Barbiewas a phenomenon, but the story is strikingly similar to Amy Adam’s fantasy romcom movie,Enchanted. InEnchanted, Amy Adams’ character, Giselle, finds herself taken from a fairy-tale world to the “real world,” where there are no happy endings. Like Barbie’s journey inBarbie, Giselle goes through an adventure of self-actualization that leaves Giselle unable to return to who she used to be.Barbie, which felt so modern and fresh, has a lot in common withEnchanted, which came out almost two decades ago.
BarbieandEnchantedare both meta-commentaries on feminism, a fun gender-bent twist on the traditional hero’s journey.Enchantedwas released in 2007 and explored many of thesame themes as Greta Gerwig’s acclaimedBarbie, but did not get the same praise because it was marketed as more of a children’s movie than an Oscar-worthy exploration of womanhood. Nevertheless, the similarities between the two projects are undeniable.
Enchanted And Barbie Share Very Similar Stories
Barbie And Giselle Both Go On Physical And Metaphorical Journeys
Barbie starts in Barbieland, a matriarchal utopia, then is forced to enter the “real world” and ultimately finds herself unwilling to put herself back in the box she used to be in.Giselle’s arcinEnchantedis very similar: Giselle begins her story in Andalasia, an animated kingdom where all she wants is true love’s kiss, but she is pushed into the real world. When given the opportunity to return at the end, Giselle realizes she isn’t interested in being that girl anymore.
The story beats are similar, as are the emotional arcs of Barbie and Giselle, who are both experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions for the first time. In Barbieland and Andalasia, they are flat characters - superficially fulfilled but devoid of true happiness and choice. When Barbie taps into Gloria’s memories, happy and sad, Barbie says she feels “achy but good,” wiping away a tear but present for the first time. Giselle similarly becomes furious at someone’s constant negativity, but thenGiselle is delighted by the full force of her feelings. These two scenes highlight the emotional themes the two movies share.
Barbie’s Version Of A Happy Ending Is More Radical Than Enchanted’s
Barbie Doesn’t Need To Find Love To Find Her Happy Ending
Barbie and Giselle both find self-actualization, butBarbie’s more modern, feminist endingis that Barbie does not know what will make her happy. Barbie does not find an easy answer in love or a job, but she does choose to be a messy human instead of a static doll by staying in the real world.Barbieflipped the “happy ending” script on its head, in that Barbie’s victory is not a wedding or even a kiss, but a visit to the gynecologist.
Enchanted’s ending is much more of a conventional happy ending. Giselle is empowered as a modern woman, running her own business in the closing montage, and she does far more thinking than singing by the end. However,her happy ending still has her leaving one Prince Charming for another. In the climactic ball, Giselle is offered an apple that will take her memories of the real world, and though torn, Giselle takes a bite and can only be woken by true love’s kiss. A more radical ending forEnchantedwould be if Giselle refused to bite the apple at all.
Why Was Barbie So Much Bigger Than Enchanted?
Barbie’s Success Was Timing And Synergy
Barbiewas a huge success:the right stars, the right director, andoriginal songs for theBarbiemovie from the biggest singersall came together in a perfect blend. Director Greta Gerwig was coming offLittle Women, her beloved Oscar-winning film.Barbiehit a tonal sweet spot, being light enough to appeal to viewers looking for a breezy summer comedy yet deep enough to be nominated for multiple Oscars. “Barbenheimer” was a one-in-a-generation organic marketing campaign, and Warner Brothers did an exemplary job pushing thatBarbiewas not just a film but an unmissable theatrical experience.
Barbiealso had a marketing budget of $150m, one of the largest marketing campaigns in recent years.
Enchantedis a movie likely to age well, but its themes veer more into the traditional Disney princess romance territory, making it less of a broad appeal, four-quadrant movie thanBarbiewas.Enchantedwas not put in a position to be as big asBarbie. According to the writer Bill Kelly, earlier drafts of the script were more R-rated, but the movie was made more “Disney” as Disney-owned Touchstone Pictures bought the script. Disney used journeyman director Kevin Lima, known forA Goofy MovieandTarzan, who did not fully elevate the charming script.
Barbie And Enchanted Box Office And Critic Score Analysis
$1.4b
$340m
$145m
$85
88%
93%
80%
75%
Enchantedhas a decent box office return, grossing nearly four times its healthy $85 million budget.Enchanteddid get a direct-to-streaming sequel,Disenchanted, in 2022, which made no impact. While the box office numbers forEnchantedare commendable,Barbie’s box office performancewas a staggering achievement at nearly $1.5 billion. Even considering it had double the budget ofEnchanted, it’s hard to compare anything to the audience fever forBarbie.
Barbie
Cast
Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie’s Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.
