Like most this summer, I was absolutely captivated by Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” Movie. Going into the movie theater I had no idea what to expect, but by the end, I was in tears wanting nothing more than to hug every woman and little girl I know. I then watched it three more times in theaters. Naturally, I compiled a list of everything the “Barbie” movie taught me about womanhood.
Spoiler Alert!
- Beauty and confidence are time.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Barbie is in the real world waiting at the bus stop. She notices an old lady next to her, and her first reaction is “You are so beautiful.” to which the old lady responds “I know.” This brought tears to my eyes, never in a movie have I seen something so genuine that it felt real. Aging is truly beautiful, and it’s something I have not seen talked about in a Hollywood movie. But aging is a sign of maturity, wisdom, and strength. Each wrinkle and laugh line is proof that you were strong enough to survive, and that is beauty.
- If all your friends think he’s bad for you, he might be.
The collective strength of all the Barbie dolls is really shown after the patriarchy infiltrated BarbieLand. Margot Robbie spends the second half of the film trying to undo the brainwashing the Kens have instilled about the patriarchy. America Ferrera who plays Gloria in the film has a heart-wrenching monologue that opens the Barbies’ eyes to the truth. After they hatch an elaborate plan to save all the Barbies from being brainwashed.
- Your mom most likely carries the weight of your struggles as well.
One of my favorite aspects of “Barbie” was the mother-daughter relationship between Gloria and her daughter, Sasha. Like any teenager in a film, Sasha is an angsty teen who takes her frustrations out on her mother. This strains their relationship, but after Gloria’s iconic monologue Sasha’s eyes open to the fact that her mother is a victim of the system that she is so angry at. Then, they tackle the problems together instead of being divided by their generational gap.
- Finding your Ken does not define you.
Whether you have found your perfect Ken or not, that is not the only thing you have to offer. The world is bigger and has more to offer than love from a man. I found the ending of the “Barbie” movie to be really interesting, especially to hear that Barbie is not in love with Ken. It may not feel revolutionary, but in film for a woman to be more than her “suspected love interest” is so much bigger than people realize. We are still making movies that fail the infamous “Bechdel Test.” Yet, in “Barbie” we get so much more than that, she finds her own desires and goals outside of finding love. Finding love from Ken was not her ending.
- Being a woman is wonderful and weird.
This one needs very little explanation. The “Barbie” movie is one for the history books. And we as women, made it that way. It was a film made by women and it is a film that uplifts women. Despite bringing many audience viewers to tears with the ending montage of old film reels from every woman involved with the movie, the movie is funny and brought me so much joy as a viewer. Whether you are “Stereotypical Barbie,” “Weird Barbie,” or “President Barbie” there is always a place in BarbieLand for you.
As the summer of Barbie comes to an end, I truly hope the spirit of Barbie continues to spread to the real world and we learn how to better understand and love each woman as individuals. And maybe, we will see more films like Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” come to light. “Barbie” made Greta Gerwig the first woman to direct a billion-dollar movie, so keep streaming and supporting our women in film.