I went into the Barbie movie expecting a light-hearted film about the dolls that shaped so much of my childhood. However, I was met with a raw story that touched on the true beauty of womanhood. The movie made me feel nostalgic for the countless times my sister and I would play with our Barbies, creating full stories and lives for them to live out, all within the confines of our basement. I don't distinctly remember the last time I played with them, but one day it wasn't ‘cool’ to play with dolls anymore and so I stopped. And so they sat in my storage closet for years, waiting patiently for someone to take them out of the box and give them life again. We passed our dream house and the majority of our Barbies, Polly Pockets, and other dolls on to my cousin, Zoey. For my sister and I, Barbie wasn't just a doll, she was a vehicle for us to use our imagination and dream a future that was as fantastical as we could ever envision.
My very first Barbie, or at least the first one that I remember receiving, was dressed as Glinda from ‘The Wizard of OZ.’ She had a gorgeous pink tulle-filled dress, and silver heels, complete with a tiara. None of my Barbies stayed the way they looked when they were first purchased. Glinda’s hair ended up undone from her original perfectly coiffed do and ended up a frizzy mess. Her dress was changed so she could move around with ease. The shoes were lost, probably within the first week.
By the time we grew “too old” to play with Barbie, we knew that they would be better suited in the home of someone younger. We had had our fill. By our side, Barbie, Skipper, and her Kens have traveled, partied, explored, laughed, and became a part of us. It was time for someone else to experience the magic that a little imagination can bring.
The only other movie that has made me feel a similar way about a toy, was Toy Story 2. In one scene in the film, Jessie reminisces on her life with her old owner to the tune ‘When she loved me.” It’s quite heartbreaking, especially when Jessie and the other old childhood toys are left in a box on the side of the road for donation. It's symbolic of leaving your childhood behind and striving to be seen as an adult. It is important while stepping into adulthood, to also give gratitude for the freedom, independence, and raw courage that comes from being a child. Children are rarely embarrassed and don't think of what others are saying about them. There is a specific moment in time when that switches, when children, especially young girls, are made to be aware of those around them. The blissful years before that, where we lived in innocent naive peace unaware of the cruelty and harm that the world could cause, is important to look back on fondly.
However, who says you can't still play as an adult? If Barbie taught me anything, it is to live your life to the absolute fullest and to stop putting off your dreams. Do what brings you joy every day. We don't know how many days we get, so why waste them doing something that makes you feel anything less than what you deserve?
Another theme I want to touch on is that of female relationships, especially between close friends and those of mothers and their daughters. Barbie does an excellent job of showcasing the importance of female friendships in those of other Barbies, as well as other women in the outside world. There is a connection between women that is unspoken but known. With one look, you can alert a common stranger that you need help. The female friends that I have made throughout different eras of my life, have all distinctly changed me for the better. I am forever thankful to be a girl and have experienced the joy of female friendship, which has helped me through some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my life.
America Ferrera’s character has a beautiful monologue at the climax of the film, where she speaks about the dichotomy of being a woman in today's society. One of the more pivotal quotes in her speech was, “I am sick and tired of watching the women around me twist themselves into knots to appease other people.” It was a way to acknowledge how there truly is no way to win in the world of patriarchy. No matter what women do they are viewed as less than. America’s speech left me in tears and with her words of empowerment burned inside my brain. Why should we wait for permission to fight back for what we rightfully deserve? The speech was a rallying cry for the Barbies and the audience, to remember their worth and to now let anyone diminish their shine.
Two of the most poignant characters in the film are not Barbies at all, but a mother and daughter who are inexplicably intertwined with Barbie and her feelings. This film does an incredible job of showcasing the changing relationship between mother and daughter, especially as she enters her pre-teen years. I know that I was not too kind to my mother during that time, and wanted to seem more grown up to both myself and to my peers. By reconnecting with Barbie, they were able to reconnect with themselves and their relationship with each other.
One of the most heartbreaking quotes, at least for me, comes from Ruth Handler, the original creator of Barbie. Ruth says in a moment of reflection, “Mothers stand still so their daughters can see how far they have come.” I have never heard a more true, yet heartbreaking sentiment. I know at least in my family this is particularly true. My mother gave up her career in the fashion industry, living in NYC, to raise my sister and me. She was always there to help with homework, pack our lunches and drive us to our after-school activities. I never stopped to wonder if this was the life that she had envisioned for herself or if she had other dreams that may have been put on hold. Being a mother is a thankless job, requiring round-the-clock work and care. My mother is without a doubt the best mother I could have ever had. She gave my sister and I everything we could have wanted, would sing to us to help us sleep, and encouraged us to follow our dreams no matter what they were. It is hard to express the gratitude you have for a mother. I owe her life but it's so much more. Without her, I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't love to write or sing or be as free. She is who I have always wanted to be and for that I am grateful.
This film was an experience unlike anything else. The viewers in swarms of pink, the Barbie box posed outside the theater ready for photos, and the hundreds of millions of dollars already made at the box office, it is a certified hit. Barbie made my heart soar with emotion. I laughed. I cried. I felt my heart almost burst from nostalgia. Most importantly, it made me grateful to be a woman. I love Barbie and I can’t wait to go watch her on the big screen again soon.
Love,
Shelby
Long live the days of playing in the basement with my baby sister <3
Comments