Here are my thoughts on “Barbie” after seeing it twice. I cried even more the second time. Yes, I CRIED.
After Seeing Barbie Again I Understand:
One of the nicest movie theaters in Las Vegas is the Regal Theaters at Downtown Summerlin. Good wines, craft beers and appetizers. That’s how you watch your favorite childhood doll in the movie that has taken the world by storm.
I have to be honest. If I have to read one more piece on how Barbie is “anti-men,” I’m going to throw my Alan Doll right out the window of my Barbie Dreamhouse!
Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the same day, and many saw them back-to-back that same day. They both address the damaging nature of patriarchy in their own ways. I’ve seen and heard far too many complain about the “anti-men” message of Barbie (who is not real, by the way), while praising Oppenheimer.
Going To Barbieland:
Writer, Director Greta Gerwig takes us to Barbieland in a really inventive way. It’s a fantasy world where all Barbie dolls are everything — lawyers, doctors, physicists, and yes, even president.
The movie is amazing, but I think it takes more than one viewing to fully take in what it is really about. It’s smart, funny, poignant with a brilliant message that is likelier to strike a chord with older viewers more than pre-teens and even many teens.
Barbie isn’t really for kids. They might get a kick out of some of it, but as my friend — who took her 10 year old noted — heed the PG13 warning. This is due to a serious message that many kids may not have even thought about until one particular scene that talks about the real world.
It’s ‘Just A Movie’ With A Deeply Simple Message:
After seeing it the second time, I’m thoroughly convinced everyone in the country should see “Barbie,” and reevaluate our societal norms. But that’s probably just this writer, and maybe handful of others.
Visually, Barbie is stunning, and an A+ to Greta Gerwig and the entire cast! You’ll do a lot of “wait — she was in…” and “wasn’t he in…”
I had Barbie dolls as a child, but I had to do a little research after seeing the movie. I found out some interesting things about Barbie, her pals and the movie itself. Was Ruth Handler’s (Barbie’s founder) daughter actually in the movie?
The first outfit in the film is the outfit/bathing suit from the original 1959 Barbie.
And there are hundreds of other other amazingly accurate Mattel reproductions including that LOUD retro rollerblading out fit. Costume designer for the move, Jacqueline Durran, says the defining characteristic of what she wears is where she’s going and what she’s doing. It’s about being completely dressed for your job or task. Every doll is sold with a fashion pack, so even going to the beach, Barbie needs a coordinating dress, playsuit, bag, hat, suitable shoes, and accessories.
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The opening scene references Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Barbie towers over a plane of young girls instead of wild apes. Instead of skeletal remains, a child smashes her doll. And instead of an alien, Barbie arrives — larger than life!
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Weird Barbie and The Matrix
One of Barbie’s most hilarious moments was when Weird Barbie presented Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) with a choice using two forms of the same object. Pink Pumps and Birkenstock sandals. The scene was an obvious tip of the hat to the scene in “The Matrix,” where Keanu Reeves’ character is offered a choice between the red and blue pills, which were both life-changing choices — like the shoes.
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The Woman at the Bus Stop
It is legendary costume designer Ann Roth. The 91-year-old is known for her work in “Midnight Cowboy,” “Hair,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “The Village,” “Mamma Mia!” and more. She has won two Academy Awards. Many thought that the cameo was Ruth Handler’s (creator of Barbie) daughter, Barbara Handler, the woman who inspired the Barbie doll — it is not.
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Barbie references many discontinued dolls
Allan, Ken’s discontinued friend who’s played by Michael Cera — a scene stealing role, by the way! His pregnant wife Midge also appears. There’s also a scene featuring other of discontinued dolls including “Growing Up Skipper,” whose breasts change in size; “Video Girl Barbie,” whose chest contained an actual video camera; and “Sugar(s) Daddy Ken,” an older Ken who is “daddy” to a puppy named Sugar, and of course – “Earring Ken.”
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