Gutierrez 1

Grace Gutierrez

Professor Sobokinski

English 1201

22 July 2020

Word Count: 991

Analysing Two Versions of “A Million Dreams”

In January 2018, Laurence Mark Productions released the musical/drama ​The Greatest

Showman​, which depicts the story of Phineas T. Barnum as he creates Barnum’s American

Museum. Of the 11 songs in its soundtrack, one achieved mainstream popularity following the

movie’s theatrical release. The song, “A Million Dreams”, is originally sung by Ziv Zaifman,

Hugh Jackman, and Michelle Williams in a poignant scene for their characters. In November

2018, pop artist P!nk covered the song and further popularized it. Though the original and remix

of “A Million Dreams” both share the same core message, the two versions attract different

audiences and their videos depict scenes tailored to those audiences. The original mainly appeals

to families and musical enthusiasts and depicts a story of overcoming discrimination and finding

love, while the remix appeals to teen and middle-aged females and shows a loving mother

helping her daughter achieve her dream.

When analyzing the relationship between each video, it is important to consider the

content of each. The video associated with the original version was published by Fox Family

Entertainment and shows the scene from ​The Greatest Showman​ that uses “A Million Dreams”

as a backdrop for the movie's exposition and character development. The scene depicts a
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coming-of-age love story between Phineas Barnum (played by Ziv Zaifman and Huge Jackman)

and Charity Hallett-Barnum as their love perseveres despite socio-economic challenges. Phineas

is the son of a tailor working for the Hallett family. The Barnums are treated with disdain by the

Hallett father, who disapproves of interactions between Phineas and his daughter Charity. When

Charity is sent to finishing school and Phineas loses his father, the two are unable to see each

other. Charity is uncertain about her future but is reassured by Phineas, who sings “A Million

Dreams” to reassure her that they will persevere and share their dreams together. The two write

letters to one another as they navigate their lives. The video ends when Charity and Phineas, now

adults, reunite and start a life together as a married couple (Fox Family Entertainment). As well

as providing pivotal exposition, this scene exemplifies the song (and the movie)’s overarching

message: even the wildest of aspirations can be achieved with commitment and passion. It draws

from the real story of Barnum’s rise to fame and uses ethos to make the audience invested in the

characters. The inclusion of the song in that scene drives home its message and further draws

emotion from viewers.

In November 2018, a collection of artists across multiple genres collaborated to create

covers of each of the movie’s songs in “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined”. Alicia Moore,

known by her pseudonym P!nk, was inspired by the message of “A Million Dreams” and chose

to record her interpretation of the song. Though the lyrics and instruments are unchanged from

the original (save for the addition of a violin), the video released with P!nk’s version differs

significantly from the original. In the video released by Atlantic records, then 38-year-old Moore

is seen in a studio recording the song with her 7-year-old daughter Willow. A clip at the

beginning involves Moore discussing the song with​ Greatest Showman​’s director and
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songwriters, saying ​“​I grew up listening to ​Annie,​ and no one has done this for me, for my heart,

since I was a little girl -- and to have [my daughter] finally have something like this? You made

our favorite movie ever”. (Atlantic Records). Willow’s heartwarming connection with her

mother compliments the message of the video. Similar to the original, P!nk’s remix uses ethos to

deliver a message encouraging the audience to follow their dreams and never give up. By

showing a caring mother getting her daughter involved in something she is passionate about,

P!nk is showing an example of someone achieving her dream.

Both versions of “A Million Dreams” found success commercially, with the original

​ S “Bubbling Under Hot 100” list and charting for 14 weeks on the
reaching #1 on ​Billboard’s U

UK Top 40s list (Official Charts), and the remix appearing on 29 popular music charts in 19

countries (Wikipedia). The original has been viewed over 14 million times on YouTube and the

remix has garnered nearly 28 million views (Youtube). Despite their shared popularity, each

version targets a different audience. Because it appeared in ​The Greatest Showman​, the audience

for the song and its video overlaps with the audience for its movie. ​The Greatest Showman​ is

distributed by 20th Century Fox and its corollary, Fox Family Entertainment. It has a PG rating

and won several Teen and Kid Choice awards for Choice Drama and Favorite Actor (Zac Efron)

and Actress (Zendaya) (IMDB). The movie’s production choices, casting, and content rating

demonstrate that it mainly targets (American) families. In addition, the movie’s historical

inspiration may attract historians and others interested in historical movies. Lastly, fans of

musicals may be drawn to this movie as it classifies as a musical feature. Because it was covered

by artist P!nk, the remix targets her audience. P!nk is an American singer who has won
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numerous awards for her soulful pop-rock and great impact on pop culture, especially in the

early 2000s. She is popular teen females and children as well as middle-aged women. Her

support of the LGBTQ+ community has garnered fans within that demographic as well. The

video containing her remix involves a touching collaboration between P!nk, a loving mother, and

her daughter. Therefore, it may also attract mothers.

While both versions of the song “A Million Dreams” use similar tactics to project an

inspirational message, their intended audiences differ. The original targets families, fans of

American actors Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Hugh Jackman, and those interested in musicals and/or

historical films. The remix, covered by P!nk, targets teens and middle-aged women, LGBTQ+

listeners, and mothers. Despite their differences, the videos associated with each give the viewer

a fresh perspective on an uplifting message: never stop dreaming.

Works Cited

“A Million Dreams”. ​Wikipedia. ​The Wikimedia Foundation, 7 May 2020. Accessed 23

June 2020. Retrieved from ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Million_Dreams

Atlantic Records. “P!nk & Willow Sage Hart (P!nk’s Daughter) - “‘A Million

Dreams’/’A Million Dreams’ (Reprise)”. ​YouTube. 2​ 4 October 2018. Accessed 23 June 2020.

Retrieved from ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1weVGUmNTA

Fox Family Entertainment. “The Greatest Showman | "A Million Dreams" Full Scene

with Hugh Jackman | 20th Century FOX”. ​YouTube.​ 21 March 2018. Accessed 23 June 2020.

Retrieved from ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9r5PFZihC4

IMDB. “The Greatest Showman (2017)”. ​IMDB, ​n.d. Accessed 22 June 2020. Retrieved

from ​https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1485796/

Official Charts. “ZIV ZAIFMAN/JACKMAN/WILLIAMS”. ​The Official UK Charts

Company.​ 2019. Accessed 23 June 2020. Retrieved from

https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/52827/ziv-zaifman-jackman-williams/