DirectorGreta Gerwigscored the biggest opening for a female director withBarbie, based on the iconic doll, complete with a bright and colorful look. The highly anticipated live-action movie followed Stereotypical Barbie, played byMargot Robbie, as she began to experience flat feet and thoughts of death. Accompanied by Ken, played byRyan Gosling, Barbie’s quest for an explanation as to what was happening to her led her to the Real World, where she met the girl who once played with her and her mother and learned just how different the two worlds are.
With a script by Gerwig and co-writerNoah Baumbach,Barbieis wonderfully funny while also offering up clever commentary on feminism, toxic masculinity, and more. The bestBarbiequotes reflect that,from Ken’s simple misunderstandings to insightful observations about life and a powerful speech about the challenges women face every day.Barbiealso joined the billion-dollar club, officially making Greta Gerwig the first solo female director to achieve this at the global box office. With the film recently earning eight Oscar nominations – including for Best Picture – it’s the perfect time to revisit some of the best quotes from the movie.
12"She thinks I’m a fascist? I don’t control the railways or the flow of commerce!"
Stereotypical Babie
Thepolitical line was delivered by Stereotypical Barbieduring a moment of existential crisis in the real world. When a feisty student named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) throws the word “fascist” at Barbie, it leaves the plastic icon bewildered. Barbie’s comical defense — “She thinks I’m a fascist? I don’t even control the trains!” – highlights the ridiculousness of the accusation and shows how naive Barbie is to the real world’s brutal truths.
TheBarbiemovie quote is a double-edged sword. On the surface,Barbie seems to be making a valid point, but the real humor comes from her obliviousness. The term “fascist” carries a dark historical weight, referring to regimes that heavily controlled everything from trains to businesses. Barbie’s complaint, then, becomes hilariously ironic as she’s using a powerful term to whine about something trivial. –Jom Elauria
11"I’m here to see my gynecologist."
Stereotypical Barbie
Barbie’s journey takes a significant turn with the final line, “I’m here to see my gynecologist.” This simple statement speaks volumes about her growth. After navigating both the fantastical and the real, Barbie makes a conscious choice. By entering the gynecologist’s office, she embraces her human body and all that it entails, marking a shift from plastic perfection to a life filled with experiences, both positive and negative.
The movie ends with a bang — and a giggle. Barbie’s final line, “I’m here to see my gynecologist,” is both unexpected and deep. The humor comes from the sudden shift in tone after a fantastical narrative. However, the true power lies in its symbolism as for many women, a gynecologist visit is a routine part of life that represents health awareness and self-care. By concluding with this scene and line,the film beautifully emphasizes Barbie’s transformation. She’s no longer a plastic icon frozen in perfection, but a real woman embracing her physical reality and taking control of her own health. –Jom Elauria
10"When I found out the patriarchy wasn’t about horses, I lost interest anyway."
When Stereotypical Barbie embarks on her quest to find who’s playing with her, Ken stows away in the back to go with her, rollerblades in tow. They both discover how different the Real World is from Barbie Land, particularly when it comes to the patriarchy. Ken is pleased as he learns for the first time what entitlement feels like. While Barbie is shocked, Ken takes notes and returns to Barbie Land with his new knowledge, shifting the power from the Barbies to the Kens. The Barbies have been brainwashed to go along with it.
But Ken doesn’t really believe in everything he saw and learned in the Real World.He wanted Barbie’s attention and to step out of her shadow, not undermine her completely. When she confronts him about what he made Barbie Land into, he says he didn’t mean for it to go so far – he just really liked horses, showing his innocence. The hilarious moment also shows offRyan Gosling’s comedic talent, perfectly pulling off the delivery of the line.
9"Ask your mother."
The Narrator
Barbie opens with a scene of little girls playing with baby dolls in a setting that’s a clear reference to the sci-fi classic2001: A Space Odyssey. The narrator, voiced byHelen Mirren, comments, saying that “can be fun…for a while, anyway.” She adds, “Ask your mother,” and as the little girls stand in awe of the new Barbie before them – theBarbieversion ofA Space Odyssey’s mysterious monolith – they smash their baby dolls.
It’s a funny line fromBarbiebecause of what it implies – motherhood is hard work.This is a sentiment that’s explored more than once in the empowering film. It’s the first time the film touches on the theme of motherhood, which returns near the tear-jerking end. It also suggests that Barbie introduced a new way to play with dolls, elevating them from being vulnerable infants in need of care to becoming anything under the sun.
8"Do you guys ever think about dying?"
In Barbie Land, everything is perfect. Stereotypical Barbie starts every morning with a smile, then chooses the perfect outfit for the day and sits down for a perfect breakfast. She spends her day at the beach with her fellow Barbies and the Kens, and in the evening, she hosts a huge dance party in herelaborately designed Barbie Dreamhousewhere she blurts out,“Do you guys ever think about dying?” – from that moment on, Barbie’s days stop being so perfect.
It’s a hilarious moment, with the statement juxtaposed by upbeat music and a choreographed dance number. It sets the tone for the rest of the movie, balancing humor with larger issues dealing with life. When contrasted withBarbie’s ending, the line is clearly a hint at the fun film’s more serious existential undertone that encourages viewers to ask the hard and scary questions about life.
7"Thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism have been solved."
In Barbie Land, the iconic dolls run everything, and there’s nothing they haven’t accomplished. They’re successful writers, doctors, and politicians, and they can’t even imagine a world in which this isn’t the case, leading the narrator to declare the obviously untrue statement “all problems of feminism have been solved.”
As they soon learn, this is an overly simplistic view, and the Real World is very different from Barbie Land. In fact, some people – notably Sasha, the girl who once played with the movie’s stereotypical Barbie– feel the opposite is true, thatBarbie has been detrimental to women. She believes that theproliferation of Barbie movies, dolls, and other merch do more harm than good. It’s a line that reminds audiences that there is no easy fix to complex issues like gender inequality, but also points out that consumerism certainly isn’t the solution to it.
Stereotypical Barbie seeks out the girl who is playing with her, at first assumed to be tween Sasha – but when Barbie finds Sasha,played by Ariana Greenblatt, she learns that not only has Sasha stopped playing with Barbie, but she has some harsh words for her about her influence. The scathing quote from theBarbiemovie about how Barbie has “making women feel bad about themselves” is far too relatable for many.
Sasha’s reaction to Barbie touches on actual criticisms of the dolland shows just how different some of the perceptions of her are. Barbie Land may present a world where girls run the world, but to many like Sasha, the doll represents an outdated stereotype that harms women, not empowers them. It’s incredible that a film about Barbie would be so critical of the product, which indeed reinforced negative stereotypes and promoted an unrealistic body image among girls.
5"That’s life. It’s all change."
After Barbie’s upsetting encounter with Sasha, Barbie realizes it’s actually Sasha’s mother, Mattel CEO’s assistant Gloria, played byAmerica Ferrera, that’s been playing with her, which explains a lot about Barbie’s thoughts of death. The three women return to Barbie Land together and discover the changes Ken has made in the process. In the end, Barbie and her allies draw the strength they need from Sasha, who knows what it’s like in the real world.
As a mom, Gloria has plenty of words of wisdom for Barbie.Gloria tells Barbie that life is change, reflecting everything from major changes as people grow from children to adults to smaller changes in appearances and everyday life. She knows more than anyone in that moment that life is far from perfect and is much messier, more chaotic, and scarier than anyone from Barbie Land could understand.
4"It is literally impossible to be a woman."
As the Barbies face what Ken has done to their world, Gloria gives an impassioned speech about what it means to be a woman and how impossible and contradictory the standards are, from physical appearance to personality traits. Her words are so impactful that they actually undo the Kens’ brainwashing, helping the Barbies set a plan in motion to get through to all the other brainwashed Barbies and regain control of Barbie Land.
It’sFerrera’s best moment in the filmand one of the highlights overall.It drives home the movie’s feminist theme, but it also serves a greater purpose – it actually moves the plot forward as the key to undoing the brainwashing. The fact that it has become a trending line on social media platforms like TikTok only further underscore how it has resonated with so many women around the world.
3"We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back and see how far they have come."
Ruth Handler
As Barbie runs through the Mattel offices trying to escape, she finds an older woman in a cozy kitchen, later revealed to be Barbie creator Ruth Handler, played byRhea Perlman. Although they only share a few moments together initially before Barbie has to leave, Ruth visits Barbie Land at the end of the film, and she’s full of wisdom for Barbie, similar to Gloria.
Ruth’s conversation with Barbie returns to the theme of motherhood.Ruth is a mother figure to Barbie not just a creator, but because she based Barbie on her own daughter, Barbara. One of the many points Ruth makes is that mothers strive to make the world better for their daughters, sometimes making lots of sacrifices in the process. This line also sets upBarbie’s heartfelt ending that undoubtedly made countless moviegoers cry.
