Over the past week and a half, Greta Gerwig’s comedy “Barbie” surpassed the astounding billion-dollar mark at the global box office. It's on the verge of dethroning "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" as the highest-grossing film of 2023. It's mind-blowing! A movie directed by a woman has never dominated the yearly box office! It's been more than two decades since a live-action film without any explosive action became the year's biggest hit. Give up the crown, Jim Carrey, because "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" from 2000 is no longer the king!
But here's the big question: Can this massive triumph of "Barbie" actually reshape Hollywood? Naturally, I doubt it. Those arrogant studio executives won't learn a damn thing. They'll probably just continue greenlighting more films based on toys. Unbelievable! However, "Barbie" did prove a few things that should've been obvious to those dunderheads in charge, but who am I kidding?
- A summer movie with brains is possible.
Summer movies are all about spectacle, am I right? But why can't they also have a clever, thought-provoking script? It's the same old story: these blockbuster cash cows are rushed into production before the damn screenplay is even done. And don't even get me started on the constant chaos behind the scenes, with writers coming and going, trying to stitch together something coherent.
Now, take a look at "Barbie." It's like a breath of fresh air! It's actually well-thought-out, unlike those haphazardly rewritten snooze-fests. Despite its grand scale, it has that unique comedic sensibility and intellectual charm that Greta Gerwig and her partner, Noah Baumbach, brought to their previous movies, "Frances Ha" and "Mistress America". And guess what? There are actual ideas in "Barbie" that make it more than just a forgettable summer popcorn flick. If only studios would hire intelligent writers, let them keep their edge, and give them the damn time and space to create a truly enchanting story. But who am I kidding? That's never gonna happen with these knuckleheads.
Based on the original article "Will Hollywood Learn These 5 Lessons From ‘Barbie’?".
