Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie

2018

1h 31m

Documentary

List

81%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

62%

Audience Score

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Examining over 60 years of women through the lens of Barbie, the most popular plastic doll ever created. She's been a fashion icon and a target for feminists.

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Critics Consensus

A thoughtful rumination on beauty standards and feminism, Tiny Shoulders goes beyond plastic observations to create an even-handed examination of Barbie's role in the broader culture.

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Sophie Gilbert

The Atlantic

But the most fascinating aspect of the movie is how it uses Barbie as a metaphor for a culture that's still infinitely more preoccupied with what a woman looks like than what she says.

May 1, 2018

Full Review

John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

There's some lovely filmmaking-an opening sequence in which a handmade Barbie moves from stage to stage, from hair-weaving to lip-painting, is gorgeous.

Apr 27, 2018

Full Review

Kate Erbland

indieWire

Nevins does quick work of making her audience care about the earning potential of a multi-million dollar business by honing in on some other remarkable women.

Rated: B+

Apr 27, 2018

Full Review

Linda Cook

OurQuadCities / WHBF-TV (Illinois)

This is a thoughtful documentary on the phenomenon that is Barbie.

Rated: 3 stars

Jul 30, 2023

Full Review

Alexandra MacAaron

Women's Voices for Change

Has a piece of plastic even been so politically charged? No, argues filmmaker Andrea Blaugrund Nevins in this interesting and entertaining documentary.

Rated: 8/10

Jun 5, 2018

Full Review

Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Comprehensive docu about iconic, controversial doll.

Rated: 4/5

May 15, 2018

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Audience Member

A peek behind the pink curtain manages to capture just how difficult it is to be charged with being Barbie or, in this case, Barbie's guardian. Excellent documentary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

geralt g

This doc gave a really good look at how people fighting for change inside a for profit company sometimes get bashed coming and going. This was a glimpse into a microcosm that represents the bigger struggle women and girls face daily.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

pretty b

Let's cut right to the chase, the reason why there Barbie dolls suck is because they're overthinking it. It's really obnoxious to see a bunch of women with no makeup complain about Barbie it's so ridiculous! Yet, they're working for Barbie and you know what the biggest problem is? The new dolls that were launched we're not Barbie. There's never heard the phrase leave good enough alone. It's because of all of these changes as to why Barbie keeps declining. You made her breasts flat and Tiny matter smaller and smaller and now nobody wants to play with her. Barbie started out as a men's doll, and men would hang it up in their car but it wasn't Barbie with a different brand and they just copied off of that doll. The former CEOs really knew what they were doing and this generation should really take the time to sit down and look at what they did for more realistic perspective. Barbie is in a feminist Barbie is in a white supremacist as they mentioned in the film, Barbie is simply a very pretty doll. And that's all after that is the imagination that comes

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

lucero k

One of the best documentaries around

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What could have been a very interesting story, was told in a dull manner with disconnected historical events. I was excited to see the doll's evolution, however, the film proved that impetus for change was not feminism, however, consumer criticism and falling revenues. Lacked a critical and engaging perspective into the thought process behind evolving barbie .. overall poorly told story

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Andrea Blaugrund Nevins

Director

Gloria Steinem

Self

Richard Dickson

Self

Amanda Foreman

Self

Peggy Orenstein

Self

Roxane Gay

Self

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Synopsis

Examining over 60 years of women through the lens of Barbie, the most popular plastic doll ever created. She's been a fashion icon and a target for feminists.

Director: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
Producer: Kimberly Culmone, Richard Dickson, Evelyn Mazzocco
Screenwriter: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
Production Co: Hulu, Rare Bird Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 31m

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