Carla Clark | For The Republic Caroline Brucken and Kenyana Miller do a Barbie for president, of CNHS choir, pose in front of a Barbie poster during the Barbie movie feature at YES Cinema in Columbus, Ind., Monday, July 24, 2023.
Malibu Barbie has nothing on Columbus Barbie.
This is figuratively speaking, of course. But the local “Barbie” is the movie phenomenon starring Margot Robbie as the flawless title character and Ryan Gosling as her ever-faithful-but-bland Ken now recording sellouts at the nonprofit YES Cinema at 328 Jackson St. in downtown Columbus.
Yep, Mattel’s famous blonde is a box office bombshell, nationally and locally. Nationwide, the film recorded the biggest opening weekend — just days ago — of any movie of 2023, way ahead of other blockbusters such as “Oppenheimer,” according to national media coverage.
So it’s fair to say that Barbie’s in the pink, or squarely amid a flash of Hollywood hysteria. In the film, Barbie and Ken leave their idyllic life in Barbie Land for human reality — and a rude awakening.
Randy Allman, executive director of the local Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center that operates YES Cinema, mentioned that many shows have been sellouts.
“The interest level has been off the charts,” Allman said. “Customers are having a blast with it. They are coming in large groups, small groups and as families! Almost everyone is wearing pink and many are wearing costumes as Barbie and Ken. It’s been a whole lot of fun.”
Not to mention good-natured fun with banter with the men walking into the lobby for a ticket. On Monday afternoon, when a teen boy walked in apparently with his girlfriend, he approached the ticket counter.
“Going to see ‘Barbie’ — and to get razzed?” someone asked.
He grinned sheepishly.
Actually, 20 minutes before an afternoon showing, at least four males came in for tickets. By showtime, the crowd ranged a 3-year-old girl to a man in his 70s. The 3-year-old girl was Brynn Bush, who saw a “Barbie” poster in the YES window as her mother, Cortony Bush, drove past and begged her mom to stop.
“She got a Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas this year, and now she loves Barbie just as much as I did (as a child),” the mom said. “I came here on Saturday and watched the movie with a friend, and thought it was great — and such an especially good movie for girls.
” … I think she’ll at least enjoy some of the animation (elements).”
Sherry Stark also was making a return a visit after catching the flick days ago, though her first cinema visit was ill-fated because of a sellout before her arrival. This time, she was bringing along her husband, who originally had little desire to see it.
“But now, he’s heard so much about it,” she said.
Caroline Brucken, 16, whose childhood was filled with her mother’s Barbies passed down to her, saw the film over the weekend and returned Monday with her mom in tow.
“I knew this would be a fun experience (with her),” Brucken said. “And I think that this is a really inspiring movie about female empowerment. And I figured that she would enjoy that.”
Columbus resident and former Republic staffer Jeff Decker, who regularly posts film reviews on his Facebook page titled “This Guy At the Movies,” found plenty to like about the flick after he found himself amid a YES Cinema sellout on its opening day. He said that 95% of the audience in the 177-seat venue was female.
“It is likely to exceed the expectations of most of its audience,” Decker wrote. “It’s dizzying at times, and features a legion of actors (most sporting the same character names) that make for a crowded screen, but it’s such a glorious thrill ride that you might not notice the minor speed bumps.
“Hope you like pink because you are going to see a LOT of it. The set pieces and costumes are spectacular; everything just sort of glows like pink neon.”
About show times
Visit yescinema.org for show times.
