Great Scene: “Barbie”

In a quiet, reflective moment, Barbie experiences something of what it means to be a human.

Let’s face it: In a fundamental way, screenwriting is scene-writing, so the more we learn about this aspect of the craft, the better. Hence, the Great Scene series.

Today: The 2023 film written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach.

Setup: Tasked by Weird Barbie to travel to the real world to find an unhappy human girl, Barbie is overwhelmed by the transition to Venice, California. Sitting on a park bench, Barbie attempts to collect her thoughts …

Here is the movie version of the scene:

This scene marks an early experience in Barbie’s journey to become a human. First, she needs to understand at least some of what it means to be a person. In this scene:

• Barbie “sees” a compressed biography of the unhappy girl she’s seeking (Sasha) and the complex relationship she has with her mother.
• This vision causes Barbie to shed a tear. Her response? “That felt achy … but good.” For the first time, Barbie has felt sadness.
• Then she takes in the sights and sounds around her, a panoply of human interactions, this tiny moment in time swirling with emotions.
• Finally, she spots an Older Woman seated at the opposite end of the park bench. Barbie tells the Older Woman, “You’re beautiful,” to which the Woman responds, “I know it.” This interaction caps the scene because it causes Barbie to experience a different kind of beauty, one reflected in the aged wrinkles of human maturity.

I remember seeing an interview with Greta Gerwig in the writer-director revealed that the interaction in the scene between Barbie and the Older Woman represents “the heart of the movie.” It’s a wonderful scene because amidst the cacophony of scenes surrounding it, this moment of quiet observation and reflection not only serves the plot by moving Barbie forward in her inner transformation … it also reminds us to stop … look … listen … to the marvel of the world around us.

To read all of the entries in the Great Scene series, go here.