Decked out in our personalized Barbie t-shirts, sporting glittery eye shadow, and flaunting hot pink fingernails, my seven-year-old daughter and I were brimming with enthusiasm. As a mother in her thirties, I had initially intended to preview the PG-13 Barbie movie before taking my daughter to watch it. However, her excitement and an invitation to join a group mother-daughter outing for the movie's debut proved irresistible.
We talked before about how there could be inappropriate language or adult jokes she might not understand, but she shrugged it off with confidence, cheekily reassuring me that it couldn’t possibly contain worse content than things she hears slip out her own mother’s mouth from time to time (guilty as charged).
From the minute the film began, my daughter, her friends, all of us moms, and everyone around us was beaming with joy. The humor was brilliantly tailored to their childish sensibilities, and yet, it cleverly included jokes that had the adults gasping for air between fits of hilarity (Kate McKinnon’s quips in particular).
Beyond the glamour, sparkle, and fabulous dance scenes, what truly made the experience spectacular was the honest conversations and shared sentiments between my daughter and me both during the movie and on our drive home.
The mother-daughter dynamic portrayed by America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt's characters was deeply touching. Throughout the movie, my daughter held my hand, and her sympathetic smiles made the experience even more meaningful. After the show, she expressed her determination not to become a difficult teenager in the future, promising to maintain a strong bond with me. While I want to believe in her words, I have already accepted the inevitable challenges that will come once the hormones take over. It’s moments like this that I will hang onto when those days do arise though.
During the movie, my daughter also asked some tough questions about the prevalent dominance of men in the "real world." Little girls aren’t consciously aware of the biased nature of our society, and although I wish I could preserve her innocence from the harsh realities of the imbalanced hierarchies that come with gender, race, and sexual orientation, I am glad we had a film like Barbie to help educate her in such a thoughtful and inspiring way.
When it comes to Ken, who I simply must address, there was so much empathy and understanding for Ryan Gosling’s character. As a little girl who is fiercely protective of her own wonderful dad, my daughter was delighted to watch Ken go from silly to serious to complicated and back to lovable again. Painting characters—men, women, and children alike—as rounded and complex with individual journeys of growth provided a template for personal reflection as to our own shortcomings and very imperfect human tendencies.
The film encourages thoughtful discussions with our children while we are also able to share in the humor and appreciate the fun (and the fashion) of it all. I recommend the experience for all my mom (and dad) friends, and if you do choose to view it before taking your kids, then I can also verify that it only gets better each time, so go see at as many times as it takes!
Absolutely perfectly put!
What a beautiful review about your experience watching the Barbie movie with your daughter. 😍 My husband and me enjoyed it very much either and talked about if our nieces would also like and understand it.
Your review secures me they will have fun.
Thank you very much! 🤗