This summer was one for the history books, as box offices produced $4 billion in revenue domestically. The biggest contributor to this was Barbie, the live-action comedy/drama showing audiences how Barbie takes on the real world in style. From the wardrobe to the music to the cast, the production team left no detail untouched, and fans are loving it.
Barbie has been the number one movie in America for four weeks, and that is due in large part to its incredible cast. With Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and America Ferrara, it’s no wonder the movie gained worldwide attention. The starring role of the film went to Margot Robbie, well known for I, Tonya, Suicide Squad, and The Wolf of Wall Street. She portrays “stereotypical Barbie” who goes through an existential crisis at the beginning of the film, and must go to the human world to discover her true purpose. When asked for her take on the movie, Robbie said, “There’s been times when Barbie has been ahead of her times and there’s been times when she’s been behind her times, but she’s always been evolving. I feel like this movie’s the next evolution” (Jessica Wang EW).
Not only has Barbie taken the world by storm, but Ken has made a major impact as well. Played by Ryan Gosling, Ken goes through many different stages throughout the film– from Barbie’s number one fan to the embodiment of toxic masculinity to starring in his own song and dance entitled “I’m Just Ken”. The song was written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, known for their collaboration on “Shallow” for A Star Is Born, and their talent shines through “I’m Just Ken”, which is now a Billboard 100 single.
Along with “I’m Just Ken”, the film has a plethora of songs on its soundtrack. The movie starts out with the song “Pink” by Lizzo while watching a typical day for Barbie in Barbie Land. Watchers then grooved along in their seats to “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa, and were thrilled to see her cameo in the film as Mermaid Barbie. One of the most iconic songs from Barbie comes at the end, when Barbie is still unsure of her purpose in life as a barbie. At this moment, “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish plays while clips of women of all ages are displayed on the screen.
By now, many people know the incredible cast of the movie, but Barbie brought a familiar face back into the spotlight: Greta Gerwig. Known for directing Lady Bird and Little Women, Gerwig left fans wondering what she would do next. Her next movie, Barbie, would land her the title of first female director ever with a billion dollar film. In her words, “I think it was a particular ripple in the universe that allowed it to happen” (New York Times), but audiences know that her talent as a director shined through in the movie.
After becoming the 15th highest grossing movie of all time, fans are left anxiously waiting to see Gerwig’s next masterpiece, because Barbie is one of those films that people will watch again and again.
