Directors: Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash
Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook, and Geraldine Viswanathan
Movie Length: 1 hour 50 minutes
What’s it about: The mostly true except for the parts they made up, about the rise and fall of the beanie baby phenomena based on the book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette. The movie doesn’t focus on the man himself (Ty Warner) but the people in the shadows who shape what and whom we value.
What Vanessa thought: The movie targets millennials and aims to revive the nostalgic feelings of the ’90s that we all grew up with, often experiencing without fully understanding how it came about. But also the early bird catches the worm when it comes to figuring out the next big thing, if you are not first you’re last.
The story jumps around different timelines, which was a bit confusing with the four main characters I was following. However they skillfully weave it all together like sewing patches, tying up loose ends and some actual factual closing notes.
Overall there was an emphasis if you’re not among the first to embrace and fortunate enough to catch onto the latest craze, or have the next possibly revolutionary idea, you might already be too late to make millions and don’t forget to have your name on the legal paperwork.
I did appreciate the flash quickly at the end of all the current online trends that are extremely volatile, especially a nod at another popular toy craze today with large heads, small bodies, and exaggerated features.
Vanessa’s grade: B. It was an entertaining film that brings back the nostalgia of the 90s while reminding you of the other crazes occurring today online.
The Beanie Bubble will be streaming globally on Apple TV+ on July 28, 2023
Are you going to watch the movie? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Twitter at @TheConCollectve!
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