Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in “Barbie”.Photo:Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Moviegoers have been hearing a lot aboutGreta Gerwig’sBarbie, but ahead of its July 21 release one question remains: Is it appropriate viewing for kids?
Thewidely publicizedWarner Bros. Pictures film featuresMargot Robbieas the titular Mattel doll — the first live-action Barbie to hit the big screen since the toy’s creation in 1959. PerThe Hollywood Reporter, the studio teased its plot as follows: “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re aKen.”
Gerwig serves as director and, with Noah Baumbach, co-writer ofBarbie, which in addition to Robbie starsRyan Gosling,Simu Liu,Issa Rae,Will Ferrell,Michael CeraandAmerica Ferrera. Asinitial glimpsesof the film’s colorful costuming and set designs appeared, the inhabitants of thispinkdreamland began dropping hints about the story.
“People don’t have any idea what to expect [about the film’s plot], and I think that that’s the right vibe,“Ferrera told PEOPLEin 2022. “Whatever you think it is, it’s not that. It’s something else.”
Liu toldVanity Fairthe film is “really about finding you,” adding that casting with a focus on diversity and inclusivity was part of Gerwig’s mission. Contrary to the majority of thedolls’ history, “You don’t have to be blonde, white, or X, Y, Z in order to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken,” he revealed.
Gerwig herselfteased the filmto PEOPLE, as part of a specialBarbieissue (out now). “We invent things like dolls to explain to ourselves what it means to be human… Part of me wondered if there was a way that we could allow the doll to also have that humanity,” the Oscar-nominated filmmaker said. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Queen of Plastic was given something real?”
But how “real” is this plastic, fantastic adaptation? And why did the Motion Picture Association grant ita PG-13 rating, citing “suggestive references and brief language”? Before you decide whether to watch it with your family, here’s what you need to know aboutBarbieand why it may not be suitable for kids under age 13. Warning: some spoilers ahead.
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in “Barbie”.Warner Bros.
The story features some heavy themes
As oneBarbietrailerhas revealed, Robbie’s eponymous character asks, “Do you guys ever think about dying?” This line is uttered as Barbie, sporting big smile on her face, appears to be dancing joyously — a glimpse of Gerwig’s distinct combination of existential musings wrapped in a candy-colored aesthetic.
Per critics who have already seen it,Barbieincludes themes that may be more familiar to adults than kids, interspersed with silly jokes that appeal to all. “It’s heady and existential and sometimes uses big words,” a source tells PEOPLE, “but smart kids will be eager to lean forward and meet the movie on those terms.”
Danny Brogan, who serves as executive editor at Common Sense Media, an organization that pre-screens and rates content for kids, toldYahoo!, “I think Gerwig has included all this maturer content knowing that a large portion of the audience will be millennials and members of Generation Z — people who grew up with Barbie during the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s — looking for that nostalgia but also to be entertained. They’re no longer that 8-year-old who took Barbie everywhere with them.”
It’s an emphatically feminist tale
Parents hoping their kids will learn from the film will likely approve of its feminist messaging. Gerwig doesn’t shy away from centering the modern feminine experience in her plot, as our source familiar with the material says. “It’s about how women are treated and viewed in the world — to a sometimes surprising degree.”
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There’s some suggestive language
Barbie features language some parents may not want children to hear, although its inappropriateness may in fact go over particularly young audiences’ heads. Anearly film teaserfeatured a glimpse of Gosling and Liu arguing: “I would beach you off,” says Gosling’s Ken, to which Liu’s Ken responds, “I’ll beach off with you any day.” Other lines of dialogue are similarly only inappropriate if children understand the puns at play.
Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and America Ferrera at a “Barbie” photo call.Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Words including “bitch” and “crap” dofeature, as well as a “motherf—er” that is loudly bleeped for comedic effect.
It features mild, cartoony violence
While a PG-13 rating from the MPAA can often indicate violence too intense for young audiences,Barbie’s does not. There is mild peril during some sequences, but little that would cause fearful reactions from children. A battle between Ken dolls features the kind of violence you can see in a cartoon for kids: weaponizing inflatable pool toys and aggressively dancing, for example, as atrailerpreviews.
Critics are praising its story
Variety’sKatcy StephanwrotethatBarbieis “perfection”: “a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.”
Barbieis in theaters everywhere July 21.
source: people.com
