The upcoming Oscars should have been the last major event to celebrate Barbenheimer, but the controversies around Barbie‘s snubs are overshadowing the two films’ accomplishments. Barbenheimer is a fan-created term for the same-day release of the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21st, 2023. While the films are vastly different in premise, the Barbenheimer phenomenon encouraged viewers to see both films during their opening weekend. Both films are directed by Oscar-nominated filmmakers and feature A-list casts.
The Barbenheimer campaign propelled Barbie to secure the best opening weekend for 2023 and the best opening for a non-superhero, non-sequel, non-remake. Oppenheimer became the best opening weekend for Christopher Nolan for a non-Batman film. That weekend was also the fourth-best opening weekend in domestic history. Oppenheimer received 13 Oscar nominations and Barbie received eight. Unfortunately, Barbie missed out on key categories that it should have been competing in. This oversight by the Oscars has ruined the last chance to truly celebrate the success of Barbenheimer.
Barbie’s Controversial Oscars Snubs Ruins The Final Barbenheimer Event
The snubs are holding back Barbie and Oppenheimer from one last head-to-head.
When the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were revealed, Barbie found itself notably absent from several major categories, while Oppenheimer secured nominations in the majority of major ones. The most significant snub was the omission of Greta Gerwig from the Best Director category despite Barbie being nominated for Best Picture. While the Best Picture Category has 10 spots and Best Director only has five, many were disappointed that Gerwig was not recognized for her massive achievement with the film. However, Nolan received a Best Director nomination for his work on Oppenheimer, so it was a missed opportunity to acknowledge Barbenheimer’s directors.
Another major snub came from Margot Robbie not receiving a nomination for her work as the titular character of the film, whereas Ryan Gossling got one for Best Supporting Actor as Ken. Barbie‘s narrative explores modern society’s perspectives on women and Barbie’s journey of self-discovery. The film delivers a strong feminist message, which is why it is disappointing that the two key women behind the movie, Robbie and Gerwig, were not recognized for their work, while the supporting male actor was.
Even if Robbie and Gerwig weren’t expected to win, being recognized at the Oscars would have been a positive acknowledgment of their work. This is especially disappointing as the two main forces behind Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan, were nominated in their respective categories. The absence of nominations for Robbie and Gerwig undermines what could have been the final celebration of Barbenheimer, as there is more focus on the snubs and not on the incredible films themselves.
Barbie
Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie’s Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Director
- Greta Gerwig
- Cast
- Margot Robbie , Ryan Gosling , Simu Liu , Ariana Greenblatt , Helen Mirren , Nicola Coughlan , John Cena , Will Ferrell , Ritu Arya , Michael Cera , America Ferrera , Alexandra Shipp , Kate McKinnon
The 2024 Oscars Should’ve Been The Last Chance To Celebrate Barbenheimer’s Achievements
Movies are unlikely to replicate Barbenheimer’s feat ever again.
The 2024 Oscars are the last chance to truly honor what Barbenheimer accomplished at the box office, and securing nominations in key categories would have allowed both films to be celebrated once again on the biggest stage in cinema. While Gerwig still received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and has her movie in the Best Picture category, the absence of a Best Director nomination casts a shadow over her outstanding accomplishments with Barbie. Similarly, Robbie’s snub from the Best Actress category takes away from America Ferrera getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination and Ryan Gosling’s Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Instead of celebrating their achievements, these nominees now find themselves expressing disappointment. Gosling said in a statement which he provided to CBS News, “To say that I’m disappointed that they (Robbie and Gerwig) are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.” Ferrera also released a statement to Variety Magazine saying she, “was incredibly disappointed” that Robbie and Gerwig didn’t receive nominations. It is unfortunate that those nominated have to convey their disappointment rather than celebrate their success. This could have been a moment to celebrate Barbenheimer one last time, but instead, it is overshadowed by the snubs.
How The Oscars Snubs WIll Affect Barbenheimer’s Legacy
Luckily, the films’ individual legacies are intact.
While the Oscar snubs ended Barbenheimer’s run on a disappointing note, they are unlikely to significantly impact the film’s enduring legacy. Barbie remains Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing release to date and won the first-ever Box-Office Achievement award at the 2024 Golden Globes. Oppenheimer secured Nolan his first-ever Best Director Golden Globe. Both films have left a lasting impact, so these snubs will not make or break the long-term legacy of Barbenheimer. However, it is still a shame that the controversy involved with the 2024 Oscars makes the final chapter of Barbenheimer a lousy one.
Sources: Variety Magazine, CBS News
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh
- Runtime
- 150 Minutes
