Oliver Stone’s Swipe at Ryan Gosling Sparks Debate on ‘Serious’ Cinema
Oliver Stone took aim at Ryan Gosling for his role in Barbie, suggesting the actor should pursue more weighty projects. Stone later retracted his comments.
Ryan Gosling: charming, sharp, undeniably talented, and, to top it off, blessed with enviable hair. Hailing from Canada, he’s the sort of figure who, on paper, might inspire a bit of envy. Yet, for all his appeal, not everyone is entirely won over. Enter Oliver Stone, a director whose reputation for being forthright is as well-known as his three Academy Awards. Stone’s films have long gravitated towards weighty themes—conflict, politics, the American psyche—earning him both admiration and a fair share of detractors. His penchant for controversy, whether in his cinematic choices or his public pronouncements, has left him something of a divisive figure.
Stone’s latest target? The state of modern filmmaking, and more specifically, Gosling’s decision to star in Barbie. In a recent interview, Stone didn’t mince words, dismissing the film as “ridiculous” and lamenting what he sees as a broader trend towards escapism in Hollywood.
“Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money,”
he declared, before adding,
“He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilisation of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy. Even the Fast and Furious movies, which I used to enjoy, have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?”
Changing Tides in Gosling’s Career
Stone’s remarks aren’t entirely out of step with a certain strand of film criticism. Gosling’s career has been a study in contrasts: early days spent in romantic comedies and so-called ‘chick flicks’, followed by a pivot to roles that critics deemed more substantial. The transition from The Notebook to Drive marked a shift in how he was perceived, at least by the mainstream press. Yet, with Barbie, Gosling seemed to have found a new equilibrium, blending drama and comedy in a way that’s kept his schedule packed and audiences intrigued. The Fall Guy, his next outing, straddled both genres, suggesting he’s not about to be pigeonholed any time soon.
What’s at stake here isn’t just one actor’s filmography, but a broader question: who gets to decide what counts as ‘serious’ art? Why is it that certain genres or audiences are treated as less worthy of respect? For years, films that dared to be light-hearted or targeted at women have been dismissed, while more sombre fare is lauded come awards season. The double standard is hard to ignore.
Double Standards and the Value of Entertainment
There’s a whiff of something more insidious in this attitude—a kind of snobbery that’s long haunted the world of film criticism. As soon as Gosling moved away from projects aimed at female viewers, he was suddenly taken more seriously. The moment he returned to that audience with Barbie, the mockery resumed. It’s a pattern that says as much about the industry as it does about the critics themselves.
Stone, for all his talk of gravitas, hasn’t always stuck to his own rules. His filmography includes stories about rock bands, American football, and even a musical biopic. Would any of these be considered ‘serious’ by his own standards? It’s debatable. The fact that he later apologised for his comments about Gosling and Barbie suggests even he recognises the contradictions in his stance.