‘24
One year ago, most people probably weren’t expecting a live-action film based on a famous—but somewhat out-of-fashion—Mattel toy line to be the highest-grossing movie of 2023, but Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has certainly defied all expectations. Despite focusing on a topic that may at first appear childish, Barbie managed to reach beyond the doll’s target demographic to older and younger generations alike. Its topical, socially relevant themes and serious, heartfelt moments made it a movie that most of its audience was able to take a message from, and its glowing reviews and box office success reflect exactly that. Quickly rising to a box office gross of over 1.4 billion dollars internationally, surpassing other 2023 blockbusters like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, Barbie became a cultural sensation that has been praised for its feminist messages, realistic portrayal of “girlhood”, and star-studded cast alike.
Barbie’s plotline centers around two locations: “Barbie Land,” the Barbies’ and Kens’ home, where Barbies are the ones with the most social control; and the real world, where Barbie and Ken (Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling) find themselves for most of the movie. When in the real world, Barbie is shocked to find that the goal of the Barbie toy line—to empower young girls to take up space in society and seek out equal opportunities to men—has not been achieved, and that men still maintain a societal structure that oppresses women. Ken, on the other hand, is thrilled to be in a world in which men have the power, and brings this new concept of “patriarchy” back to Barbie Land, turning its previously matriarchal system on its head. Barbie is a criticism of real patriarchal power structures that create a world in which it is fundamentally difficult to exist as a woman.
When Barbie first released, it was instantly showered with praise, much of it being very well-deserved. Critics and fans alike agree that the cast did an incredible job portraying these characters, from Margot Robbie’s ability to switch from doll-like, robotic movements to very realistic, emotional scenes, to Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu and Michael Cera providing expertly delivered jokes and truly letting themselves become their roles. Kylee Kublin, a senior at Indian Hills, said about the film: “I absolutely loved the rivalry between Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu’s characters, since it added a level of drama and also played into the fact that people typically have a favorite toy. Also the song ‘I’m just Ken’ was one of my favorite parts of the movie, since it was absolutely hilarious and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” The soundtrack, too, highlighting many renowned women in pop like Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and PinkPantheress, both matched the movie’s high energy and reflected its theme of women’s empowerment, which was consistently at the forefront of the script.
Barbie certainly does not shy away from its message, blatantly criticizing how men in general treat the women around them. Lily Duarte, an Indian Hills senior, says, “I loved that its purpose was to be a loudly feminist movie, which might be a hot take. I thought the implementation of feminist ideas was made clear in perfect quantities throughout the script. Therefore, I felt that the feminism wasn’t forced, but rather that it was just there as the central theme.”
The movie’s lighthearted but overt addressing of typical misogyny-fueled microaggressions and encounters with men that women may frequently experience left a lot to relate to for much of its audience. One particularly relatable and comedic moment was a scene involving the Kens singing and playing “Push” by Matchbox Twenty to—or rather, at—the Barbies. In contrast to these comedic, “has-this-ever-happened-to-you” moments, Barbie knew when to get real, with an incredibly worded monologue from Gloria (a human character who was brought to Barbie Land) on the expectations placed on women, and a conversation between Margot Robbie’s Barbie and the character of Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie toy line, about finding one’s purpose and the unique experience of living as a woman.
No movie comes without flaws and criticisms, however, and in a movie so jam-packed with content and story, there are bound to be a few. Some have critiqued the movie for having moments that felt shallow or lacking in nuance. Juliana Franco, an Indian Hills senior, says, “When the narrator interrupts a sad, meaningful moment where Barbie loses all she feels like she has, they mention as a side note that Margot Robbie isn’t the right casting choice when trying to make a character feel ugly. I think it just takes away from the moment and kind of invalidated Barbie’s feelings.” The implication that one can be “too pretty” to feel that they are unattractive undermines the original message that patriarchy holds women to unrealistic standards in order to make them feel bad about themselves. Another common criticism is that for a movie about women, it focused too much on the Kens. The musical number, for instance, made many instantly see the men in the movie as the highlight, ignoring the actual messaging of the film. Overall, the biggest flaw may have been how corporate certain scenes felt: at times, the movie seemed like one big Mattel ad, not to mention the countless other extremely glaring product placements throughout.
When it comes to Barbie, such a monument to current pop culture, there are practically endless points to discuss. It has most certainly made a lasting impact on today’s media, and with such an important message, that is about all one can ask for from the art they consume.
