Perhaps a big part of the continued excitement surrounding Greta Gerwig’s Barbie can be attributed to the pivotal role that Barbie played in so many of our lives. Some of my best memories as a child involved a heavy plastic box filled with Barbie dolls, each one’s hair increasingly matted and tangled with wear despite my best attempts at smoothing them out. Even now, with the plastic box long buried under a mounting pile of “More Important Things”, Barbie stays with me. There is Barbie in every word that I speak, from when I was cuddled up on the couch with my sister, improving my English by watching The Twelve Dancing Princesses or a different movie chosen from our towering stack of Barbie DVDs.
As a young girl yet to be made aware of the many biases and cruelties of the world, Barbie was not a thin, blonde doll that represented the impossible ideals we had to strive towards – Barbie was, quite simply, me. She was beautiful with her golden hair and blue eyes, just as I was beautiful with my black hair and dark brown eyes. She looked wonderful in her pink ball gowns and lab coats with a pink stethoscope hanging from her neck, just as I felt wonderful dreaming about becoming an inventor or a veterinarian in my princess dresses or denim overalls. She was confident in the same way that I was, and everything made sense: Barbie was joy, and I brought myself total, unbridled joy.
As I grew up, there was the inevitable “Barbie is actually really annoying and the worst character in every movie” arc. She took up space, in the way that I was slowly learning not to; she celebrated her successes without shame and received praise without instinctive denial, while I had been conditioned to do anything but; and God forbid her unbearable “main character syndrome” – in a movie named after her and about her – because the right thing for her to do would be to feel impossibly guilty every time she said the word “I”.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, then, heals that inner child that was told to be quiet one too many times, that was told to shine her spotlight on someone else, that was told that women, regardless of her intelligence or success or beauty, must first and foremost be willing, agapeic background characters in their own lives. Barbie is about Barbie, and unapologetically, rightfully so. Without further ado, then, here are 25 thoughts that I had while watching the film.
1. Margot Robbie is perfect for the role.
This thought is fairly self-explanatory. With her blue eyes, full-pink get-up and luscious blonde locks, Margot Robbie looks like Stereotypical Barbie. More than once in the movie I caught myself simply entranced by how beautiful she is. Much more than that, however, she delivers a breathtaking performance, and you can trace every step of her progression from a two-dimensional doll to a woman with heart and humanity. She plays Barbie earnestly and sincerely, bringing the doll to life with an incisiveness that allows for the film to resonate so strongly with its audience. There is something about her performance that feels impossibly personal and starkly human: from the simplicity of unbridled happiness to the searing heartache of sorrow, we feel a wealth of emotions through the senses of an otherwise inexperienced protagonist, who is herself understanding what it means to feel for the very first time.
2. Ryan Gosling is hilarious.
When Ryan Gosling was first announced as Ken, I admit that I had my doubts. While I had always known he had a comedic streak, his charming heartthrobs were always so convincing that it was difficult for me to imagine him not taking himself so seriously. In other words, I was not completely sold on his Ken-ergy, but I could not have been more wrong. Ryan Gosling is fantastic as Ken, with impeccable comedic timing and just the right amount of over-the-top in his attempts at smouldering and acting suave. He had the audience laughing out loud in the cinema more than once, delivering his lines immaculately every time.
Ken’s musical number is definitely one of many highlights in the film – my friends and I were sitting in our seats mouthing along to the words, and I can guarantee that we would be front row, light-sticks at the ready, if Ken were to ever hold a concert.
3. Did someone say Sex Education reunion?
Connor Swindell, Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey all starred in the film, and it was especially cute when Ncuti Gatwa’s Ken said that he missed his friend, Emma Mackey’s Barbie. Speaking of which, when is the next season of Sex Education coming out?
(It was surprising to find out that Emma Mackey and Margot Robbie really don’t look as alike as I’d thought. Like many others, including Margot herself, I always thought the two actresses had a striking resemblance – until I saw them side-by-side on screen.)
4. Ha!
Onomatopoeia, for effect. There were several comedic moments that definitely caught me off guard and had me cracking up throughout the film. It is hardly surprising considering the star-studded cast, but every line was fantastically timed and executed. A few favourites include: a) Helen Mirren interrupting as the narrator to say that they probably should not have cast Margot Robbie if they were going to make a joke about Barbie not feeling attractive; b) when Ken yells “Sublime!”; c) “does the phrase ‘long term long distance low commitment casual girlfriend’ mean nothing?!”.
5. This is gorgeous.
The cinematography of Barbie is an absolute delight to behold. The vibrant colours of Barbie Land match the gorgeous costumes of each individual Barbie, courtesy of Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran. Perhaps the plot of the film itself is up for some scrutiny, but even the harshest critic cannot honestly deny that this movie is an aesthetic treat.
6. I don’t quite see Barbie Land as merely a matriarchal replica of the existing patriarchy.
I’ve seen some people say this, but I don’t personally, completely agree. Barbie is perhaps guilty of being overly dismissive of Ken (which she, somewhat controversially, apologises for at the end), and yes, the fact that Kens were created as Barbie’s accessory does strip them of an individual identity. In that sense, I do see how reality and Barbie Land are paralleled, in that there is a greater, institutionalised inequality at play in both worlds. I do not feel, however, that Barbie Land is intended as but an analogical reversal of our patriarchal world. Barbie never imposes herself onto Ken, never feels the need to put Ken down to assert her own superiority, never forces Ken into subjugation. Barbie simply doesn’t go out of her way to stroke the male ego and give Ken her unbridled attention — for it is up to Ken to find his identity on his own. She never behaves in a way that actively represses or restricts him. The Barbies don’t attempt to dominate the Kens; they don’t “womansplain” the way the Kens do in the Kendom, nor do they force their interests onto the Kens. The Barbies simply focus on themselves, recognising that it is not their responsibility to make the Kens feel important.
7. Watch me da-ance! Dance the night away!
If there’s one thing to be guaranteed about Dua Lipa’s music, it is that they are always so catchy! I have been “dancing the night away” every single day since I walked out of the cinema. The choreographed dance routine is such a fun moment in the film.
8. Why isn’t that the Supreme Court?
When Barbie and Ken first arrive in the Real World and see the billboard of pageant models while rollerblading, Barbie exclaims something along the lines of “Look, it’s the Supreme Court!”. While a great moment comedically, I also love this line for what it tells us about how, to Barbie, a woman being beautiful or sexy and aware of her own beauty is not at all at odds with how intelligent or capable she is. To hell with the “dumb blonde”, hot-but-vapid-girl tropes — brains and beauty have never been mutually exclusive, and women can be, and are, both.
9. It’s interesting to reflect on how women have been conditioned to respond to male aggression.
I appreciated Barbie’s completely unhesitant ability to defend herself. She is assertive in establishing her boundaries with Ken throughout, never once feeling the need to cushion her rejections of his advances with a polite and unthreatening laugh. When a man slaps her butt in the Real World, she instinctively punches him in the face, without needing to think twice about whether it would bring more trouble than it is worth. Barbie does all of these things because protecting and defending herself comes naturally to her. She has never had to push down these instincts, because it has never occurred to her that saying no or asserting your own boundaries may have fearful or violent consequences. Never having been confronted with reactionary violence, she never had to learn to fear it or to simply let such assault go without consequence. It took seeing her reactions, and feeling instinctive surprise and admiration for them, for me to realise the extent to which that we have been conditioned to always produce the least provocative reaction to male aggression — well, to this I say: no more.
10. The Real World, indeed.
Whilst dramatised for the big screen, it is still disheartening but all too familiar that Barbie is continuously objectified in the Real World. Equally demoralising is the fact that even a self-proclaimed “feminist” corporation such as Mattel in the Real World fails to allocate any significant decision-making positions to women. A bit on the nose, definitely far from subtle, but relevant and ringing true nonetheless.
11. You are so beautiful.
This is one of my favourite scenes in the entire film, and I am so thankful that Greta kept this scene, which she called “the heart of the movie”, from being cut. It is so moving when Barbie, who has had no prior conception of ageing, sees an old woman for the first time. There is such genuine wonder and awe in her voice as she says “you are so beautiful” to the old woman, the two exchanging smiles of admiration. It is such a raw, heartfelt moment, when Barbie beholds the old woman in all her beauty and is immediately able to comprehend it, because she has never been taught to fear or demonise ageing.
12. How does Barbie’s hair look so good?
Margot Robbie’s hair looked almost distractingly good throughout the movie. Someone please point me in the direction of how to get a blow-out looking that effortlessly voluminous, with such bouncy curls.
13. How wonderful it is to be a woman.
The idea that Barbie was in the Real World not for Sasha, but to heal Gloria’s inner child, is such a great twist. Of course, Barbie’s journey into the Real World ends up being for all three of these women, including herself. There is something so empowering about women coming together to connect with each other in their shared experience of womanhood.
14. I want that outfit.
This thought essentially crossed my mind every time Margot Robbie was on screen, and understandably so. The best outfit in the entire movie, in my opinion, is the hot pink Chanel mini-dress she wears in the second half of the film. The dress is paired with a pink, heart-shaped vintage Chanel bag and a stunning diamond and gemstone Chanel necklace with hanging pear-shaped pearls and interlocking Cs, both from the Spring/Summer 1995 collection. I fell in love at first sight with that necklace.
15. Is that… John Cena?
John Cena’s cameo. Need I say more? Of all the things I was expecting, “John Cena in a blonde wig as Merman Ken while Dua Lipa flirts with him” was not on my list. I saw a picture of this moment before watching the movie, actually, but it felt so surreal that I assumed it was an edit. I was wrong.
16. This! This right here is exactly it. She has articulated it perfectly.
America Ferrera’s speech is the highlight of the film. I teared up at this bit, as I am sure a lot of others did, too. Every woman will feel her words resonate so viscerally, and you can tell Ferrera herself recognises them, too, more than just as words on a page or a fictional character’s frustrations, but as an unmistakably universal, female sentiment. All too often, women are forced onto an impossible tightrope of contradictory expectations, of being pleasant above being anything else that makes her distinctly herself. Everyone wants a woman to be something different, regardless of what she might want for herself. It’s not only the world that holds her to an impossible standard, either – it’s how she holds herself to it, because of the way society is structured not to accommodate her otherwise.
17. I agree, Ken. “Patriarchy” would be a lot more interesting if it was just about horses.
He may have brought patriarchy to Barbie Land, but I giggled when Ken admitted that he lost interest in the patriarchy basically right after he realised it was not about horses. Like most comedic lines in the movie, there is a truth behind this joke that demands to be heard: the patriarchy is harmful not only to women, but to men, too. Just as it attempts to force women into behaving a certain way, it also forces men to do the same. That’s why I love the conclusion of “he’s just Ken”. He is just Ken – and that’s Ken-ough (ha). He neither has to impose himself onto Barbie, nor does he need to exist alongside Barbie at all times. Ken is just Ken, and that’s okay. More than okay, in fact, it makes sense. He does not have to be what Barbie or the patriarchy expect him to be – he only has to be himself.
18. I love you, Mum.
In the film, Ruth Handler, played by Rhea Pearlman, says that “we mothers stand still so our daughters can look back and see how far they’ve come.” Mothers are superhero figures to a lot of us, god-like in their apparent omnipotence and perpetually benevolent intentions. It is not until you get a bit older, more independent, and see your mother indulging in hobbies just for herself that you realise how little she used to do that before. The dynamic between Gloria and Sasha is a much-needed reminder, then, that your mum is not just your mum – she was also, simply, a girl. A girl, with flaws and ambitions and dreams, an idealised vision of how her life would turn out, who decided, one day, that she would plant her feet at least for a little while to have you.
19. Billie Eilish’s voice is a wonder.
Let’s be honest – everyone in the cinema shed a tear when “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish started filtering in through the speakers, and we were presented with a montage of home movies featuring real women. These women are made up of the loved ones of the cast and crew, some of whom are still around and some of whom have passed, each a glittering star in her own right, and Billie’s voice in the background is the constellation that ties it all together, this beautiful homage to people and to the galaxy that is womanhood. This scene is so impossibly personal, where strangers on screen seem to take on the familiar faces of the mothers or daughters in your own life, and it really encapsulates the innate human-ness that appeals to Barbie and stands at this movie’s core.
20. Who says this film is not for men?
Perhaps the biggest, most frustrating misconception about Barbie has been that this film is solely for women, when it is for everyone. The oppressive patriarchy forces its ideals on all of us, fits everyone into binaries that dictate how we should or should not behave, when the truth is, humanity is endlessly complex. We hold a complexity, both individually and together, that begs and deserves to be explored and embraced, rather than endlessly restricted by silly rules like “boys can’t cry” or “girls have to be mothers”. Ideas get to live forever, yet there is still something about the human experience that draws Barbie into choosing a finite, human path for herself when the option is presented to her, for it is humans that make these ideas — and it is only humans that can dismantle them.
The human experience, in its full, nuanced entirety, holds a wealth of possibility, each alluring and affirmative, with emotions and ambitions that should be welcomed rather than shunned, and the agency to decide your own identity and forge whatever path you want for yourself. Sure, maybe Barbie was never as big a part of your childhood as it was mine, but as long as you keep your mind open rather than dogmatically scrutinising for fault, it is glaringly obvious that there is a message of liberation in Barbie that applies to everyone.
Editor
Audrey MiuCredit
Lead Image via IMDb
