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Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour

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1:48

Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour

1998

56m

Documentary

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

80%

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

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.

Aug 12, 2023

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

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.

Jul 31, 2023

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Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird

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.

Jul 28, 2023

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

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.

Jul 8, 2023

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Chris Salce

Film Threat

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.

Rated: 8/10

Jun 28, 2023

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James Verniere

Boston Herald

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.

Rated: A-

Jun 28, 2023

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 56 minutes of real Barbie Doll footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/23

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Audience Member

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!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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david h

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Susan Stern

Director

Ruth Handler

Self

Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour: Trailer 1

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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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