After my last disappointment (Any Human Heart) this was better than I expected. Yes, it was old fashioned and the unreflective racial stereotypes were terrible, but nevertheless I really enjoyed the glimpse of a unique theatrical milieu and the vivid atmosphere.

Subverts expectations in that it seems at first to be an origin story for a great actress (Kim) but instead turns out to really be Magnolia’s story of survival and return to her true home. Kim is successful but actually a bit of a fraud. It’s Magnolia who has the chance to discover what truly matters and choose it. 

It’s a fable, a dream, like the show boat itself-metaphor for our journey through life.