By Emma Conlon ’25
The internet is buzzing with talk of the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie. Unfortunately the release date for the film isn’t until July 21, 2023, so there isn’t much information given out yet. Here’s what we do know: The director is Greta Gerwig, who also directed Lady Bird (2017) Little Women (2019) and Nights and Weekends (2008), which all have a deeper meaning of feminism and coming of age elements.
This of course raises the question of if Barbie will have a deeper meaning to it. The summary we’ve been given so far suggests it would: “After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness.”
Of course, Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, are well cast for their roles, and as seen in the trailer released on December 16, 2022. The set and costumes are bright and colorful, which hints at the idea of it being a child’s fantasy.
The architecture is based off of the Barbie Dreamhouse, which was a toy dollhouse and later became a cartoon TV show, Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse. In the ‘human’ world, the colors are obviously more realistic and muted as opposed to the pink and yellow pastels in Barbieland.
Some specifics we know about the plot is that it has some influence from the Truman Show, with Barbie realizing every day is the same, even though it’s the ideal ‘perfect’ day. We can also argue that this ties into the Feminine Mystique.
The Barbie movie is what you make of it. You can either take it seriously and find a deeper meaning, or you can simply enjoy a nostalgic and silly film. Make sure to tune in to theaters on July 21!
