The movie’s most overt social message comes from America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, the primary character in Barbieland. In a welcome however shocking twist, Ferrera was nominated as a supporting actress, largely, one assumes, on the power of her impassioned monologue in regards to the expectations positioned on girls, reminiscent of: Be skinny, however faux it since you need to be wholesome. . “It is exhausting,” says Gloria. ‘You must have cash, however that’s not doable ask fOr cash, as a result of that is gross.” Did Gerwig simply make an excessive amount of cash? Possibly. Be a feminine director, however do not present the lads by making greater than them. That might simply have been a part of Gloria’s speech.
Robbie was additionally underestimated. Ferrera’s offended, sincere monologue has the sort of directness that the Oscars typically go for. What Robbie needed to do was extra delicate and fewer straightforward to understand. When Gloria’s outburst awakens one other Barbie’s vanity, Robbie’s Barbie awakens too. “By giving voice to the contradictory dissonance required to be a lady below patriarchy, you’ve got robbed it of its energy,” Robbie tells her, delivering these strains in a light-weight tone that claims it concept is true, but in addition relatively pompous. As Ferrera informed Selection about Robbie’s criticism, “Possibly folks have been fooled into pondering the job appears straightforward.” Gerwig and Robbie, each nominated because the movie’s producers, deftly gave their full voice to that dissonance, which can be why they missed out on nominations that ought to have been theirs.
The 96th Academy Awards will air on ABC on March 10.
In the event you favored this story, join the Important Listing publication – a hand-picked number of options, movies and unmissable information, delivered to your inbox each Friday.
