The Greatest Showman

My main problem with the film is the main character of Barnum and it is not bad acting but bad writing what I am talking about. From the first moment on I could not put a tag on the motives of this character and as the film developed this only got worse.
It starts of pretty usual as a poor kid witnessing how he and his father are treated like dust, not happy with his status in the society but also not really sure why this social status is such a big deal. So Barnum ends up fantasizing, wanting to be more and looking forward to taking matters into his own hands.

After some years we see the grow up version of this boy and witness the first curveball the film throws at us. Apparently the dreaming boy who wanted so much more and change the whole world buckled down, worked hard and got himself in a quiet good status. He is also able to steel the girl from the rich father and move to New York only to restate his idea of wanting so much more and changing the world.
Risking it all he buys a circus but not because he decides to but because he has no other opportunity as he just got fired and has no perspective. By showing the development of Barnum’s show two more topics are added to the film. Firstly the kind off used up rich/poor dilemma is refreshed as the show contains "freaks" pushed to live on the edge of society. Secondly a layer of harsh show business environment and the power of critics and standing up for your own creation is added. Both story strings are cut short with no real ending. As Barnum never stands up for his "freaks" and only comes back to them as his deal with Jenny Lind breaks.
In the great finale the film has its ultimate letdown as Barnum decides to let go of his show and spent the time by watching his daughters grow up. Which adds the topic of the connection of a father to its family as another topic to the film. A topic that is brought up frequently by the film but in such a short way that it never feels real. The non-existed chemistry between Barnum and his wife is not beneficial for this either.
That leaves us with many different topics and discussions connected to different parts of a story. But many of this different parts are interchanged, cut of and mixed together with no consideration. Some topics have a good base but no start and no conclusion, some have the thing that could be a good conclusion but nothing similar to a good base which makes it useless again. All adding to the feeling that this film could be something but cannot live up to the expectation in sets itself.