TOO EARLY FOR OSCAR nomination talk? Maybe not if you have seen “Barbie” and came away surprisingly stunned by actress America Ferrera’s incredible monologue about being a woman that is part of the actress’ brilliant performance.
Read it:
“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.
“You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.
“But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.
“I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” raked in a stunning $155 million domestically over the weekend, giving the film the largest opening weekend of 2023 and the biggest-ever debut for a female director.
The combined release of “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” dubbed “Barbenheimer,” has become a pop culture sensation — and one that might revive a struggling movie industry.
Barbenheimer was the fourth highest-grossing industry weekend of all time in North America, totaling $302 million Sunday. Analysts believe it will grow even more when final numbers are reported Monday.
At this pace, the female-fueled pic, starring Margot Robbie and inspired by Mattel’s iconic fashion doll, could join the billion-dollar club at the global box office as early as next weekend; if not, shortly thereafter.
It will be the first Hollywood movie in history directed by a woman solo to cross $1 billion, supplanting Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman ($822 million), not adjusted for inflation. And it will be the second pic of 2023 so far to join the billion-dollar club after Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.34 billion).
