Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour

Name: Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1998-07-14
Rating: 100

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1:48

1998

56m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A look into the bizarre world of Barbie, delving into the history of the doll, the ironies behind her conception and her devout and truly unique fan base.

Glenn Dunks

The Film Experience

08/12/2023

It bares all of the hallmarks of an independent work of documentary from the ‘90s, from its video aesthetics to its barely-an-hour-long runtime. But that’s partly why it is so entertaining.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

07/31/2023

Given that this breezy survey was assembled before the Internet and eBay hit anywhere near peak velocity, one can only imagine just how much bigger the world of Barbie collectors has grown since.

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Robin Holabird

07/28/2023

Mixing the bright, neon colors of Barbie’s world with cheery Beach Boy style music and an overall whimsical sensibility, Barbie Nation proves both fun and astute.

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

07/08/2023

This zippy history of Barbie touches on some of the controversies surrounding the doll since her debut—and reveals surprising places where her fandom intersects.

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Chris Salce

Film Threat

06/28/2023

8/10

If nothing else, the film shows that Ruth Handler, co-creator of Barbie, is a true inspiration, and you can see where Barbie’s ambition came from.

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James Verniere

Boston Herald

06/28/2023

A-

As ahead of its time as ever. Writer-director Susan Stern gets to the bottom of the Barbie craze in ways the new film "Barbie" may not dare to try.

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02/04/2009

Great documentary! While I thought this movie would very much so be "anti-Barbie" it was a great mix of both the positives and the negatives of the icon. I especially liked the part where they showcased artwork involving Barbie. I'm surprised that I am saying this, but I think Barbie is great now!

david h

04/25/2007

Ok, we were forced to watch this is a Communications Theory class last semester, and I would have to say that those people are all F***ed up. They got a bunch of people with weird barbie obsessions to go on camera and talk about the doll. Ruth Handler was the the founder of Mattel toys and gives interesting insights into the company though.

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Susan Stern

Director

Ruth Handler

Self

Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour: Trailer 1

1:48

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Synopsis

A look into the bizarre world of Barbie, delving into the history of the doll, the ironies behind her conception and her devout and truly unique fan base.

Director: Susan Stern
Distributor: ROCO Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 27, 2023
Runtime: 56m

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Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour

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