Barbie (2023) - Reel-Timers MM #16 Early Access/Watchalong!
Added 2023-11-30 01:08:27 +0000 UTCHEY BARBIE!! We are back with another RTMM and you guys picked Barbie! We hope you guys enjoy our reaction to this film, stay tuned for a TON more movie reactions over the next few weeks on Patreon!! Make sure to drop a like if you enjoy!
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Full watchalong: https://vimeo.com/889539700/65a940509f?share=copy
Comments
Always good to see people (men especially) actually getting the message of the movie instead of being offended or cry about how "woke" and "feminist" it is. It's about how the patriarchy hurts BOTH women and men via gender stereotypes. The patriarchy is not just men, it's society as a whole. Women are part of the problem too. This isn't about hating men or that "women are so much better than men". It's a commentary about how women are viewed as LESS THAN in the real world and how men are told what a "real" man is supposed to be like (into trucks, beer, women, fighting and not in touch with their feelings). Ken's entire existence is based around Barbie, which is how women are often viewed in the real world. The message is that we're EQUAL and WORTHY on our own. Barbie doesn't just exist to look good and Ken doesn't just exist to be Barbie's boyfriend/sidekick. They are enough on their own (or Kenough). I agree, the scene with Barbie and Ruth near the end is super emotional and beautiful, especially with the song. And a nice little touch not many people notice in the final scene is that Barbie is wearing pink sandals, a combination of Weird Barbie's choice between a brown sandal and a pink heel. This shows how she has found balance between Barbieland and the real world. Margot Robbie is fabulous as always but Ryan Gosling just took it to another level as Ken! I also think America Ferrera's performance is very underrated. Some Barbie/Mattel/Ruth facts: Ruth Handler, played by Rhea Perlman, invented Barbie and was co-founder of Mattel with her husband Elliot. Barbie was based on/inspired by a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. Ruth redesigned the doll and it was given a new name, Barbie, after the Handler's daughter Barbara. Later, Ken was created after their son Kenneth (plus many other characters). Ruth was in fact arrested for tax evasion, which caused her to resign at Mattel. She was charged with fraud and false reporting to the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission, and was punished with a fine of $57,000 and 2,500 hours of community service. Ruth died from complications of surgery for colon cancer in 2002, aged 85. Her husband Elliot died nine years later, aged 95. Their son Kenneth, who was an American screenwriter, director, and film composer, came out as gay to his parents and acknowledged his AIDS diagnosis in 1990. Ruth tried to help her son get treatment but he died in 1994 at age 50. Ryan Gosling's Ken is inspired by Sun Lovin' Malibu Ken from 1979. Allan is a real doll from 1964 and Ken's best friend (only friend really). His girlfriend-turned-wife Midge also appears in the movie (pregnant Barbie). Midge is played by Emerald Fennell who directed the movie Promising Young Woman for which she took home an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Margot Robbie's production company, LuckyChap, produced the movie. All the Barbies/Kens and the outfits in the movie were produced by Mattel at some point. Doctor Barbie is played by Hari Nef, a transgender woman. The first transgender Barbie was inspired by Laverne Cox (famous actress known for Orange Is The New Black etc.) and released in 2022 as part of the Tribute Collection series honoring iconic women. Sasha and her friends closely resemble Mattel's 2002 "MyScene" dolls, who were introduced to compete with Bratz. Until 2015, with the introduction of Barbie dolls with feet molded to be flat so that they can wear flat footwear, nearly all of Barbie's feet were molded to only wear high heels. The font used in the film is based on the font that was used for Barbie from 1975-1991. The logo usually changes for each generation. Fun movie/behind the scenes facts: Barbie was a record-breaking box office success. The movie crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide on August 6th 2023, just two weeks after arriving in theaters, making it the first movie by a solo female director to do so. As of November 19th 2023, Barbie has grossed a total of $1.442 billion. Ryan Gosling accepted the role after seeing his daughter's Ken doll lying face down in the mud next to a squished lemon. He then took a photo of it and sent it to Greta Gerwig, saying, "I shall be your Ken, his story must be told." Also, he improvised the "sublime" line as well as the shot where he is wearing two sunglasses. Mark Ronson wrote the song "I'm Just Ken" largely as a joke and recorded a demo for Greta Gerwig not seriously expecting it to be included on the soundtrack. However, she liked the song and when she shared it with Ryan Gosling he felt so strongly that it added to the character of Ken he successfully advocated for it to be made into a musical number in the movie. Mark said he was amazed how much Ryan's interpretation of the song improved from the original. Ryan Gosling sings and plays the guitar himself. After all, he sang AND danced in La La Land. Not to mention he was on The Mickey Mouse Club with Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash plays guitar on the song, along with guitarist Wolfgang Van Halen and Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese. Barbieland was created almost entirely using practical effects. The backgrounds were all hand-painted and most locations like the Dreamhouses were real sets. The transition scenes between Barbieland and the real world were also practical, using old-school movie tricks to achieve the feeling of motion, such as crew members turning cranks to make waves move in the ocean. The opening scene is a parody of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The swimsuit Barbie is wearing is a recreation of the original 1959 outfit that first debuted in stores. At the end of the movie, the montage of women is footage of the actual cast and crew's family and friends. The shot of the woman applying blush to her cheek is a friend of Margot Robbie's about to get married. The older woman on the bench is played by Oscar-winning costume designer Ann Roth (though she did not design the costumes for this movie). That scene was supposed to be cut but Greta Gerwig refused as she felt that the scene represented "the heart of the movie". America Ferrera's husband in the movie is played by her real life husband, Ryan Piers Williams. There was a special limited IMAX release with end-credits consisting of bloopers and a few post-credits scenes/deleted scenes, such as one with Weird Barbie and Ken, another one with Ken singing "Boys Just Want to Have Fun" a spoof of Cyndi Lauper's famous hit and yet another one where narrator Helen Mirren walks in on Midge giving birth (as herself).
Heida
2023-12-02 06:21:35 +0000 UTCLoved this reaction and seeing how much you understood and enjoyed this movie! Also fun fact…the opening sequence pays homage to Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Jackie B
2023-12-01 00:03:05 +0000 UTC
