Margot Robbie, who portrayed the lead role in the film Barbie, addressed the controversy surrounding their snub from the Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Director, alongside director Greta Gerwig. Robbie reflected on the Oscars nominations, expressing gratitude for her blessings while acknowledging her disappointment regarding Greta Gerwig's absence from the list.
Robbie stated to Variety that she believed Gerwig deserved recognition for her exceptional directorial work on Barbie. Despite the snubs, Robbie emphasised the rewarding aspect of people's reactions to the film, describing it as the greatest reward of the entire experience. She marvelled at the impact the movie had on culture and expressed her awe at being at the centre of such a phenomenon.
Here’s what she said, "I think Greta should be nominated as a director. What she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing. What she pulled off, it really is. But it's been an incredible year for all the films."
Ryan Gosling, who played Ken in Barbie (2023) was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the coveted Oscars, but he has released a statement saying "I'm disappointed." Although the actor expressed gratitude for his nomination, he could not help but feel dejected by the fact that the film's lead, Margot Robbie, and director Greta Gerwig were left out of the nominations. "There is no Ken without Barbie," he said in the statement, calling out the Academy for snubbing the women who made the film a great success.
Barbie collected a whopping $1.4 billion to date, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Despite the Hollywood writers' strike and clashing release dates with the other blockbuster Oppenheimer (2023), Barbie made remarkable history for its revolutionary narrative and was globally acclaimed as a symbol of womanhood.
Barbie Film's Point Made Loud And Clear At Oscars
The Barbie film was more than just about a bunch of dolls frolicking in the dreamy land of pink and glitter. The film made the doll a feminist icon who feels emotions, has big realisations about the real world, and fights for her rights. It was about tackling the patriarchy, which often overlooks the competence of women.
Yet, the Academy managed to ignore the women who made the film the cultural catalyst that it was. Ryan Gosling pointed out exactly that in his statement. "There is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making globally-celebrated film," he stated.
Further, he said, "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit, and genius. To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement." Gosling described how director Gerwig gave life to a movie about plastic dolls. He then congratulated America Ferrera for her nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
World Reacts
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted her reaction to the news on X (Twitter). Calling out the Academy for snubbing the women behind one of the best films of 2023, Clinton said, "Greta and Margot... Your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough."
Clinton's tweet was an ode to some of the most crucial themes and dialogues from the film. She also ended the post with the hashtag 'HillaryBarbie', which shows the influential power that the film holds.
Netizens also rightfully called out the Academy for excluding the leading ladies behind Barbie. Many pointed out how this accurately iterates exactly what the film highlighted about society overlooking women.
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