Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig has been directing amazing movies for years now, but Barbie has helped the director finally get the attention and praise she deserves. Her work when it comes to the message of the movie — showcasing societal issues and gender biases that we're still facing — is inspiring because she crafted the story in a very smart and even fun way. You want to see what happens next. And even when you laugh at the ridiculousness that comes from Ken's actions, you also stop to think about what he's doing and how some of those actions are so damaging in our real lives. Just the way Gerwig’s mind works and the creative choices she takes are something to aspire to. She helped create a monumental film, and we as women are so proud and thankful!

The Barbie movie is great because though its focus is on the traditional Barbie, Gerwig featured all different types of Barbies and actresses. From different ethnicities and identities to different body shapes and even different hairstyles, the diversity in women shown on screen helped break societal norms. Trans actress Hari Nef played Doctor Barbie, which was not only a great opportunity for her but a step in the right direction for inclusive casting in Hollywood. All the Kens were diverse as well. Everyone was included and had a place, and it didn't matter how you looked. No one saw the difference, and that is such a beautiful and important message. With Gerwig also a co-writer on the script, I'm not surprised all of this was achieved!

I mean, Barbie itself broke all kinds of box office numbers! The movie grossed $1.44 billion worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 2023. That means it even beat out Oppenheimer! Also, it's now the 14th highest-grossing movie of all time, and the highest-grossing film of all time for its production company Warner Bros. They've been around for 100 years! And that's not all. Let's get to the wonderful director herself. Gerwig is the first female director of a billion-dollar movie, which means she's the highest-grossing female director in the U.S. as well. Wow! Though Gerwig herself and Barbie actress Margot Robbie were unfortunately snubbed in the Oscars 2024 nominations, that doesn't say everything about a person's and their project's success. They don't need more awards because the numbers say it all!