If I had to place a wager on how many movies the average moviegoer sees on any given weekend, I would confidently bet on one. If I had to place a wager about what the average moviegoer was up to this past weekend, I would ask a follow-up question: were they wearing pink?
Barbenheimer swept the nation on Saturday and Sunday, as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie premiered simultaneously. For the uninitiated, the vast chasm separating the subject matter of these two films – atomic bombs vs. dolls – spawned something of a grassroots campaign encouraging moviegoers to see the two as a DIY double bill. And many did: according to early estimates, more than 60,000 Canadians purchased tickets to see both films on the same day.
I was one of those Canadians.
I joined two girlfriends at the Stony Creek, Ont., Cineplex for the double bill, which started early with a 2 p.m. Oppenheimer matinee. Our thinking – similar to the thinking of so many Barbenheimer-ers, if social media is any indication – was to rip off Nolan’s grim bandage first, get the bad news out of the way so to speak, and follow it with Gerwig’s bubblegum-pink chaser. (Most folks, according to box office numbers, opted for just Barbie, no Heimer.)
We weren’t alone: moments before the lights dimmed, a party of eight filmgoers walked in decked out in rose-coloured Barbie tees and baseball caps. And that, really, is the litmus test of Barbenheimer weekend.
And after a 90-minute break between the two films – I would say this is optimal: stagger your screenings too far apart, and you may find yourself weighed down by the doom and gloom of Oppenheimer; sandwich the films too close together, and there’s no chance for the decompression you actually do need after Oppenheimer – we returned to a newly packed theatre. Roughly half of the patrons were obviously dressed for Barbie, with outfits running the gamut from pink tees and dresses to full-on tracksuits reminiscent of the ones worn by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the film.
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(With respect to The Globe’s film editor Barry Hertz, who suggested in his review of Oppenheimer that its existentialism was best met with a period of post-film reflection rather than a Barbie screening, I think the latter film was actually the more provocative of the two. If you’re seeing both, save the pink for last.)
There is something disorienting about the Barbenheimer double bill; the counterprogramming of seeing one after another, no matter what order, is a study in contrasts, by design. But whoever came up with the idea in the first place couldn’t possibly have known that both films come to starkly opposing conclusions about the reality we actually inhabit; once the fun of a day at the cinema has worn off, it may be difficult to reconcile one with the other.
Or it can just be a fun day at the movies! Oppenheimer and Barbie are both rooted in existentialism, but they’re also big-budget Hollywood summer blockbusters. The whiplash is part of the fun. And on the eve of a Hollywood shut down – and after three years of COVID-born cinematic starts and stops – there’s currently a lot of value in having a little fun at the movies.
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If you’re participating in Barbenheimer, here are some tips:
Snack strategically: Oppenheimer is three hours long; Barbie clocks in at 1:45. That’s a minimum of six hours at the theatre. Get your soda and popcorn, sure, but stagger your snacking. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Sip strategically: Hydration is important and, for a full day at the movies, so too may be staying caffeinated. That said, any midmovie breaks that you may need to take should be taken before each film’s final half-hour. Not that there are missable portions, but both Barbie and Oppenheimer have particularly unmissable final acts.
Stretch: Movie theatre seats are better than they used to be, but they’re still not pillars of ergonomic design. Don’t do a seventh-inning stretch once you hit Oppenheimer’s 145-minute mark, of course, but move around between films if you can.
Stagger: Don’t do both movies back-to-back; this’ll be hard on your eyes, your stomach and, well, your back. Try to put at least 90 minutes to two hours in between to allow for a bit of decompression, of both body and mind.
Suit up: If you’re planning to dress up for one or both films, keep in mind that movie theatres are frosty environments. That hot-pink sleeveless dress is a strong look, but bring a cardigan (or, better yet, a blazer – now you’re Oppenheimer-ready, too!) to keep yourself warm.