Despite earning a nomination for Best Picture, the Barbie movie faced surprising snubs at the Oscars, leaving Greta Gerwig without a director nod and Margot Robbie out of the Best Actress category. The omissions sparked widespread outrage online and among industry peers, with critics deeming Gerwig's snub as "one of the biggest shocks in recent memory."
While lingering sexism in the film industry may have played a role, the fundamental issue lies in the Oscars' failure to take the toy-based film seriously. Despite its inventive and subversive qualities, Oscar voters seemed unable or unwilling to see past the surface of what they perceived as a billion-dollar popcorn movie. The film, a funny and cultural statement challenging stereotypes about women, was dismissed without recognizing its imaginative and substantial contributions.
With only five directorial slots among 10 Best Picture nominees, some films inevitably end up in the "must have directed themselves" category. However, the conspicuous displacement of Gerwig in favor of directors of smaller, sober films raised eyebrows. Justine Triet and Jonathan Glazer, who made less commercially successful films, secured nominations, leaving Gerwig seemingly overlooked.
Hints of underestimation surfaced before the nominations, as the Academy categorized Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's screenplay as adapted rather than original. The rationale was that the movie was based on a previously existing character – the doll Barbie. This decision, whether tone-deaf or rigid, underscored a reluctance to acknowledge the film's inventiveness.
At the Golden Globes, Barbie didn't secure the Best Comedy or Musical award but received a newly-invented prize for cinematic box office achievement. This perceived consolation for popularity and financial success hinted at a broader issue – the film's uneasy relationship with money and corporate culture. While criticizing Mattel, the company behind Barbies, the movie itself was a major studio production licensed by the toy company. Oscar voters may have perceived it as just another studio blockbuster, falling into a pattern of overlooking directors of big commercial movies with cultural resonance.
The snubs highlight the Oscars' struggle to appreciate and recognize films that challenge norms, combining commercial success with cultural impact. The Barbie movie's exclusion echoes a larger trend in the industry, where groundbreaking films face hurdles in receiving the recognition they deserve.
