Five reasons why Ryan Gosling deserves to win an Oscar for ‘Barbie’
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“I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told.” That’s the text that Ryan Gosling said he sent to Greta Gerwig after he found a Ken doll face down in the mud by a smushed lemon and decided to play Ken in Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Thank the cinematic Gods for that doll and that lemon, because Gosling has just turned in one of the most joyful, unique, and technically perfect performances of the year.
Gosling is no stranger to the golden glow of the Oscars having landed two Best Actor bids in 2007 and 2017 for “Half Nelson” and “La La Land,” respectively. But it turns out that pink suits Gosling just as much as gold, as multiple critics (and every audience member, surely!) have noted.
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Jocelyn Noveck (AP News) observed: “A very blond Ryan Gosling gleefully chews the scenery — or, inhales it — and is never better than when conveying Ken’s forced enthusiasm with an edge of desperation plus a sprinkle of menace. Also, when dancing.”
Tomris Laffly (The Wrap) called noted that Gosling was “born” to play Ken, calling him a “shattering physical comedy genius” and his performance “fearless.”
And Christy Lemire (Roger Ebert) commented: “Ryan Gosling is a consistent scene-stealer as he revels in Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie’s needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should behave… Gosling sells his square-jawed character’s earnestness and gets to tap into his ‘All New Mickey Mouse Club’ musical theater roots simultaneously. He’s a total hoot.”
This riotous performance has resulted in calls for Gosling to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (he probably could go lead but supporting is the smarter choice campaign-wise — besides, Ken is always supporting, not leading!). Currently, he is second in our odds chart for that category, behind only Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and ahead of John Magaro (“Past Lives”), Colman Domingo (“The Color Purple”), and Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”). But here are five reasons why Gosling deserves to be at the very top of that list.
1. It’s the most unique performance of the year
“Barbie” is one of the most unique entries into cinema this year thanks to Greta Gerwig’s direction, her excellent script with Noah Baumbach, and Margot Robbie‘s pitch-perfect lead performance. But Gosling is the standout. How many performances have we seen like this? Not many, if any. Gosling gives Ken a knowing smugness, an ignorance that is sometimes endearing and other times dangerous, and it has a hidden heart.
Yes, Gosling chews the scenery (beautiful scenery it is, by the way, thanks to Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood) and appropriately hams it up by his willingness to make himself the butt of the joke, but there’s an intelligence to Ken’s arc and a heart to Gosling’s performance. At the center is a man who is struggling to know exactly who he is and making some bad decisions along the way to finding out who Ken is. This is a man who has very low self-esteem, searches for outside factors to improve that, and then takes out that issues on others. It’s a measured arc that juxtaposes with Gosling’s more outlandish silly moments, and both the drama and comedy here only embolden the other. Gosling is clearly having the time of his life playing Ken and we have just as much fun watching.
Plus, it’s the unique that stands out. Downey Jr gives a great performance in “Oppenheimer” while De Niro, Magaro, and Domingo will likely all be just as good, too. But we’ve seen similar performances to those roles before and will see similar ones again in the future. We have never seen anything like Gosling as Ken and likely won’t for a long while. Voters should take the chance to reward the most unique, individual performance — and that is Gosling. If you take a look back through previous Best Supporting Actor nominations, only a handful stand out as truly unique and Gosling would fit that bill. Voters have shown that they are becoming more open to rewarding the idiosyncratic as they gave Best Picture to “The Shape of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” If they continue that trend of opening their hearts to more eccentric work, Gosling could benefit big time.
2. It’s a comedic performance that deserves to be nominated
The academy has often had problems rewarding comedic performances. Ralph Fiennes missed out on a Best Actor nomination for “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” while Michelle Yeoh was snubbed for “Crazy Rich Asians,” Emily Blunt missed out for “The Devil Wears Prada,” Sacha Baron Cohen was overlooked for “Borat,” and Jim Carrey was ignored for “The Truman Show.” These are all great comedic performances but the academy just doesn’t take comedy as seriously as drama, which is a tragedy. As the fantastic comedy-drama actor John C. Reilly once told me: “Comedy is one of the two masks.” The academy should remember that and reward comedy performances more often.
Because we always see comedic actors give great dramatic performances (Robin Williams and Steve Carell being two standouts) but how often do we see more traditionally dramatic actors take on comedic roles? Fiennes is one example but, otherwise, the names are few and far between. Comedy requires a different kind of talent — timing, awareness, reactions, quick-wittedness, self-awareness, a commitment to making yourself look silly for the sake of the big picture — that not all actors possess. How many actors could have played Ken to the success that Gosling did? My suspicion is not many at all. He proves himself a brilliant comedic actor, both physically and intelligence-wise.
There is one other performance that was just as silly and outrageous as Gosling’s was that actually was nominated for Best Supporting Actor — coincidentally, Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” in 2009. That (now controversial) role showed that for the right actor and performance, the academy will nominate a more out-there role. Let’s hope they think that about Gosling and Ken. Just because something is fun, light-hearted, and silly, does not mean it is an easier performance to successfully pull off. If anything, it’s the opposite. Comedy like this is a high-wire act and Gosling dances across the wire triumphantly.
3. Ken’s brief villainous turn fits into Supporting Actor trends
Ken, for a moment, becomes the villain of the piece as he tries to bring back the idea of the patriarchy from the real world into Barbie Land. It signifies his turn from simp to some kind of ridiculous Andrew Tate figure, and Gosling nails the moments. Of course, Ken isn’t really a villain as he earns forgiveness by the end, but there is enough villainy on show to fit a trend that is often found in this category — bad guys are often rewarded in the Best Supporting Actor category.
In recent years, Sam Rockwell won for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” in 2018, Tom Hardy was nominated for “The Revenant” in 2016, J.K. Simmons won for “Whiplash,” Michael Fassbender (“12 Years a Slave”) and Barkhad Abdi (“Captain Phillips”) were nominated in 2014, and Christoph Waltz won for “Inglourious Basterds” in 2010. While Gosling’s comedic performance is one of the stronger flavors out there, the academy does allow for more colorful performances in the Best Supporting Actor category. And you don’t get more colorful than the pink pastel-covered Ken.
4. Gosling sings, dances, and acts
Bradley Cooper was lauded for his singing work in “A Star is Born,” which landed him a Best Actor bid. Austin Butler was praised for his singing and dancing in “Elvis,” which garnered him a Best Actor bid. And Andrew Garfield received plaudits for his singing and dancing in “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” which resulted in, you guessed it, a Best Actor nomination. The academy really appreciates it when an actor fully commits to the role — be that a physical transformation, learning an instrument or another language, doing their own stunts, singing, or dancing.
Gosling’s performance here is no different. He harks back to his musical theater days and delivers a showstopping performance that includes Gene Kelly-esque dance numbers and the funniest power ballad since, well, Jack Black‘s Bowser with “Peaches” earlier this year in “The Super Mario. Bros.” He is a triple threat in this role, and Gosling has actually reaped the rewards of being a triple threat before when he was nominated for Best Actor for “La La Land.” He sang and danced there and he does that here.
5. The technical qualities of Gosling’s performance are next level
It’s easy to overlook the technical quality of a performance in a role like this. I once wrote a piece lauding Downey Jr’s little gestures and facial expressions in his performance as Tony Stark in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” I’ll be saying the same thing here. Each little gesture that Gosling makes and each facial expression is measured to perfection. For instance, the smug but dumb looks he gives Robbie’s Barbie after delivering the line “because we’re boyfriend and girlfriend” is hilarious and so exquisitely executed. So are his pained expressions during “I’m Just Ken,” which is, in this writer’s opinion, the best scene not just in this movie but in any movie this year so far. His delivery of that song is pitch-perfect and shows a deep understanding of tone that not all actors possess. And some of Gosling’s line readings are to be treasured — I’ve choked on cups of Earl Grey a couple of times while recalling Gosling’s delivery of “SUBLIME!” This is a wonderful marriage between actor and material where both make the other better.
However, whether or not the academy reward this delicious performance, it might not even matter. In the pink hearts of “Barbie” fans, Gosling will shine forever gold no matter what.
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