I, along with countless others who reveled in the “summer of the girl”, were absolutely gobsmacked when I awoke on Jan. 23 to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig receiving zero Oscar nominations. Or, I wanted to be. You see, I am not completely blindsided by her snub. Though “Barbie” had the “biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman”, that is not what the Academy is looking for in a person to award “Best Director.”
Though the Academy does not explicitly state its criteria for “Best Director” anywhere, it is universally understood that this Oscar is awarded based on a filmmaker’s impact on a film. The best list of criteria I found while scouring the internet for answers was found where all of the film buffs live: on Quora. They claim the Academy pays attention to “the director’s artistic vision, storytelling ability … and overall impact on the film.” So let’s use this working list of criteria and determine for ourselves if Gerwig’s empty handedness is a result of a lacking film or blatant workplace misogyny.
Gerwig’s artistic vision is impossible to ignore. In her interview with “Architectural Digest (AD)”, she describes that she made the ceilings lower in Barbie’s Dreamhouse to make the actors appear more like dolls to the audience. In the same “AD” article, Gerwig goes on to explain “We were literally creating the alternate universe of Barbie Land.” The interior design magazine says, “[She] aimed for ‘authentic artificiality’ at every opportunity. As a case in point, she cites the use of a hand-painted backdrop rather than CGI to capture the sky and the San Jacinto Mountains.” This director put thought into every aspect of set and character design with the help of Sarah Greenwood and Jacqueline Durran. Gerwig went above and beyond to ensure that the magic that children have experienced in playtime with Barbie dolls for 65 years was present in the film. Gerwig finishes, “Everything needed to be tactile, because toys are, above all, things you touch.”
In terms of storytelling, no one comes close to Gerwig in my book. Though I am fully aware that internet hype and trends can lead people to just go along with what the majority of people seem to like at a given time, I can say with full candor that I loved “Barbie”. I saw the film with my best friend. I belly laughed, I sobbed, embarrassingly hard, and I had to cover my mouth to stay quiet (thank you Billie Eilish). The story that Gerwig told was unexpected. I, like many others, assumed this film would tell the story of one Barbie and one Ken. I expected to see them get into trouble, wear fabulous outfits, and fall in love. Two of those three were delivered. Instead, Gerwig delivered a story of feminine strife and empowerment. In the simplest terms, she perfectly encapsulates what it is like to be a woman. I do not say that because of the fluorescent colors that take over the screen or the groovy yet emotional soundtrack.
For me, the perfect example of womanhood came when the infamously perfect and plastic doll became self-conscious and hit rock bottom. My tears fell soon after Barbieland was saved. As soon as Ruth Handler took Barbie’s hands and told her to feel … I was a goner. Here, a montage of real home videos took over the screen, showing girlhood in every form it comes in. Gerwig tells Wbur, “I want the movie to make people feel somewhat relieved of the tightrope. We ask ourselves – not just as women, but men too – that we walk this impossible tightrope of being perfect. Barbie has always been a symbol of this thing that you could never reach because she physically couldn’t stand up if she were a human being. So I wanted it to almost invert that formula and find a way that it gave you permission to just be yourself and know that that’s enough.”
Greta Gerwig should have secured a nomination for Best Director. Her overall effect on the film was palpable. It is clear that this film would not have been as meaningful or as special if it were in the hands of another director. Gerwig knows how to tell women’s stories. If the Academy believes that she did not meet their criteria, maybe it is time for some new perspectives in Hollywood.
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