Beat 9: The Actual Ascent
Start of Act 2B:
The heroine begins her ascent toward reconnection and achieving her goals by pursuing a second family and a constant network of people to assist her. Demonstrate her as a civilizing force throughout this beat and the rest of the beats in your story.
Barbie runs into Sasha, (who she thought was her child) and Sasha’s mother, Gloria, the human Barbie was meant to find. She jumps into their car and escapes.
We see a montage of Gloria’s memories, of connecting with her own child through play, of slowly feeling disconnected from her daughter Sasha. Notice how this disconnect from her daughter is what leads Gloria to feel isolated and sad. Another example of how isolation weakens characters in the Heroine’s Journey.
Together, they manage to avoid Mattel, the force that seeks to disrupt and isolate them. Gloria relies on her mad driving skills, feeling empowered by Barbie’s presence.
Barbie suggests that the best way to solve this problem is to return to Barbie Land so she can show them how powerful women were always meant to be.
Beat 10: Dark Night/All is Lost
Act 2B Continued:
The odds are stacked against the heroine and the family created. In this beat, despite her best efforts, she fails and is forced to accept defeat.
They arrive in Barbie Land where everything is perfect and wonderful and women rule … except they don’t. Ken has introduced patriarchy and finally found his own acceptance and power in Barbie Land.
Barbie’s close friends have been indoctrinated by Ken’s skewed version of patriarchy (everything exists to expand and elevate the presence of men) and lost identity and connection in the process.
Barbie finds her original network of family and connection completely destroyed by this imbalance of power. Yet we have hints of a deeper issue at play: perhaps it was always imbalanced in favor of matriarchy.
Barbie says that they failed the Real World, but Ken says something very interesting: “No, you failed me.” She had failed to empower Ken who was also part of her community and family.
Cut off from all she thought she knew, she has to decide if she is going to accept the status quo again or fight for that ultimate goal of empowerment. But since she is used to perfection all the time, she wallows a bit and withdraws into herself.
Beat 11: Reconnection & Renewal of Community & Family
Act 2B Continued:
It is time for our heroine to rally with the support of friends, family, and those with whom she has been able to build community.
Sasha tells her mom that they can’t give up. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be better. Sasha, her mother, and even Allen return to help Barbie remember who she is and who she can be.
It’s not about perfectionism, it’s not about being everything to everyone. However, it does go back to self-worth. What is Barbie worth? What is anyone worth? Is anyone good enough when perfectionism is the standard? And what can be achieved when so much imbalance of power is at play?
Beat 12: The Power of Connection in Action
End of Act 2B:
Show how this network assists the Heroine to achieve the story goal. How do they begin to work together to battle this last and greatest obstacle facing them?
Barbie and her group begin the process of breaking through the brainwashing and adding the unbrainwashed Barbies back into their network before the Kens can change the constitution.
They plan to turn the Kens against one another, proving that solidarity is more powerful than going it alone. Barbie tricks Ken into thinking she is brainwashed as well.
2 thoughts on “Barbie the Movie Beat Sheet: A Heroine’s Journey Plot Guide for Authors”
Wow. Fantastic.
Thanks for your feedback, Olive. We’re glad you liked this beat sheet!