Our article on Thursday’s “Barbie” test-screening blew-up and justifiably so. Film Twitter is highly anticipating this latest one from Greta Gerwig, but do mainstream audiences share the same enthusiasm?
That question will be answered this summer when “Barbie” goes up against Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” in July. I’m of the mindset that Gerwig’s film will be a very niche thing and that, despite its $100 million budget, a domestic gross matching that budget should be seen as a success.
I do have to reiterate that the screening on Thursday went very well. It’s not just the two reactions I posted, but the whole theater burst into applause when the credits rolled. Of course, one should not take these raves as total and utter gospel. Crowds at these screenings tend to be a) meticulously handpicked and B) predictably overenthusiastic.
With that being said, early word on “Barbie” is very good. Here’s another reaction I received this morning:
I also attended the BARBIE test screening on Thursday in NJ. First of all, I LOVED IT. The story is fantastic - so clever, funny, and subversive. Greta really knocked this out of the park. I do feel that some of the reactions are a little TOO hype, considering the cut screened was VERY rough. Temp score, the graphics weren't final, the edit was a little messy/all over the place. Nothing that can't be fixed with a tighter, more focused edit. But at its core, the story is totally there. Margot of course is great. As is Ryan Gosling. But the real standouts for me were Kate McKinnon and America Ferreira. As prefaced in another reaction, there is an incredible monologue from America Ferreira's character about 3/4s through the film. It received a rapturous applause. It's so well-written, it rivals the monologue Greta wrote for Jo in Little Women. There are a few fun surprise cameos (and a number of original songs? Unclear what was temp and what was final). The meta inclusion of MATTEL corporate is fantastic. Again, while I enjoyed it a lot and really think it'll be a massive hit (critically and at the box office), the previous reactions posted made it seem like the test screening was a bonafide masterpiece, when in reality ... it was a rough cut. Not to sound negative though - I have all the faith in the world that it will be a masterpiece come July 21 :)
Also - the ENDING. I cried. It's really spectacular and hits hard. Followed by one of the funniest denouements I've seen in a movie ... maybe ever?