Who knew there was so much drama in Beanie Babies?
In the new AppleTV+ film, “The Beanie Bubble,” we discover there were several brains behind the understuffed animals and a leader who wasn’t quite sure what he wanted.
Zach Galifianakis stars as Ty Warner, the company leader who thinks stuffed cats could be a winner. Using money from selling family antiques, he and good friend Robbie (Elizabeth Banks) launch the toy line. And wait. And wait.
While some of his concepts are good (he sold only to mom-and-pop shops so they wouldn’t be overrun or underpriced by big-box stores), the stuffed animals don’t take off until they have an online presence, creating a rush for certain characters. Adding names and info on the hangtags and proclaiming some a “limited edition” boost their popularity. Kids play then becomes adult investments.
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Zach Galifianakis and Geraldine Viswanathan play key figures in the Beanie Baby phenomenon in "The Beanie Bubble."
Elizabeth Banks and Zach Galifianakis play partners in "The Beanie Bubble."
In the film, directors Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash start with that frenzied buying rush. When a semi containing Beanie Babies crashes on the interstate, other drivers begin scooping up the bounty. It’s like the Cabbage Patch phenomenon years earlier. Here, though, there's the get-rich-quick aspect that comes from internet exposure.
A Ty toys employee (smartly played by Geraldine Viswanathan) hits on the online concept. She also backs into the “limited edition” ploy when some retailers can’t get product.
The flashes of brilliance are almost as much fun to watch as the parade of 1990s fashion. Leaning into the era, Gore and Kulash give a sense of the trends and the awakening women have regarding employment. While this isn’t as overt as Adam McKay’s films, it does show how short-sighted some men are regarding their employees.
As Warner, Galifianakis is so outrageous it’s difficult to understand his success. The film mentions an attraction to plastic surgery but shows little of the marketing savvy that made Beanies big. Conversely, the women around him are more grounded, suggesting they carried him all those years. While that may be true, it doesn’t take into account his role in the company’s success. Certainly, there must have been something he contributed.
Zach Galifianakis plays Ty Warner in "The Beanie Bubble."
Employees cheer when a Beanie baby phenomenon makes big money in "The Beanie Bubble."
When a girlfriend (Sarah Snook) discovers he put his name on the hangtag instead of her daughter’s, she springs into action and emerges as one of the few to profit from the Beanie boom.
A mixed bag of emotions (not unlike the Beanies themselves), “The Beanie Bubble” isn’t quite sure what it wants to be – an outrageous comedy, a crusading drama or a bizarre slice of life. While it might have been a great cautionary tale for the whole family, a spate of swearing keeps this out of the hands of children.
Warner’s approach to relationships is questionable, too. A better actor might have been able to play the angles. Galifianakis goes for the squishy pellets inside.
Banks and Snook rattle around the same themes (not unlike characters in “9 to 5”) but it’s Viswanathan who introduces something telling about the whole phenomenon. If her character is based on a real person, it’d be fascinating to discover her take on online marketing.
“The Beanie Bubble,” however, isn’t interested in the how and why. It’s fascinated with the who and comes away with a look at Warner that few realized existed.
The film won’t prompt a rush on Beanie sales (unless there’s a limited movie edition) but it does explain what was behind something so very, very simple.
"The Beanie Bubble" airs on AppleTV+.
