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Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids

Released Nov 24, 2023 1h 34m Documentary List
100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews
Before the Cabbage Patch Kids, no one could have imagined a world where police would need to break up fights between rampaging adults in toy stores. But after the Cabbage Patch Kids, every manufacturer in the world was desperate for their own "riot-worthy" toy. Everything had changed, and we were never going back. Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids is the evolution of that change, told through the lens of what is arguably the most beloved toy of the 1980s. It's one filled with doll hospitals with delightfully attentive staff tending to every need of the "babies" birthed from a cabbage patch before their adoptions, dangerous counterfeit dolls and intense U.S. Customs raids, inevitable black-market sales, a glut of spin-off products, severe doll shortages and a rabid media frenzy that gave rise to a BILLION-dollar toy brand unlike anything the world had ever seen. Oh, and did we mention the "custody battle" over the origin of the idea? An unassuming and relatively unknown artist from rural Kentucky filed suit claiming she was the true creator of the dolls, setting off a contentious four-year legal battle over the Kids. This is the story you never knew about the dolls that stole America's heart... and turned us all into total maniacs. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Louisa Moore Screen Zealots An entertaining, exhaustive look at how masterful merchandising, American capitalism, and a homegrown idea came together in one perfect storm that turned an army of ugly little dolls into legendary pop culture icons. Dec 3, 2023 Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion An amiable study of Cabbage Patch Kids mania as something that would be replicated in future years—a memorable event in itself, but one that’s also revealing about American mercantile culture in a wider sense. Rated: B Dec 1, 2023 Full Review Miyako Pleines Spectrum Culture Billion Dollar Babies is a thrilling deep-dive into the Cabbage Patch Kids phenomenon that does double duty by highlighting the economic impact of the toys while also setting the record straight. Nov 30, 2023 Full Review Monique Jones Common Sense Media The film isn't quite as tight as it could be, feeling a bit like a Spark Notes version of itself -- and it could have gone deeper into the nitty gritty of how the Cabbage Patch Kids were created. Rated: 3/5 Nov 29, 2023 Full Review Jennie Kermode Eye for Film It quickly becomes apparent that this is more than just the story of the dolls. It is the story of the modern age. Rated: 4/5 Nov 27, 2023 Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Captivating, illuminating and well-edited. Nov 23, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews
Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids

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Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids

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Movie Info

Synopsis Before the Cabbage Patch Kids, no one could have imagined a world where police would need to break up fights between rampaging adults in toy stores. But after the Cabbage Patch Kids, every manufacturer in the world was desperate for their own "riot-worthy" toy. Everything had changed, and we were never going back. Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids is the evolution of that change, told through the lens of what is arguably the most beloved toy of the 1980s. It's one filled with doll hospitals with delightfully attentive staff tending to every need of the "babies" birthed from a cabbage patch before their adoptions, dangerous counterfeit dolls and intense U.S. Customs raids, inevitable black-market sales, a glut of spin-off products, severe doll shortages and a rabid media frenzy that gave rise to a BILLION-dollar toy brand unlike anything the world had ever seen. Oh, and did we mention the "custody battle" over the origin of the idea? An unassuming and relatively unknown artist from rural Kentucky filed suit claiming she was the true creator of the dolls, setting off a contentious four-year legal battle over the Kids. This is the story you never knew about the dolls that stole America's heart... and turned us all into total maniacs.
Director
Andrew Jenks
Producer
Dan Goodman, Brian Hunt
Screenwriter
Andrew Jenks
Distributor
Abramorama
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 24, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 34m