America Ferrera’s ‘beautiful’ Barbie monologue took 2 days to film and left crew ‘sobbing’

Despite the eagerly-awaited summer blockbuster's opening weekend being in the past, the craze for the Barbie-themed movie shows no signs of slowing down.

The film has made an astounding debut on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving an impressive 88 percent score. Additionally, Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Ken has generated serious Oscar buzz, further fueling the excitement among fans.

Directed by the iconic Greta Gerwig, who recently made history with the highest opening weekend for a solo female director, the movie continues to garner praise. One aspect that particularly stands out is a powerful speech featured in the film.

America Ferrera delivered a 'beautiful' monologue in the Barbie film, a scene that took an entire two days to film and moved the film crew to tears.

In the movie, Ferrera portrays Gloria, the sole female employee at Mattel and a mother to her moody teenage daughter, Sasha. Meanwhile, the iconic Margot Robbie plays Barbie, who undergoes a profound existential crisis upon experiencing the realities of the patriarchal world outside Barbie Land.

Gloria's impactful speech pulls Barbie out of her distress. She starts by stating, "It is literally impossible to be a woman." Gloria emphasizes how society imposes conflicting expectations on women, requiring them to be both stunning and intelligent, yet making them feel inadequate no matter what they do.

Continuing her powerful words, Gloria highlights the pressures regarding body image, where women are expected to be thin but not too thin, and unable to express their desire for thinness openly, only under the guise of wanting to be healthy.

"You're expected to possess wealth, but asking for it is considered vulgar. You're supposed to be authoritative, yet displaying any signs of harshness is frowned upon..."

The remarkable monologue continues, shedding light on the unrelenting double standards and inconsistencies women confront in a patriarchal society.

Gloria continues, "Always remember that the system is stacked against you. So, find a way to acknowledge that while still displaying gratitude.

"You must never age, never be impolite, never boast, never be self-centered, never stumble, never fail, never show fear, and never step out of line. It's too much! It's too paradoxical, and no one rewards you or says thank you!

"And it turns out that not only are you constantly getting everything wrong, but everything is also deemed your fault."

She concludes by expressing her weariness, admitting she's 'exhausted' from witnessing herself and 'every other woman contorting herself' just to gain approval from others.

"And if those same aspects apply even to a doll that simply represents women, then I can't even fathom," she concluded, sending shivers down my spine.

Ferrera's monologue undoubtedly captivated the audiences, not only cinema-goers but also the film crew, who were deeply moved by the powerful scene.

Greta, discussing the filming of this monumental moment, shared with The Atlantic that she couldn't hold back her tears while America delivered her beautiful speech. As she looked around, she noticed that everyone on the set was also moved to tears.

Although the speech primarily addressed the challenges and daily experiences faced by women, Gerwig revealed that even the male crew members were emotionally impacted by it.

She continued, "The men are crying, too, because they have their own speech they feel they can't ever give, you know? They also face their own difficult balancing act, which is equally distressing."

According to Ferrera's interview with Vanity Fair, the monologue scene required an extensive amount of effort, with '30 to 50' takes to achieve the desired outcome. Filming stretched over two days, and the scene was just one part of a larger sequence involving numerous characters. Ferrera had to perform the monologue multiple times to accommodate other characters' coverage and ensure continuity throughout the two-day shoot.

All the hard work paid off as the particular scene is undoubtedly destined to become a landmark moment in cinematic history.

Currently, Barbie is being screened in cinemas worldwide.

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