Collecting Isn’t Just a Hobby—It’s Identity

Read Time:5 Minute, 36 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Barbie Boomer
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 18m
Director(s): Marc Joly-Corcoran
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: There’s something potent about watching a person prepare to say goodbye—not to someone, but to something that has shaped their identity for decades. In BARBIE BOOMER, that "something" is a collection of dolls. But Marc Joly-Corcoran’s documentary makes it clear early on: these aren’t just toys. They’re time capsules, symbols of imagination, and witnesses to an entire life. Through the lens of his cousin, Sylvie Longpré, Joly-Corcoran captures a deeply personal and surprisingly universal story about memory, loss, and the unspoken emotions that connect us with the things we love.

Sylvie, now 67, has spent much of her life being affectionately known as "Miss Barbie" throughout Quebec. Not just a collector, she’s also a creator—designing clothes for herself and her dolls, immersing herself in Barbie’s world not for performance, but for enjoyment. The film begins with her decision to donate part of her collection to Quebec’s Musée de la civilisation, a gesture of preservation that is also a parting of ways. As the museum's curator, Lydia Bouchard, evaluates the potential exhibit, the film develops less like a linear narrative and more like an emotional unpacking.

It’s in the quiet moments—packing boxes, handling small plastic limbs, or reminiscing about her bond with her best friend Linda (whose declining health is its quiet subplot)—that the film reveals its weight. What appears, on the surface, to be a documentary about dolls becomes something much deeper. This is a story about mortality. About inheritance. About the ache of transferring care from your hands to someone else’s, and wondering whether they’ll understand the depth of your attachment.

Unlike other collector-centric documentaries that lean into eccentricity or spectacle, BARBIE BOOMER resists any urge to sensationalize the subject or the collector view itself. Joly-Corcoran instead opts for restraint, allowing Sylvie to guide the story at her own pace. His direction is intimate and affectionate, no doubt shaped by their family connection. But even as he remains close to his subject, the film never feels insular. The broader reflections on what Barbie meant—both to Sylvie and to an entire generation—open the story up to something more expansive.

There’s something universally enchanting about collections—how they become more than the sum of their parts. BARBIE BOOMER quietly explores this phenomenon without overstating it. Whether you’ve spent years collecting Star Wars figures, movie memorabilia, or something more niche, the real power in a collection is what it reflects at you. It isn’t just about the items—it’s about the thrill of the find, the ceremony of organizing, the memory attached to each addition. For Sylvie, Barbie is more than a doll; she’s a lifelong companion, a silent record of experiences and emotions. And as her collection becomes curated history in a museum, the film reminds us that collecting is also a form of storytelling—one that quietly says who we were, who we are, and what we hoped to hold onto.

The film is also notably shaped by its contrasts. It balances generational legacy with personal grief. It juxtaposes the gloss of Barbie’s world with the real-world ailments that time brings, particularly through Linda’s illness. And while it’s framed by nostalgia, it resists becoming overly sentimental. There's a sadness here, yes, but also deep admiration for the courage it takes to let go.

What lingers most about the film isn’t just the story it tells, but the feelings it stirs—those subtle waves of nostalgia that sneak up quietly and stay with you long after the final scene. BARBIE BOOMER doesn't rely on manufactured emotion; instead, it lets memory do the work. The worn edges of a doll’s dress, the way a shelf is arranged, the hesitation before handing something off—all of it creates a space where the viewer begins to reflect on their objects of attachment. Nostalgia here isn’t about rose-colored longing, but about the very human act of trying to preserve joy, identity, and time itself.

If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that the film occasionally leans so gently into its subject that it risks underselling its broader impact. Some viewers might wish for a deeper dive into the cultural implications of Barbie’s evolution or a wider range of collector voices. But that would’ve been a different film (one that’s already been made for sure)—and this one is content to stay close to its subject, trusting that her story speaks for many.

BARBIE BOOMER isn’t just for fans of Barbie, or even collectors. It’s for anyone who has ever loved something so much that parting with it felt like losing a part of themselves. And in capturing that ache with such subtle grace, Joly-Corcoran gives his cousin—and her dolls—a second life on screen. Quiet and understated, but rich with emotional truth, this documentary earns its place alongside the most personal stories told at Fantasia this year.

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[photo courtesy of PARAFFILM, LES FILMS CAMERA OSCURA]

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