Warning: The following contains complete spoilers for Barbie.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig explained how she made the film’s ending and why she decided to wrap it up with a “mic drop” moment.
By the end of Barbie, her eponymous Margot Robbie doll has traversed land, sea, the great outdoors, and outer space, venturing into the real world and back. I’ve discovered that life isn’t about blowing parties, beach lounging, and ice skating dates — there are a lot more tasks and regular dates.
Proceed with caution! Major spoilers about Barbie’s ending follow.
In the final scene, Barbie enters an action-packed office building as she begins her new life by attending what initially appears to be a job interview. She approaches the reception desk to check in for her appointment, where she delivers the final line from the movie, “I’m here to see my gynecologist.”
said Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, director and writer Noah Baumbach USA Today that she wanted the film to end on a “funny and soulful” note, in keeping with the overall tone of the feature while reinforcing lessons learned along the way and sharing a final joke with anyone who can relate.
“It was important to me that everything worked on at least two levels,” Gerwig explained. “I knew I wanted to finish a mic type joke, but I also find it very emotional. As a teenage girl, I remember growing up feeling embarrassed about my body and ashamed in a way I can’t even describe. I felt like everything had to be hidden.
She continued, “Then I see Margot as Barbie, with this big old smile on her face, and she says what she says at the end with such happiness and joy.” “I was like—if I can give girls that feeling, ‘Barbie does that too’—that’s funny and emotional. There’s a lot of stuff like that throughout the movie. It was always about looking for grit and heart.”
Gerwig’s stellar feature in Plastic garnered the best domestic opening day at the 2023 box office and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. IGN’s Barbie review gave the film a 9/10, calling it a “super-female roller coaster ride” that provides “a masterful exploration of femininity and the pressures of perfection.”
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
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