There’s a lot of contention between studio execs and creatives. For the most part, executives are the business people that control all the money. Because of this, they are very concerned about the films they put out because they are, essentially, products. They affect public perception as well as brand recognition. Creative decisions are also often dictated by financial ones led by executives. Executive intervention in the creative process is often met with disdain and rarely, if ever, works for the better. Fans routinely criticize executives for their part in the movie making process. But it should be given credit when credit is due, and Barbie is the perfect example.
The Barbie doll seems like a impossible source material to adapt. However, Greta Gerwig took a wild approach to the property, which Margot Robbie pulled off successfully in the lead. On the surface, the movie is about Barbie venturing to the real world from the make believe world in order to heal her seemingly perfect, playful existence. But below the surface, Barbie is an existential look about the doll’s place in society as well as the social dynamic between men and women.
The movie even goes further to be a commentary upon Barbie’s parent company, Mattel. Although Barbie is certainly a fun movie, it’s a deeply philosophical examination of commercialization regarding gender stereotypes and childhood. Normally, executives would run in the opposite direction of such profound statements. Even Gerwig herself has admitted that she wrote the script fully expecting it to be rejected. But it wasn’t. The script was more or less greenlit from its inception, which even has a Mattel executive getting shot. The fact that executives, individuals not known for taking risks, didn’t push back on a script that heavily criticizes the company and its products should be commended. It’s not often that executives take chances that pay off, so it should be recognized when it happens.
Barbie is now streaming on Max.
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