\n<\/p>\n
Barbie<\/em><\/a> is in on the joke in more ways than one.<\/p>\n Greta Gerwig<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s film, which stars Margot Robbie<\/strong><\/a> as \u201cStereotypical Barbie,\u201d is the first movie<\/a> to debut from revived Mattel Films and despite its ties to the company, Barbie<\/em> isn\u2019t afraid to poke fun<\/a> at the controversy surrounding the famous doll.<\/p>\n In addition to addressing gender stereotypes and commentary around Barbie\u2019s unrealistic figure<\/a> (and dream world), the film doesn\u2019t shy away from creator Ruth Handler\u2019s personal struggles.<\/p>\n Ruth invented Barbie in 1959 during her reign as president of Mattel from 1945 to 1975. She named the toy after her daughter, Barbara Handler<\/strong>. (Ruth shared Barbara and son Kenneth<\/strong> \u2014 the name behind the Ken doll \u2014 with husband Elliot Handler, who died in 2011.)<\/p>\n \u201cA Barbie movie is only ever going to be a mother-daughter movie on so many levels because it was Ruth Handler and Barbara \u2014 that was the relationship,\u201d director Gerwig told Time<\/em> ahead of the Friday, July 21, release.<\/p>\n While Ruth died in 2002, some fans were convinced Barbara makes a cameo as the older woman who shares a sweet moment with Robbie\u2019s Barbie on a bench in the \u201creal world.\u201d Gerwig shut down the speculation, however, in an interview with The New York Times<\/em><\/a>, revealing the part is played by Oscar-winning costume designer Ann Roth.<\/p>\n \u201cI love that scene so much,\u201d Gerwig told People<\/em>. \u201cThe way Margot plays that moment is so gentle and so unforced.\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to the film\u2019s release, Barbara did give her stamp of approval on the casting of Robbie, telling TMZ that the trailer looked \u201csuper cute and she\u2019s especially liking Margot\u2019s voice.\u201d<\/p>\n While Barbara told the outlet that she thinks her mother would enjoy the idea of the doll coming to the big screen, Ruth\u2019s personal issues are mocked in the movie by portrayer Rhea Perlman<\/strong><\/a>, who makes jokes about the IRS and tax evasion. According to the Los Angeles Times<\/em>, Ruth was accused of making false reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission and fraud in 1978. She was fined $57,000 and sentenced to 2,500 hours of community service after pleading no contest. The film alludes to Ruth being pushed out of Mattel amid the financial issues that first raised eyebrows in 1975.<\/p>\n Producer Robbie Brenner<\/strong> told Variety<\/em> earlier this month that Mattel was always down with Gerwig\u2019s version of the script, which she cowrote with partner Noah Baumbach<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen everybody read the script here for the first time, I\u2019m sure there were things that were like, \u2018Wow, that sort of pushes things a little bit,\u2019\u201d Brenner said. \u201cBut we all decided there were going to be moments where it might feel a little scary, but we\u2019re going to be rewarded for that. Being safe in this world doesn\u2019t work. We want it to be bold. Barbie is bold. She\u2019s done incredible things. She\u2019s a trailblazer. And that\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n Perlman\u2019s Ruth also jokes about having a double mastectomy in the movie. (Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1970.) While America Ferrera<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s character Gloria\u2019s relationship with daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt<\/strong>) is a major plot point, the emotional ending between Barbie and Ruth is also reflective of a mother-daughter relationship.<\/p>\n