Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie

  • 2018
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
411
YOUR RATING
Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018)
Documentary

Barbie, the most popular doll ever created is a fashion icon and a target for feminists. This features new footage, access to Barbie's biggest reinvention, and examines 60 years of women thr... Read allBarbie, the most popular doll ever created is a fashion icon and a target for feminists. This features new footage, access to Barbie's biggest reinvention, and examines 60 years of women through the lens of an 11.5-inch plastic doll.Barbie, the most popular doll ever created is a fashion icon and a target for feminists. This features new footage, access to Barbie's biggest reinvention, and examines 60 years of women through the lens of an 11.5-inch plastic doll.

  • Director
    • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
  • Writer
    • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
  • Stars
    • Ruth Handler
    • Richard Dickson
    • Kristina Duncan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    411
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
    • Writer
      • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
    • Stars
      • Ruth Handler
      • Richard Dickson
      • Kristina Duncan
    • 10User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Top cast33

    Edit
    Ruth Handler
    Ruth Handler
    • Self - Inventor of Barbie
    • (archive footage)
    Richard Dickson
    Richard Dickson
    • Self - President, Mattel
    Kristina Duncan
    Kristina Duncan
    • Self - Barbie Marketing
    Michelle Chidoni
    Michelle Chidoni
    • Self - Barbie Public Relations
    Kim Culmone
    Kim Culmone
    • Self - Barbie Head of Design
    M.G. Lord
    M.G. Lord
    • Self - Author, Forever Barbie
    Amy Richards
    Amy Richards
    • Self - Author, Manifesta
    Gloria Steinem
    Gloria Steinem
    • Self - Founder, Ms. Magazine
    Amanda Foreman
    Amanda Foreman
    • Self - Historian
    • (as Dr. Amanda Foreman)
    Peggy Orenstein
    Peggy Orenstein
    • Self - Author, Cinderella Ate My Daughter
    Roxane Gay
    Roxane Gay
    • Self - Author, Bad Feminist
    Andi Zeisler
    Andi Zeisler
    • Self - Co-Founder of Bitch Media
    Evelyn Mazzocco
    Evelyn Mazzocco
    • Self - Senior Vice President, Barbie
    Robert Best
    Robert Best
    • Self - Barbie Senior Designer
    Anne Monier
    Anne Monier
    • Self - Curator, Musée des Arts Décoratifs
    Jill E. Barad
    Jill E. Barad
    • Self - Former CEO, Mattel
    David Krajci
    David Krajci
    • Self - Crisis Consultant
    Connie Chung
    Connie Chung
    • Self - Journalist
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
    • Writer
      • Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    6.7411
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    2fatimah-52797

    Rethinking to overthinking Barbie

    I really daily run Barbie are qualified to be. They missed the whole point of Barbie! She's supposed to be fun to play with! And the thing is she was perfect what's wrong with playing with the perfect little doll? She had plenty of black fans in the early 60s! In the 80 she was cute too but it's these two thousands Barbie dolls that look weird, and then we get to meet the people behind it. People who are offended by growing up Etc. You know, the name of the documentaries tiny shoulders but they spend more time talking about her thigh gap. I'm actually offended by the plus size doll and I look similar to that plus size doll. Is this her face is so ugly! What was wrong with regular Barbie in the first place I think she's perfect and I ain't look more like the real Barbie than the Plus Size Barbie! Is so ridiculous and that plus size doll doesn't have any cute clothes I mean they're vaguely cute which is a problem that plus-size people have. In real life Barbie doesn't have that problem. The people who run Barbie currently just really overthink things to the point where it's no longer fun It also shows the company purposely getting low-ball publicity for Barbie which is kind of sad but I guess they needed to do it. Another painfully obvious thing is it the original creator of Barbie at the secret sauce and so did the second head of Barbie in the 1980s she did a really good job and make Mattel billionaires. They really need to take lessons from the previous CEOs and owners and creators of Barbie she doesn't need to be changed anymore we like her being very pretty and beautiful. We like her big breasts why take them away? In fact that's what the owner the original CEO said, none of the men thought that the dog will be successful because she had breast but when they sold out instantly by women. She also went on to make silicone breast which is actually very interesting and shows how powerful she is! Very happy for her and proud of her she's a very creative woman. Now, if we can only get this new generation that get up on that. For the most part it's just feels like another publicity stunt. It seems like Mattel sponsored it or something like that I guess the documentary tried but not until the very end to be a documentary more like a reality show
    1mojo4030

    You're right, there is a problem that needs to be addressed...

    Obesity in America is 36.5% of the population, another 32.5% is overweight. In all, more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. This is a MAJOR issue.

    Barbies WEIGHT wasn't the problem.

    She's so much more than her body and if you can only think about her body when you look at her, the issue is really on YOU.

    The thing with Barbie is that she's perfect, she's gorgeous & she's a career woman.

    Girls SHOULD aspire to have these goals which some perceive as unrealistic, because, frankly, it's no more unrealistic than a woman president (something we still have never seen).

    --- The documentary was only interesting to me for the history of the doll, as well as a review of the intent of the doll by the creator. When I purchase Barbies in the future for my daughter it will be online VINTAGE 80's & 90's Barbies ONLY.
    7lakishaferguson21

    Reviews here WAY TOO HARSH

    Obviously u folks spewing all this negativity towards this doc never played with dolls. I thought it was a really good, necessary watch. People saying "it's just a doll" never had insecurities or body image issues. Although I wished for more interviews with children, since their opinions mattered most with this subject matter, it was nice to hear from actual Mattel employees. I also enjoyed learning a little about the founding couple behind the brand, especially Ruth, who was a bad chick. Barbie has meant so much to women/girls the last 60+ years so as a progressive figure she was long overdue for a relaunch. I think she still has a ways to go to be more inclusive and to keep the attention of kids, but think it's a step in the right direction.

    I do believe society has placed too much pressure on a doll, however since Barbie is in the public eye, there's a certain level of responsibility that entails.
    1emilymary

    A bad attempt

    Barbie is a way of the past. No one needs this "brand" to show young women what they should be today. Tiny Shoulders is a lesson in bed marketing. Get it right.
    4mike_NY

    Slick Mattel Promo Film

    Interesting primarily from a marketing perspective. A story about good timing, a tenacious founder, and a chance encounter in Germany with a doll named Lil (sold in service stations and marketed to men!) gives way to a drearily self-important discourse in sociology. Yes, fine, Barbie was culturally relevant and yes this is a great big advertisement for woke mattel products. Guaranteed to give any survivors of corporate america (particularly in marketing & PR) severe agita. Trigger alert: Mattel employees with severe upspeak, vocal trill, and tragic buzz word addiction. 90 minutes seems like 4 hours.

    More like this

    Fyre Fraud
    6.8
    Fyre Fraud
    LuLaRich
    7.4
    LuLaRich
    Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara
    6.4
    Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara
    The Cowboy and the Queen
    8.3
    The Cowboy and the Queen
    The Other F Word
    7.2
    The Other F Word
    Party Girl
    6.5
    Party Girl
    The Truth vs. Alex Jones
    7.5
    The Truth vs. Alex Jones
    Hysterical
    7.3
    Hysterical
    Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies
    7.4
    Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies
    Tiny Beautiful Things
    7.1
    Tiny Beautiful Things
    Quiz Lady
    6.7
    Quiz Lady
    Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
    6.5
    Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing

    Storyline

    Edit

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ12

    • How long is Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 27, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Hulu
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Вузькі плечі - переоцінка Барбі
    • Filming locations
      • Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
    • Production companies
      • Hulu
      • Rare Bird Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.