Barbie: That Weird (And Sad) Colin Firth Appearance Explained
Contains spoilers for "Barbie"
A lot of people anticipating a live-action "Barbie" movie probably didn't expect it to get as existential as it did. The film's all about the inevitable march of change and breaking free of preconceived notions, with a healthy dose of feminism to boot. "Barbie" has no problem deconstructing what the dolls mean to so many people, to the point where at one point, the plot breaks to show a commercial for Depression Barbie, who watches BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" from 1995 ad nauseam.
The scene even cuts to a scene from "Pride and Prejudice" featuring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. It's one of many pop culture Easter eggs in "Barbie" that play into the larger themes of what it means to be a woman in the modern age. But whereas people can draw a direct correlation between referencing Zack Snyder's "Justice League" cut and toxic masculinity, the "Pride and Prejudice" joke may have gone over some people's heads. Looking online, that bit made plenty of women feel seen.
For many women, Pride and Prejudice is essential viewing when they're feeling down
A phrase growing in popularity in online circles is, "Not everything is made for you." It's good and justifiable that not every movie caters to men between the ages of 18 and 34, and "Barbie" certainly falls in that camp. This is a movie made for women by women (seeing how it was co-written and directed by Greta Gerwig). Referencing the 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" BBC series is something many women can relate to, as they've taken to social media to express their delight.
A Reddit thread discussing the moment featured many women mentioning how their loved ones gave their glances when that scene occurred. For example, u/No_Chapter8457 pointed out, "I gasped!!!! I felt so seen. It's me. BBC version specifically is such a comfort to me. My boyfriend who's idea it was to see the movie turned to me and said it's you!" A similar sentiment was shared by @laurenwethers on Twitter, "No spoilers but there is a 95 Pride and Prejudice reference in the new Barbie movie and all of my friends literally turned to look at me in the theater in a simultaneous call out. I may never recover."
"Pride and Prejudice" is a quintessential romance story, and whether they're more fond of the 1995 BBC series or the 2005 film, many women turn to it repeatedly over the years. Both Mr. Darcies from these adaptations — Colin Firth and Matthew Macfayden — spoke about playing the character as a "grumpy adolescent" with Vanity Fair, with Firth saying, "He's scared. 'This place isn't good enough. I'm not dancing in a place like this.' It's because he's afraid to dance." Those scared, lost feelings make it ideal comfort viewing for anyone who feels down, just like Depression Barbie.