Barbie is a box-office hit, though audiences who showed up to the theater on a record-breaking opening theatrical weekend have largely left feeling like it was something much more. One of the top movies of the summer is having a profound impact on many of those who watch it, especially if they're attending with family. CinemaBlend's staff saw the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling movie with a wide variety of loved ones in their lives and had some great takeaways from the experience as a result.
I attended an afternoon screening alongside my wife and five-year-old daughter, and I couldn't help but get emotional during the screening. One, because the movie had some truly emotional moments, but also because I couldn't be more overjoyed by how much my child enjoyed the movie despite not absorbing the bulk of its messaging. My take?
I couldn't help but tear up while watching Barbie with my five-year-old daughter. The message and jokes went well over her head, but she was obsessed with the outfits, the colors, and the dancing. She's already talking about wanting to buy it for home, and I can't wait for her to continue watching it as she ages and can better absorb the themes of the movie.
CinemaBlend's Heidi Venable took her daughter, who is in her pre-teens. Heidi also was emotional during her screening, but gained a better read on what her daughter enjoyed about Barbie after her viewing:
Seeing Barbie with my 12-year-old daughter was quite the emotional experience for me, as we related in some ways to Gloria/Sasha characters (my daughter whispered, 'They’re just like us, but we don’t hate each other!'). She thought the movie was hilarious, but I was curious about how much of the deeper message stuck with her. She said she liked how the movie pointed out some day-to-day problems women face, but also motivated us to overpower those issues.
It's probably not surprising to readers that attending the Barbie movie with a daughter could feel like a big moment. Attending the movie with a significant other, however, might be just as big. Video Project Manager Katie Hughes took her fiancé with her to the movie and really bonded over the message despite a difference in ideals:
While I went into Barbie knowing I was going to love it, I couldn't say the same for my fiancé, who tends to toe the line between "not all men" and "women can do anything." However, Greta Gerwig's impressive juxtaposition of Barbieland to the real world had us in complete agreement on the dangers of a society that allows one sex to maintain all of the power over the other. In the end, my fiancé laughed alongside me the entire movie, understood and appreciated its powerful message, and left the screening singing 'I'm Just Ken' loud and proud, and that made the movie mean all the more to me.
That experience alone proves to me that director Greta Gerwig deserves every ounce of praise she's gotten for this generational movie. Hopefully, more people with preconceived notions different from the movie will go into the film and come out on the other side with a different perspective.
Movies editor Corey Chichizola saw Barbie with his partner, even though neither of them had the background with the popular Mattel toy line. Corey expressed that it didn't impact their enjoyment one bit, and they had a great time:
I saw Barbie with my partner. We were laughing and understood the tone immediately, despite both being men and not having the same lived experience /time with the dolls as a kid. It was so fun having the rest of the audience gradually meet our level as they got what Greta Gerwig was aiming for. By the end we were all on the same page, and the energy in the room was electric.
Managing Editor Sean O'Connell went with his wife, who has been waiting for this movie for a long time. Internet trolls may be busy calling Margot Robbie mid, but O'Connell is paying that no mind as he was also thrilled to be in attendance and showered the movie with ample praise:
My wife has been anticipating Barbie more than any movie in ... well, possibly forever. And I can honestly say that I had just as much fun watching her react to the film -- laughing, cheering, crying -- as I did watching the movie. And I loved every minute of the movie. Barbie is the type of movie that speaks to all types of audience members and says something different (but equally important) to each generation. And that's what I saw in the audience that day. Moms, daughters, grandmothers, husbands, sons. All of them gathered together, enjoying a new comedy. My wife brought her best friend, who brought her mother. Barbie was a family affair, and not just for us, but for audience members around the world. And at the movies, there's nothing better.
CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes also took his wife to Barbie, even though he confessed he would've attended regardless of her interest. In taking his spouse, however, he realized they have one more thing to bond on, and that's various memes about Ken:
To be fair, I probably would have seen Barbie on my own, as I was really curious about the movie in general. But having seen it with my wife, I feel I was able to dig into an even deeper understanding of Greta Gerwig's colorful blockbuster. Also, I have someone to quote Ken memes with at random moments, which is clearly another sign I married the right person.
Editor-in-Chief Mack Rawden was at the Barbie showing with his wife and a theater full of other people. The experience really opened his eyes to the impact of the Barbie brand and how its brought people together:
I saw Barbie with my wife and also, with a lot of other people, who, under normal circumstances, would probably never have been in the same room together. But Barbie brings everyone together. She cuts across age groups, social demographics and all the other ways we're normally divided, and for almost two hours, we all got on the same ride and laughed, cheered and smiled together, as the most popular toy of all time proved she's just as relevant and meaningful today.
One interesting takeaway from all of these perspectives is that not one person on staff walked out of Barbie with a negative experience. Given the rave reviews for this movie online, which include 4.5 stars from CinemaBlend's Nick Venable, that's not a complete surprise. With that said, I think there's ample evidence here that the latest Margot Robbie movie is best saved for a family affair, provided readers have someone they can take. I'm truly curious if we'll get another upcoming movie in 2023 that is as fun to experience with loved ones as this.
Barbie is currently in theaters and there's plenty of time to call up your dad, cousin, or grandparents and reserve seats for an upcoming showing. CinemaBlend will continue to report on what feels like an instant classic of a movie and share our major takeaways from it along the way.
