Barbie was important to me. This summer has melted her

I've danced the night away to "Barbie" over and over and over ––at this point, I've seen it more than 20 times. Here's what I love most about the film ––and what makes me wistful for the summer of all things pink.

(CNN) — If anything especially notable happened between late July and December of last year, I can’t remember it. All I know is .

I was too busy spending my time withI’ve seen the film upwards of 20 times since it premiered on July 21, 2023. Half of those viewings were in theaters with packed, enthusiastic crowds bedecked in

...a Matchbox Twenty musical interlude.Maybe there won’t be another “Barbie”-level event for a long time, one that dominates the cultural conversation for months, drives all kinds of moviegoers to the theater to experience the pink fantasia for themselves and drowns out real-world darkness. But we’ll always have our “Barbie” summer.