Barbie
Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt and so many other fabulous humans
Running Time: 1 hour and 54 minutes
MPAA Rating PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language
In theaters July 21 (the same day as Oppenheimer)

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief

“No one rests until this doll is back in the box.”

Barbie is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Who knew that an eleven and half inch tall plastic doll could hold the power to make me laugh, cry, and have deep meaningful thoughts about my overall existence. I should have expected this outcome though, given that I willingly placed my cinematic experience in the hands of Her Excellency and proficient filmmaker, Greta Gerwig.

Before entering the surreal, lush world that is Barbieland, the film first provides a brief history lesson of the famed toy figurine à la Stanley Kubrick’s opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Whereas the apes in 2001 gain intelligence after interacting with the famed monolith the gaggle of young girls learn that there is more to life than motherhood after their fingertips grace the smooth gams of a Godzilla sized glamazon that would come to be known in the film as Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in essence, the original Barbie. This causes them to smash their baby dolls as they fall under the spell of the blonde goddess.

In 1959 when Barbie descended onto planet Earth, she was seen as an alternative. Whereas previously, dolls often were manufactured in an infantile form to serve as a precursor of what was to come for a female… motherhood. Exquisite narrator Helen Mirren provides the evolution of Barbie and informs the audience that with the creation of this doll, young girls would be shown that life has more to offer than just changing diapers. Barbie would present another path, as she could be anything, which in turn meant that women could too. Whether it be a doctor, lawyer, pilot, veterinarian, or journalist, the possibilities were endless. The doll was more than just a concept but was an idea that its inventor Ruth Handler hoped would lead to a society in which women were not just respected, but also seen as powerful, intelligent, and more than just an object to be gazed upon.

Initially, everything seems peachy-keen in bright, picturesque Barbieland. Not a hair is out of place, women are appreciated for their minds and most importantly the patriarchy does not exist. The Kens have two main objectives: to beach and to gaze longingly at their Barbie. Despite living in a cotton candy colored, female powered Barbieland, having slumber parties with her favorite gal pals (other Barbies with various occupations) each and every night and waking up under the comfort of sequins in perfectly pink pajamas, stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) finds herself having an existential crisis. All signs point to dire when Barbie finds that her arched feet suddenly have fallen flat to the floor. Not only have her feet hit bottom, so has her overall mood as she finds herself overcome with the feeling of despair for the first time. This is cause for her to pay a visit to “weird” Barbie (Kate McKinnon) for a cure. Unfortunately, the term “weird” here is not meant in a most endearing way by the other Barbies. Essentially, Weird Barbie is seen as an outcast and is unlike the others due to being played with a bit too hard. This has caused her hair to be straggly and unevenly snipped, her clothes mismatched, a face adorned with permanent marker and her inability to stop herself from doing the splits. Weird Barbie explains to Stereotypical Barbie that there seems to be a rip in the space time continuum which will require her to travel to the real world to fix it.

Stereotypical Barbie is hesitant to leave, but to avoid her flat feet condition spreading, and with horrific thoughts of something worse than death… cellulite, she decides the journey is necessary. She discovers Ken (Ryan Gosling) has hitched a ride too and although she is less than enthused about this, she allows him to accompany her in spite of her feeling that he will contribute nothing to the trip, as Ken is only good at one thing: beach. Upon entering the real world, it is quickly discovered that nothing is what she thought it would be. Barbie was under the impression that with her creation women would find themselves in a place of authority and be valued. Instead… well… I think we all know the truth: the real world is just plain awful.

Without a doubt, Greta is a cinephile… she is one of us. This motion picture showcases her love of film as it manages to pay homage to many of the classics. I read that there was a mandatory Sunday school of sorts in which the cast was required to attend Movie Church so that they would best understand what their director was trying to achieve in the picture. This is more than showcased throughout. The surrealness reminded me of A Matter of Life and Death, while much of the dialogue interactions between Robbie and Gosling was like a screwball comedy (i.e., His Girl Friday (1940)). The set designs are glorious and are a reminder why it is so magical to see a motion picture in the cinema, as it provides an escape from the real world. With our current timeline and world affairs, this is most appreciated. You can find Greta’s entire watchlist that inspired Barbie here on Letterboxd.

There is a lot going on in this movie and I don’t want to give too much away, despite it seeming that I already may have. This is a film that will require multiple viewings to truly digest everything that is hurled upon the senses. Additionally, Barbie should be watched with your besties as it will not only inspire conversation but invite it. Gerwig has a lot to say, and rightfully so. I believe that the story of Barbie had to be complicated because not only is being a woman in this world complicated, but the relationship in which many have with this plastic figure is too. With her creation, the intentions may have come from a place of positivity but like most humans, Barbie is flawed. The idea that a young girl can be anything she sets her mind to be truly only works when a society is built upon equality. In order for us to achieve equality, there has to be an understanding that not everyone starts on the same playing field or is given the same tools to succeed. More importantly, one needs to see the possibility in real life and not just in doll form.

The experience and discoveries that Barbie and Ken inevitably have in the real world are expected yet, still manage to be fascinating as well as upsetting to watch. The film’s stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are both in excellent form as their respective characters. At times, it makes one wonder if Margot may in fact be a living doll. As for Gosling, Hollywood seriously needs to take note… this guy has a flair for the comedic and needs to be in more comedies post haste. However, I can’t not mention the entire cast truly makes all of this absurdity that had once lived inside Gerwig’s and Baumbach’s heads work.

Barbie finds the actual world to be a living nightmare; whereas Ken finally feels liberated as he uncovers what it means for a society to be curated by men. This inspires him to seek out more information on what he deems male based topics, such as: trucks, horses, and the overall idea of the patriarchy. Donning a fur coat and fanny pack with his newfound knowledge in tow, he heads back to Barbieland to enrich the other Kens of what life could be. When Barbie returns, she finds that things are not how she left them, and the balance of power has shifted causing her world to be upside down. It begs the question that maybe the ideal society is not one in which one specific set of ideals dominate but instead a world that practices diversity and inclusion would lead to a richer life.

There is no question that Barbie needs to remain out of the box. I really don’t understand how this Greta and company got their film made as it pushes boundaries, especially considering this is a movie based on a toy controlled by our corporate overlords. In the end, Barbie did manage to not only meet my expectations but also got me to procure a doll (of course I got the one that is always thinking about death) which I am sure will make the executives happy. Hey, who knows, maybe we might just get a sequel.