Greta Gerwig was an A+ choice to direct Barbie, with which she conveyed the same themes of female empowerment that she explored in Lady Bird and Little Women. From coming up with the idea of the “I’m Just Ken” dance sequence to staging that brilliant Stanley Kubrick-inspired opening scene, Gerwig understood the assignment for a fun, yet thought-provoking, movie. The filmmaker also had a great idea for film’s end credits, though her wishes were ultimately denied.
The ending of Barbie sees the titular Mattel doll (played by Margot Robbie) choose to live as a human in the real world as a human, where she excitedly visits a gynecologist for the first time. However, Greta Gerwig told Extra TV that she had an idea to add onto that for the end-credits scene, and this is so adorable:
There’s a, you know you say, ‘Written By,’ ‘Directed By.’ And then there’s a credit where you can say ‘A Film By’ which is a director’s credit. But, I’ve actually always wanted to do “A Film By” and then have a card with every single person who worked on the film. Because I feel like what I love about movies is it’s a collective art form and I wanted to do that. But, I was told that I’m not allowed (laughs).
It’s so cute idea that Greta Gerwig would want to list all of the people who made the movie under that specific "A Film By" attribution. Many have said there’s no “I” in team, Gerwig seems to understand that. Sure, Gerwig brought her vision to Barbieworld, and the cast of Barbie brought the Mattel dolls and human characters to life.
Of course, credit was given to individuals like Noah Baumbach, Gerwig’s husband, who co-wrote the screenplay with her, and hair/makeup designer Ivana Primorac, who was responsible for over 30 of Margot Robbie’s outfit changes. However, it seems that wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, kudos to Gerwig for coming up with such a wonderful idea. If anything, it signifies her understanding of the collaborative process of filmmaking.
A union like the Directors Guild of America can have very specific regulations regarding who gets credited and how that work is noted during the end credits of a film For example, per a behind-the-scenes fact about Fargo, Joel Coen was the only director allowed to be credited, as brother Ethan couldn't be because of a DGA rule made in 1978. That rule has since been revoked, and the directing duo has shared directing credit since 2004’s The Ladykillers. I'd really love it if Gerwig were to receive her wish to credit her collaborators in the way she hoped.
Greta Gerwig may have lost the fight for the adorable end-credit scene she wanted, but she did win other creative battles. For instance, she asked that Warner Bros. keep Barbie's memorable bench scene to show the beauty of aging. Gerwig’s creative prowess helped make Barbie the box-office success it became. She's a true artist and, judging by her hope for the end-credits scene, she's a generous one as well Check out the Oscar-winning flick now using an HBO Max subscription.
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