to Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for its Oscar nomination for BEST ORIGINAL SONG -- THIS IS ME!

In a way, there is recognition for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, the movie musical that America fell in love with! THIS IS ME is the film anthem!

Sing, Keala, sing!