Judd Apatow Slams Oscar Categorization of Barbie: It's Offensive
Judd Apatow slams Oscars for categorizing Greta Gerwig's Barbie script, deeming it insulting
Director Judd Apatow criticized the Oscars for categorizing Greta Gerwig's Barbie script in a narrow category. As Oscar season approaches, Barbie, the Margot Robbie-led summer hit directed by Gerwig, is considered a potential frontrunner.
The movie has made the shortlist for multiple categories including Best Music, Best Original Song, and Best Sound. Expectations are high for nominations in top categories like Best Film, Best Actor/Actress, and Best Director. However, one potential nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay has drawn criticism from director Judd Apatow, rather than Gerwig.
Judd Apatow calls Barbie Oscar categorization “insulting”
Judd Apatow, famous for helming films such as Trainwreck, Knocked Up, and This is 40, has openly expressed his disagreement with the Academy's classification of Barbie as an adapted screenplay rather than original.
Variety reported on Wednesday that despite the efforts of the movie’s team to campaign for a Best Original Screenplay nomination, Barbie, which was co-written by Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach, was only eligible for a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.
In response, Apatow defended Gerwig by expressing his disappointment in the decision on X (previously Twitter): "It’s insulting to the writers to say they were working off of existing material," he wrote. "There was no existing material or story. There was a clear box."
The suggestion that the writers were working from existing material is insulting. There was no preexisting material or story. The premise was entirely original.
The decision to classify the movie's screenplay as adapted is likely due to the fact that the main characters, Barbie and Ken, are based on well-known doll characters. Each Academy Award category has specific rules for nominations, and movies with characters based on existing brands, like the Before Sunrise sequels and Toy Story 3, are considered as Adapted Screenplays. Barbie, with its extensive lore, has evolved over the years and is believed to heavily influence the story and message of the movie.
Many Twitter users share the same view, disagreeing with Apatow's remarks. One user argues, "If Barbie is not based on anything existing, then why do we instantly understand the relationship between Barbie and Ken, why Alan is funny, and why the whole film revolves around our cultural relationship with this doll and what it represents?"
The discussion surrounding the adapted screenplay for Barbie is not very meaningful. While it's possible to approach it with an original idea, ultimately it's still an adaptation of an existing toyline. There's not much else to add to that.
— jacob (@LongMacVampyr) January 7, 2024
No existing material????? https://t.co/F0ltqwB8zH pic.twitter.com/P9sKX0zKEz
— Michael. (@yosoymichael) January 7, 2024
I'm a big fan of #Barbie. I'm hoping it takes home some awards at the Globes/Oscars, but the debate between original and adapted screenplay is really interesting. Gerwig wrote a wonderfully original STORY using existing CHARACTERS. Original screenplays usually involve inventing characters, which she did not do. Nevertheless, it's still a fantastic script! pic.twitter.com/456ZGPRhAm
The impact of BARBIE stems from its 50+ year cultural presence, making it a clever and brilliant adaptation that relies on our pre-existing knowledge for its impact.
"Shouldn't 'Barbie' be considered an Adapted Screenplay, given its basis on an existing concept? And could Judd Apatow's critique be disregarding the collaborative aspect of the creative process?"
— ZAQ RIDER (@zaqrider) January 7, 2024
Though of course, others agreed with the director:
Other Oscar-winning original screenplays based on real characters include Patton, Dog Day Afternoon, The King's Speech, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Shakespeare in Love. What sets this movie apart?
It's important for people to recognize the distinction between acknowledging a rule and agreeing with it. Both things can coexist. According to the current #Oscars rules, Barbie must be considered for Adapted Screenplay. This doesn't mean we have to agree with it.
Despite this, the Writers Guild of America has classified Barbie as an original script and that classification will stand for the upcoming WGA Awards. The official Academy Award nomination voting will begin on January 11th.
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Editor's P/S
As a huge fan of Greta Gerwig's work, I was thrilled to hear that her latest film, Barbie, had been shortlisted for multiple Oscar categories. However, I was disappointed to learn that the Academy had categorized the film's screenplay as an adapted screenplay rather than an original one. I agree with Judd Apatow's criticism of this decision, as I believe that Gerwig and her co-writer, Noah Baumbach, created an entirely original story and characters. The fact that the film is based on the popular Barbie doll line does not mean that it is not an original work of art.
I understand that the Academy has specific rules for each award category, and that movies with characters based on existing brands are typically considered adapted screenplays. However, I believe that Barbie is a unique case. The film does not simply retell the story of the Barbie dolls; it creates a new and original story that uses the dolls as a starting point. Gerwig and Baumbach have taken these iconic characters and created something completely new and unexpected. I believe that their screenplay deserves to be recognized as an original work of art.
