As of last weekend, the lives of young teen girls have radically changed due to the release of the new Barbie movie. The film’s success was very much unexpected since, over the years, many people have created negative connotations against Barbie. This incredible shift in behavior towards this doll is all thanks to Greta Gerwig.
Gerwig’s Career Before Barbie
Greta Gerwig is an all-round high with being an American actress, screenwriter, and director. She started her journey in Hollywood as an actress by appearing in many “mumblecore” movies, creating films alongside Joe Swanberg, and even pursuing her career by starring in Nights and Weekends. In 2013, Gerwig started collaborating with Noah Baumbach, film director, on the film Frances Ha, which earned her first Golden Globe award.
In 2017, Gerwig’s first solo directorial debut, Lady Bird released, earning up to 79 million at the global box office. The movie is about a high schooler and her not-so-amazing relationship with her mother. Greta Gerwig’s movies usually evoke intense thought behind mundane relationships. This film received outstanding commotion, and Greta Gerwig even became the fifth female director to receive an Oscar nomination.
Two years later, Gerwig focused her creativity on creating a film adaption of the classic book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and in total, this film earned 218 million from the global box office. The movie follows four sisters with larger-than-life dreams who live in a world controlled by the patriarchy where a woman is only seen fit for marriage. It showcases women’s struggles during the 1900s, as Gerwig displayed the burning passion behind the sisters to make a living for themselves. She intricately ties the relationship behind a woman’s aspiration through her well-known monologues. For example, in the film, Jo March, played by Saoirse Ronan, displays her longing for women’s equality by displaying how “Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”
Barbie
Recently, Greta Gerwig released her third solo directorial movie, Barbie, on July 21, 2023. The film resulted in about 500 million global box office sales, all with a beautiful message about girlhood, existential crises, patriarchy, and so much more. Barbie lives in Barbie Land, where every occupation is obtained by females, while all the Kens hang around having no real purpose and just “beaching.” Due to some complications, Barbie and Ken enter the real world. At that time, Ken realizes our world is optimal for a man, while Barbie realizes our world is cruel to women. Both shocks make the audience gather the kind of world they live in, one that respects gender rather than distinctive qualities.
During the Barbie movie, Gerwig displayed the unrealistic standards women are forced to upstand. For example, in the film, America Ferrera, who plays Gloria, words the difficulties of a woman by explaining how they have to be “thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time … you have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.”
Not only did this monologue cause many women to feel heard, but it also displayed the contradicting values women are held to. That said, Gerwig also does a brilliant job of describing the meaning of feminism and equality among genders; thus, she also showcases the harsh things men and Kens go through. The film delves into how Ken is created for Barbie and not the other way around, causing him to feel as if his value is determined by his status with Barbie. In the end, Ken displays how his original purpose was to be her boyfriend, but he is much more than Barbie’s validation.
Impact Shown on the World
Alongside the film’s massive hit, many social media platforms, such as Tiktok, used the song “ What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish to help them better connect the film to their personal lives. Gerwig showcases not only the perfect balance between gender equality and difficulties for a woman but also portrays the specialty of human relationships. Thus, it is safe to say humans gained a better gratitude towards their life after watching the film, which captured mundane experiences spectacularly and showcased the beauty of being humane.
In conclusion, I thank Miss Greta Gerwig for her incredible films and for making every woman feel proud to be a woman.
Works Cited
“Greta Gerwig.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Gerwig. Accessed 30 July 2023.
“Greta Gerwig Tackles The ‘Complex’ Story Of Barbie In New Movie | The View.” YouTube, 20 July 2023, https://youtu.be/-hd80GGWx1o. Accessed 30 July 2023.
Riga, Jessica, and Greta Gerwig. “Greta Gerwig has made box office history with Barbie. Here’s your guide to her previous films.” ABC, 24 July 2023, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/greta-gerwig-makes-box-office-history-with-barbie/102639820. Accessed 30 July 2023.
Schneider, Alexandra. “Read America Ferrera’s ‘Barbie’ Monologue, in Full.” Cosmopolitan, 28 July 2023, https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a44675941/barbie-america-ferrera-monologue/. Accessed 30 July 2023.