By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
Get your pink on! Barbie has come to town. Greta Gerwig’s much-reviewed and highly rated film has been raking in ticket sales for a month, now, and it is finally showing in our town at SALA. Barbie is well worth your time. But be quick, as the film closes Thursday Aug. 31.
Across the nation and around many parts of the globe, people are coming to showings of Barbie dressed in pink or wearing outfits that Barbie might have worn. The first night at SALA, this was definitely the case in our audience. A party atmosphere pervaded the theater.
Ruth Handler, President of Mattel toy company, created the Barbie doll in 1959. Ruth noticed her daughter Barbara playing adult life narratives with her baby dolls, and realized there was a market for a doll to fill that gap. The film opens with Helen Mirren doing the voice-over while young girls play with baby dolls. In an homage to “2001 Space Odyssey”, they throw the dolls aside when the monolith of Barbie arrives.
But what about the film? Ann Hornaday, in the Washington Post, called it “A candy-colored confection of knowing humor and bitter irony”. This live-action film has a Barbie Dream House set, in pinks and purples. The real world exists elsewhere. In Barbieland, all the Barbies have jobs and keep things moving. The angst at the heart of the story is the Kens; what do they do besides “beach”? Is Ken just the arm candy when Barbie needs a guy-friend?
Stereotypical Barbie (played to perfection by Margot Robbie) starts having strange symptoms. She consults with Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who suggests she go to the real world and find the one who is playing with her. Uninvited, Malibu Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) pops up in Barbie’s car as she is crossing the desert to the real world. They arrive at Venice Beach in LA.
Word comes to Will Farrell, playing the CEO of Mattel, that a Barbie has crossed the portal into the real world. The all-male board of Mattel tries to find her to put her back in her box. Meanwhile, Ken is having the time of his life; people call him “Sir” and show him respect. He learns that patriarchy keeps the real world running. He likes how it feels. At the same time, Barbie finds who is playing with her: Mattel Executive Assistant Gloria (played convincingly by America Ferrera). They all head back to Barbieland. There, a consciousness-raising ensues.
The script is hilarious. The dialogue gets more snappy and smart as the film rolls on. The visuals are over-the-top colorful. The audience is laughing so much, you hope they don’t step on the lines. Ryan Gosling’s Ken sings, with help from the other Kens. It’s all too funny for words.
Barbie is “Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language.” Kids who have outgrown their Barbie and Ken, Midge, Allen, Skipper, and Stacey dolls (like me) will best enjoy this look back at what playing with these dolls meant to them. Frankly, I’ve got to go see this movie again!