Y’all I’ve seen plenty of barbie talk about how Erika was The Best™ for not putting Anneliese down when her problems were arguably less dire, but I haven’t seen Anneliese get the appreciation she deserves for how she treats her side of the situation.
The very first scene of the movie in the present, Free, which sets the scene for both girls, shows both girls being miserable. It’s not “ohhh ho ho I am the princess and I sip tea but man is it boring.” It’s “Every moment and aspect of my life is dictated by someone else to the point where I don’t even have enough time to myself to have a single hobby.”
If you pay attention to the lyrics of To Be a Princess, only 2 or 3 of the things Julian says are fun and not strict expectations that Anneliese isn’t even allowed to complain about.
She says it herself in the line “You would think that I’m so lucky that I have so many things; I’m realizing that every present comes with strings.” She’s come to learn that her happiness is never considered. She’s the kingdom’s pawn, both domestically and internationally. She just wants to avoid an arranged marriage, but she resigns herself to her role. She doesn’t even try to escape it.
When her mother says she must marry King Dominic to save the kingdom, the way she responds “I know. It’s my duty.” is robotic. It’s what she’s supposed to say, so she says it.
And then she meets Erika and she literally has no idea what an indentured servant is. After Erika explains it to her and asks for Anneliese to tell her story, she’s reluctant. Embarrassed, even, because now that she’s heard about Erika’s situation she feels like her problems are tiny in comparison.
Look at the I Am a Girl Like You scene and watch Anneliese’s body language. She explains her life, hears out of her own mouth how much better it sounds, and immediately shrinks. Because, to her, their lives can’t possibly be comparable. She looks at the ground and doesn’t make eye contact until Erika reaches out for her. She’s surprised when Erika suggests that their troubles are equally hard on them.
Anneliese was never a spoiled rich kid. She was sheltered, and, miserable as she was, once she learned she immediately looked at her situation under the new lens she was given.
Definitely, props to Erika for reassuring Anneliese that their problems were comparable. But props to Anneliese too for bothering to consider that they might not be.
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