Margot Robbie is a producer of Barbie as well as the main character while Greta Gerwig is the movie’s director and they feel snubbed by the Oscars because while Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Margot didn’t get a nomination for Actress in a Leading Role and Greta didn’t get a nomination for Directing. While that is certainly hard to take for anyone who had a significant role in such a successful movie, it’s being analyzed as a sign that our society has yet to move away from its misogyny and sexism.
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What I found interesting were the negative reviews of the movie because it was about a toy, and I guess some moviegoers just expected it to be a goofy film with plenty of jokes and nothing to say. Honestly, I found it absolutely hilarious. Ironically, all the statements the production had to make were wrapped up in sophisticated humor that heightened the sensitivities of our macho patriarchy that were the butt of those jokes.
In a general sweep of the plot, the movie begins with Barbies in charge. Ryan Gosling plays Beach Ken, whose world revolves around Barbie’s attention. When things start to go awry with sparks of existentialism, Barbie is sent on a journey to the real world, where she expects that the doll has made a positive impact on society, only to find her expectations severely dashed. Ken volunteers himself to go with her and is soon to learn that this strange new world works a totally different way. When he brings the principles of patriarchy back with him to Barbieland, he flips it on its head.
Of course, the entire story is a reflection of our society and the struggle that women have fighting for equality and rights, even over their own bodies. It has to be acknowledge and it’s a heavy message to lay on a movie about a toy. But with bad reviews from enthusiastic critics who found their entire worldview being insulted, the message was obviously on the mark. The main question is, did Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig get snubbed, reflecting the very message they were trying to send?
Let’s review! At the Golden Globes, Ryan Gosling was nominated for Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, but the movie itself was nominated for Musical or Comedy Motion Picture. Margot Robbie herself was nominated for Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture. Greta Gerwig was nominated for Director of a Motion Picture, and she and Noah Baumbach were nominated for Screenplay of a Motion Picture. Plus, the kicker is that Barbie won a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. They weren’t snubbed at the Golden Globes.
So, let’s look at the Oscars! Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, David Heyman, and Robbie Brenner have been nominated for Best Picture. America Ferrera has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and to add, Jacqueline Durran was nominated for Best Costume Design while Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer were nominated for Best Production Design.
For some reason though, the focus is on the fact that Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He has come out with a statement voicing his disapproval that Margot wasn’t nominated for Best Actress and Greta wasn’t nominated for Director, which has led to some fans urging him to forfeit his nomination. Rightfully so, he’s made it clear that he won’t be doing that because his nomination and possible win honors the film.
Both Margot and Greta stand the chance of walking away with Oscars on that evening. That’s not called snubbing. Snubbing in this context would be to ignore or overlook. That didn’t happen to them.
They just didn’t get nominated in the categories they wanted. But they were up against some stiff competition. In the Best Actress category, the nominations are Emma Stone for Poor Things, Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon, Annette Bening for Nyad, Carey Mulligan for Maestro, and Sandra Huller for Anatomy of a Fall. For Best Director, the nominations are Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things, Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, and Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest.
Women weren’t snubbed for Best Director because even though it’s one nomination out of the five, Justine Triet is among them. And how about some kudos for Jacqueline Durran for Best Costume Design as well as Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer for Best Production Design? And I’d like to congratulate America Ferrera for her nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The movie wasn’t snubbed and women weren’t snubbed, even though it ironically reflects the inequality that Barbie was trying to make clear. One way to look at it, Margot and Greta have the world talking about it and that’s a win regardless if it’s not a plaque on the side of a trophy.
