The University of New Mexico had yet another movie showing with a successful turnout. People dressed in pink were greeting one another with “Hi Barbie!” as they sat down for UNM’s Midweek Movie showing of “Barbie” (2023). This movie was the second to last movie for the semester.
Directed by Greta Gerwig, “Barbie” (2023) is already considered a classic to viewers and has become a staple for positive representation for women in the modern world.
Within its first week of opening, “Barbie” grossed over $162 million dollars domestically, marking it as the fastest and biggest opening since “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) and surpassed others for roles of highest grossing films to other successful films like the “Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023) and even “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022).
Eventually, Gerwig, made a new record – being the first ever female director to have their movie make over $1 billion dollars, or “Barbillion,” as said by Warner Bros.
Gerwig’s impact has brought light and hope to today’s generation of women and young girls. Even UNM’s students, including Meredith Koza – a student who attended Wednesday’s showing who said this was her third time watching the movie overall.
“I think it is an eye-opening experience, especially for younger generations because you get to see a lot more of the real world and cultural elements of it,” Koza said.
“Barbie” (2023) has brought people hope for equality and a newfound footing for modern feminism for women, girls and anyone assigned female at birth today.
Kat Gomez is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
