Barbie may be a movie based on an iconic toy, but Greta Gerwig wants Barbie to be remembered for far more than just another toy on the shelf. For years, Barbie dolls have signified different things to different people, and Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie has personified the toy in such a way that the concept of being human lies at the heart of the film. Stereotypical Barbie is struggling when the person playing with her is contemplating dark thoughts, which affect her daily life of joyful partying and helping rule Barbieland. Instead of making it a movie about a toy bumbling their way through the real world, Barbie wants to say something meaningful.
There are plenty of fish-out-of-water stories out there, and Barbie toes the line of playing off the comedy of that without relying entirely on that trope. Instead, Barbie is filled with meaningful and relatable moments for the audience. Plenty of jokes call out the world viewers recognize in their daily lives. The emotional beats of the film resonate with real people, especially when Barbie references the several contradictions that exist just by being a girl or woman. But, which moments from the critically acclaimed film are the most relatable?
10 Mother-Daughter Drama
Gloria and Sasha are not a happy-go-lucky duo. Instead of being a happy family, Gloria and Sasha undergo plenty of drama in their relationship. Sasha's teenage years come with plenty of angst, growing to understand the world around her, trying to figure out what her place in the world is, and all the other struggles that come with high school. Of course, it is not surprising that Sasha would butt heads with her mother at that age, especially when their perspectives clash.
9 Barbie's Identity Crisis
When life can never be the same, Barbie struggles to accept a changing reality. However, her journey only opens her worldview of what is possible. Still, Barbie has never had a specified purpose, unlike the other Barbies that exist as the President, Lawyer, or Doctor. Stereotypical Barbie is not sure where she fits in anymore. She has good intentions, wanting to be helpful to other women and wanting the best for them. Since Barbie's life has been turned upside down, it is not surprising that she found herself striving to keep up with the turns and figure out who she is in the aftermath of her adventure.
8 Ken's Identity Crisis
Ken is not anyone without Barbie. He has never had a real identity, affiliating himself only with Barbie and the beach. So, when Ken sees the real world, he goes overboard with trying to transform Barbieland to match the patriarchy with the Kens in charge. Ken has never had a specific purpose either, so when he finds one, he grabs on tightly to it. Granted, he does not undergo the same development Barbie does in understanding the negatives of the patriarchy. Still, Ken does get a resolution in coming to terms with realizing he must figure out who he is without Barbie.
7 "It's hard to be a woman" Speech
America Ferrara beautifully and heart-wrenchingly performs the most important speech of the movie. Barbie leans into the difficulties and contradictions of what it means to be a woman. It is impossible to win as everything you do is somehow wrong. Either too smart or not smart enough. Be the boss but not too tough. The world tends to forget the beauty of being a woman to replace it with struggles and constant uncertainties where women are always placed in a losing position, no matter what they do. Women are constantly placed in a position to have to deal with this, and Barbie directly mentioning it, and how hard and frustrating it can be is relieving.
6 Questioning Barbie's Impact on Society
While Sasha's comments toward Barbie about capitalism and fascism may be played for jokes, society has discussed the controversies surrounding the Barbie doll for decades. Has Barbie helped society or set the women's movement backward? How relevant is the doll's physical appearance? Questioning Barbie's impact on society, regardless of as a positive or a negative, is something that is not new.
5 Understanding Human Emotion
The human spectrum of emotions is horribly large. So much to feel about various topics and events, and Barbie asks its central character, who has known nothing but joy her entire life, to feel various emotions beyond what she has experienced thus far. Sadness, anxiety, anger, hurt, and fear all go into being human as well. When Barbie comes to the realization that being in the real world has made her want to be human, she is gifted an understanding of what it means to be human. There is friendship, family, good times, bad times, and so much more to experience, and there is no way to know in advance what each day will bring. Barbie's desire to help impact the world positively encourages her to step away from the world she knew for a brand-new life.
4 Female Vs. Male Perspective
When Barbie and Ken first enter the real world dressed in the same bright neon outfits and rollerblades, they experience vastly different emotions. Ken is confident, feels respected, and is enjoying his stroll without any sense of fear or concern for his safety. Barbie is the opposite. From seeing others watch her, Barbie is experiencing self-consciousness with an underlying sense of violence. Although they are dressed the same, they are having vastly different experiences, which sadly, emulates reality. Women and men are held to different standards, and typically, men can get away with more than women. It is Barbie and Ken's first sign of the patriarchy, and only one of the elements that makes it so dangerous.
3 Fighting the Patriarchy
Not willing to allow Ken's takeover of Barbieland to last, Barbie is quick to get Sasha and Gloria's help to try and get the Barbies to remember their lives and passions before Ken brought patriarchy to their home. After Gloria's speech about the contradictions and difficulties of being a woman in the world, the Barbies begin to wake up, and they take that as a sign to figure out how to beat and distract the Kens long enough to ensure that Barbieland remains under the leadership of the Barbies. Women's movements have been striving to take down the patriarchy to gain equal rights and feminism.
2 Not Enough Women In Traditional Male-Dominated Fields
Considering all the women take on leading roles in Barbieland, Barbie is confused to find that jobs, such as construction and businesses, are held by men. Women can be construction workers or CEOs as well, but these are traditionally male-dominated fields, and it is rare to find a woman among these positions they deserve just as much as men. Even Mattel, a business of dolls with young girls as the main demographic, is run by a room filled with men, and them holding every position. There is even a joke about one, or maybe two, women being in a leadership role at the company over the course of decades. Women deserve these opportunities as well.
1 The Belief in Being Anything
With the amount of careers Barbie dolls have had, it is meant to give young girls the hope and impression that they are capable of doing anything. Growing up, children are told that they can be anything they put their minds to, with the understanding that they put the work into becoming those things. That belief is not limited to this movie. Hope and belief are everywhere, even in the toughest of times.