Barbie: A Live-Action Comedy for Adults
Cast and Crew:
- Margot Robbie as Barbie
- Ryan Gosling as Ken
- Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel
- Simu Liu as a surf instructor
- America Ferrer as Barbie’s best friend
- Kate McKinnon as a scientist
- Alexandra Shipp as a roller derby player
- Ariana Greenblatt as a young Barbie
- Rhea Perlman as Barbie’s mother
- Emerald Fennell as a doll maker
- Greta Gerwig as director
- Noah Baumbach as co-writer
The Story:
The movie is set in a universe where Barbies are actual people who live in Barbieland, a perfect community. Barbie is a rule-following, perfect doll, but after meeting Ken, a different kind of doll who encourages her to be herself, she starts to wonder about her life.
Themes:
- Identity
- Self-acceptance
- Female empowerment
- The pressure to conform
- The importance of being true to oneself
A utopian world where everything is perfect.
Venice Beach: A more realistic setting where Barbie can experience the ups and downs of life.
The Modern-Day City: A place where Barbie can explore her identity and find her place in the world.
Gender: The film challenges traditional gender stereotypes by showing Barbie as a strong and independent woman.
Identity: The film explores the importance of self-acceptance and finding your own voice.
Empowerment: The film is a celebration of female empowerment and shows Barbie as a role model for young girls.
The film was filmed in England and Los Angeles from March to July 2022.
Film is set in a variety of locations, including Barbieland, a utopian mirror universe to California’s Venice Beach.
This is also features scenes set in the real world, where Barbie must learn to embrace her imperfections.
Critical reception:
The Barbie movie has received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the film’s humor, cast, and subversive take on the iconic doll. The film currently has a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Box office performance:
The Barbie movie has been a box office success, grossing over $100 million worldwide. The film opened in the United States on July 21, 2023, and it has already surpassed the box office expectations of many analysts.
Jacqueline Durran: The Costume Designer Behind the Barbie Movie
Jacqueline Durran is an English costume designer who has won two Academy Awards for her work on the films Atonement and Anna Karenina.
She has also worked on a number of other critically-acclaimed films, including Little Women, Pride & Prejudice, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Durran said that she wanted to create costumes that were “fun, playful, and colorful” but also “grounded in reality.”
She drew inspiration from the history of the Barbie doll, as well as from contemporary fashion trends.
Durran said that one of the biggest challenges of designing costumes for the movie was finding a way to balance the iconic look of the Barbie doll with the need to create costumes that were appropriate for a live-action film.
