12 Movies to Watch if You Absolutely Loved the New ‘Barbie’
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Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie absolutely smashed expectations when it arrived in theaters this past July. Not only did it earn rave reviews from critics and fans alike, but it's also quickly on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023. (Seems all that intense press really paid off.)
However, if you left the theaters on a Barbie high and hoping for more pink-filled fodder, we’re here to help by offering 12 movies to watch that feel oh-so-Barbie.
1. Legally Blonde (2001)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Jennifer Coolidge
Rating: PG-13
Much like Margot Robbie's “Stereotypical Barbie,” people think they know Elle Woods, but she totally shocks them when she goes to Harvard Law and proves herself to be one of the brightest minds in her class. Oh, and she's got a devout love for the color pink.
2. Elf (2003)
Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen
Rating: PG
We know Barbie has nothing to do with Christmas, but viewers will find quite a few similarities between that and the popular movie Elf, which sees a Christmas Elf spend the holidays in NYC, hunting for his dad. Both films follow earnest and lovable characters who travel from their magical havens into our world, where they are met by plenty of big surprises and harsh truths.
3. Little Women (2019)
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson
Rating: PG
Before Barbie, Gerwig's most-recent directorial effort was her Oscar-nominated 2019 adaptation of Little Women, which follows four sisters as they grow up in 19th century New England. Featuring a star-studded cast and fresh insights on the well-known story, this film focuses on the rights of women and the power of female relationships, much like Barbie.
4. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner
Rating: PG-13
Before he was “just Ken,” Ryan Gosling starred as the sweet, but socially-awkward Lars Lindstrom in Lars and the Real Girl. In this dramedy, Lars develops romantic, nonsexual feelings for another type of doll—a sex doll—who he carries around town like his girlfriend. It sounds strange, but this film is shockingly heart-warming.
5. Life Size (2000)
Cast: Tyra Banks, Lindsay Lohan, Jere Burns, Anne Marie Loder
Rating: TVPG
In this early aughts TV film, a young girl named Casey is mourning the loss of her mother, so she tries to bring her back to life. Instead, she accidentally transforms her “Eve” doll into a human being.
6. The Woman King (2022)
Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim
Rating: PG-13
Barbie depicts a fantasy world where women rule, but in the 2022 historical action film The Woman King, we see a dramatized account of the real-life Agojie (AKA the Dahomey Amazons), an all-female warrior tribe that protected their kingdom from the 17th to the 19th century.
7. Toy Story (1995)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Rating: G
If you love tales about toys, this ’95 animated classic follows the misadventures of a group of childhood playthings, led by a pull-string cowboy doll named Woody. However, things get complicated when a brand-new toy, named Buzz Lightyear, gets introduced to the pack.
8. M3GAN (2022)
Cast: Allison Williams, Ronny Chieng, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald
Rating: PG-13
If scares are more your thing, M3GAN follows eight-year-old Cady, who is dealing with the sudden loss of both of her parents and turns to her new AI-powered doll, “M3GAN,” for comfort. However, when M3GAN starts to take on a personality of her own, things get violent.
9. Enchanted (2007)
Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel
Rating: PG
When an animated princess gets thrown into the live-action world of New York City, she's totally unprepared for the three-dimensional surprises that await her. However, she also manages to bring a little bit of “happily ever after” to the city that never sleeps.
10. The First Wives Club (1996)
Cast: Goldie Hawn, Better Midler, Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith
Rating: PG
When three successful women get left by their husbands after helping them grow their careers, they craft a plan to get their revenge in this playful film of female empowerment and friendship.
11. Clueless (1995)
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd
Rating: PG-13
Being a teenager is easy, right? As if! In this ’90s coming-of-age comedy loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Cher Horowitz is a stylish and popular student trying to navigate her feelings while dealing with the perils of high school. Who isn't thinking about love and social issues in between classes?
12. Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Tim Curry, Kirby Morrow, Chantal Strand
Rating: G
The Barbie that started it all. There have been over 40 films related to the Barbie franchise, and the first was this animated fantasy film inspired by E. T. A. Hoffmann’s short story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”
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