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barbie and oppenheimer
barbie and oppenheimer
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Culture > Entertainment

The Phenomenon Takes Over the Oscars: Is Pink Over the Gray Nature of Oppenheimer?

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

It’s been weeks since the Academy Awards released its nominations.

With 23 categories, ranging from Best Picture to Best Soundtrack, the nominations encompass familiar yet unknown names. In other words, they have categories for those on screen and those behind it, both influential in their way.

And regardless of whether you care about this award ceremony or not, you will hear the buzz in the thousands of posts you will be seeing because once the Oscars take place and the winners are chosen, the world of cinema will change.

Those holding the little gold statues will see a drastic turn in their film trajectories as they become movie staples. In the future, they will be the ones we often see in different projects or those in charge of them.

So, in this article, we will talk about two movies whose nominations don’t lack, the goods and what the Academy might have overseen:

Barbie

The “Barbie” movie painted our lives pink, literally. Even before its release in July 2023, you couldn’t escape the phenomenon it created. Yes, you know which one. Regardless, the movie has not fallen short since its announcement.

With eight nominations including Best Picture, America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling snatched nominations for their supporting roles. Apparently, he’s Keneough. But the women behind the vision and the legendary doll herself might not be.

“[T]here is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie,” Gosling said in a statement.

Film Director Greta Gerwig’s script written along with Noah Baumbach might have been nominated, but the Best Director’s category failed to praise her. Her pink vision turned into gray. People ragged about her lack of nomination, as is the case with Margot Robbie, who embodied the role many girls have dreamed of their entire lives.

“To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re Ken,” the movie’s website stated.

Maybe we were robbed, or those behind these decisions should go on a full-on “Barbie” adventure.

Oppenheimer

The other side of the phenomenon deals with a much somber narrative based on a true story. Detailing the makings of what was the Manhattan project and its aftermath, “Oppenheimer” tales the story of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in a $100 million budget movie.

The movie received 13 nominations including Cillian Murphy’s first Academy Awards Nomination. It took the world by a storm as its story did, relying on memories, scars and maybe unresolved feelings from the cruelty that continues to affect people across the globe.

So, the question relies on who will win between these two? The two movies that held within each other to create memories besides their screen times.

Both, some say, are perfect in their own nature, with visuals to die for and flourishing feelings very-well retained by many.

But when hasn’t the Academy rewarded complex narratives?

Outlets, like Variety, predict “Oppenheimer” will steal eight out their 13 nominations while “Barbie” wins just one. Meanwhile, others say “Oppenheimer” will take the title of best picture.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out when the Oscars air on Sunday, March 10.

Mariana is a journalism student at the University of Florida. She's passionate about storytelling. In her free time, you can find her reading a book, working out or binge-watching Netflix.