The film also weaves in lots of scenes that are meant to make us think that Barnum was the
first 21st century - style «woke» white straight man in America — a goodhearted fellow who gave circus
jobs to outcasts of one kind or another (talk about a
big tent: the repertory company includes African - Americans, little people, giants, conjoined twins and a bearded lady), not just because they happened to possess certain talents or physical characteristics that Barnum could exploit (
often by appealing to the majority's prurient interests or bigotries) but because the onetime poor boy Barnum sees himself in their striving, and wants to build a theatrical - carnival arts utopia in America's largest city with help from his new partner, rich kid turned playwright Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron).