Ibsen is Giving Babygirl
On Babygirl and how it connects to 19th century literature
Movie 3 of 365. Spoilers below for the plot of Babygirl, A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening
I watched Babygirl today. Thankfully, I have a screener so I was able to watch it at home. My sleep schedule is still wonky from New Year’s and I’m not feeling much like going out.
Maybe I just haven’t heard a lot of discourse about the movie, but I was surprised I hadn’t heard anyone talk about how it’s heavily influenced by Henrik Ibsen.
I’ve only seen an Ibsen play once, it was A Doll’s House (naturally) at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. I drove with a group of my friends for a class trip and we almost died because I was not very good at freeway driving yet.
I also saw a play once called Heddatron that was an adaptation of Hedda Gabler but there were robots and it took place in 2006? Theatre is weird.
Babygirl felt like an amalgamation - to me - of Hedda Gabler, A Doll’s House, and Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening. Interestingly enough, they were all written in the 20 year span between 1879 and 1899. And they’re still fresh as ever!
I was frustrated with Babygirl because Romy (Nicole Kidman) didn’t lose anything at the end. Not really. Nora leaves in A Doll’s House. Hedda and Edna die in Hedda Gabler and The Awakening. Is that frustration just me perpetuating the idea that women have to lose something or be punished if they go after what they want?
I liked the movie - some solid acting and direction. The power shifts were really well executed. I didn’t like any of the characters except the assistant, Esme (Sophie Wilde).
I don’t know if this movie made me think too much about my own life, except to think that if I were any of those characters I would have called HR expeditiously.
Bye babygirls!
Korama
P.S. Sorry for the late post. I wrote this yesterday but forgot to schedule it!