Barbie and Cabrini: Two Films About Women, Two Different Messages

When Barbie came out in 2023, it was hailed as the definitive female empowerment film, so naturally I wanted to see it with my young adult daughter. I read both the rave reviews and the scathing criticisms, and I went to the theater with an open mind. I predicted that the movie would not live up to all the glorious hype it had received nor would it be as man-bashing and brainwashy as many outraged bloggers had claimed. I was right.

Barbie is fun. The costumes are delightful, and the plot is clever. However, much of the movie’s focus is on how difficult it is to be a woman. In her now-famous monologue, America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, bemoans the trials of womanhood, saying that it is “literally impossible to be a woman.” Her speech is powerful but far from inspiring. Gloria seems defeated and even a bit cynical, and she makes being a woman sound terrible–a life of constant struggle, frustration, and hustle. Cabrini, on the other hand, tells a different story. 

I didn’t know a lot about Mother Cabrini before watching this film, and that’s a shame because her story is remarkable. Born the youngest of thirteen children in a small Italian village, Cabrini determined at an early age that she wanted to join a religious order, but her frail health prevented her from joining the Daughters of the Sacred Heart–the order that had educated her. Eventually, she started The Institute of Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a congregation of women religious, dedicated to serving the poor and needy. 

When Pope Leo XIII denied her request to travel to China to open orphanages, she would not, according to the film, take no for an answer. Eventually, he agreed to allow her to travel with her sisters–but not to the East, to the West. She was sent to America where she, along with her sister companions, fought tirelessly for the needs of immigrants. They opened schools, hospitals, and orphanages, first in New York City and then throughout America. Eventually, Mother Cabrini and her sisters did travel to China and all over the world ministering to the needs of the poor. 

In the film, Cabrini does not allow her sex, her nationality, or even her failing health to prevent her from doing God’s work, and she doesn’t allow men to use those things to shut her down either. When it comes to the plight of Italian Americans and other immigrants, Mother Cabrini will not be silenced. Several times she stands up to men in both the Church and the government who try to prevent her from ministering to the needy. 

Barbie and her Sister Barbies also stand up to the men (or Kens) who try to sideline them, but they do so with less ferocity. Instead, they resort to flirtation and trickery. Their coup is entertaining, but not exactly the example I want for my girls. 

Though Barbie shines a light on many of the difficulties and injustices women face, the movie falls short of the truth about womanhood. Gloria’s monologue is the defining moment of the film. It’s when the struggles of women are laid bare, and Barbie sees the reality of her situation. Yet, for all the hype about what an empowering film Barbie is, it downplays the many, many great things about being a woman–our intuitiveness, our capacity for nurturing and friendship, our willingness to sacrifice for others, and so much more. Mother Cabrini, on the other hand, is the embodiment of those virtues. She exemplifies the Feminine of Genius. 

So, if you're looking for something fun to do with your daughters for International Women's Day, rent Barbie. It’s girly and fun, and what it does (and doesn’t) say about being a woman will give you lots to discuss. Then go see Cabrini because the best example of what it is to be a woman is Mother Cabrini–or any woman who uses her unique gifts to serve God and others.