Pamela Anderson's highly anticipated 1996 film Barb Wire became a critically panned project and a box-office flop, but what actually happened?
Warning! SPOILERS for Pam & Tommy.
As shown in Pam & Tommy, Pamela Anderson expected her acting career to explode with the release of Barb Wire, but the film ultimately became a critical and commercial flop. The Hulu limited series chronicles the whirlwind marriage of Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Along with their heavily publicized romance comes the unwarranted leak of their private honeymoon tape. Pam & Tommy also dives into the scandal’s impact, particularly into Anderson’s journey to becoming a serious actress, starting with her lead role in Barb Wire.
Following a modeling stint for Labatt’s Beer, Anderson appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in October 1989. Two years later, she landed a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, but her international fame was only cemented when she appeared as the lifeguard CJ Parker on Baywatch. Despite guesting in numerous comedy shows, Anderson remained suffocated by her image as a blonde bombshell. She then wanted to prove her worth as an actress, thus having high hopes for her movie Barb Wire to be the greatest in the world, especially since it would be her first project to hit theaters.
Based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name, Barb Wire is a 1996 superhero film often tagged as the retelling of Casablanca. The film is set in 2017, when a Second American Civil War has destroyed the country, except for the “last free city.” There, Barbara “Barb Wire” Kopetski, a bounty hunter and mercenary, runs her own nightclub. Although she appears content to just look out for herself amidst the chaos, her old lover reappears and appeals to her righteous side. Although at the time, mainstream superhero films were not yet common, the movie, set to define Pamela Anderson’s career, was still highly anticipated. This wasn't only because she was positioned to be a rising star but also because of the controversies surrounding the actress’s personal life. Unfortunately, Barb Wire failed to meet both the critical and financial expectations.
Barb Wire’s reception was nothing short of tragic, receiving a 28% rotten rating from 36 critic reviews and a 14% audience score from more than 25,000 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The critic consensus on the review aggregator acknowledged the film’s potential to be “fun camp, but Pamela Anderson can't deliver her lines with any dramatic or comedic impact.” Given how Barb Wire’s character was largely anchored on Anderson’s celebrity persona, it would make sense that the film’s success would live or die with her.
Instead of having a well-layered plot, the movie simply capitalized on its heroine’s status as the golden girl of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire and a sex symbol. In fact, its opening scene showed her dancing around while being sprayed with champagne and flashing part of her breasts. Although Anderson was able to capture the audience’s attention with her appearance, the novelty soon wore off. She might have looked good on the poster, but she certainly failed at delivering her role. Not to mention that her dialogue in the film was utterly disappointing, with her catchphrase being “Don’t call me babe.” Additionally, the film experienced a tumultuous production, as there were reports of screenplay issues, choice of directors, and even Anderson’s trailer being broken into. As a result, Barb Wire never succeeded in its attempt to be taken seriously, and the more it advanced towards an actual plot, the more incoherent it became.
Pam & Tommy episode 7 related how important Barb Wire was for Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee's relationship, as they saw it as her stepping stone to be regarded as a serious actress. The episode showed not only the film’s premiere night but also the couple’s sneaking out to a regular theater to witness the audience’s genuine reactions. Sadly, all they heard were ridicules and mockery of the film and its lead actress.
This reception also translated into a poor box office performance. Against a production budget of $9 million, Barb Wire only earned $3.8 million in the United States and Canada. The film was also a commercial flop, and its overall quality was not simply the driving force behind such reception. The ‘90s were filled with equally terrible and forgettable films headlined by bombshell actresses, but Barb Wire notably stood out because its release coincided with Anderson and Lee’s leaked tape. The Baywatch star’s infamous reputation — coupled with how the mainstream media treated her, such as Jay Leno’s interviews — possibly repulsed the audiences.
Barb Wire gave Anderson her first lead role in a movie that was not just meant for a direct-to-video release. However, because the film bombed with the critics and at the box office, the actress’ dream of diversifying her roles and branching out her career were shattered. After Barb Wire, Anderson still appeared in various films and television show episodes, but she mostly only played as herself or her Baywatch character CJ Parker. She also had other minor roles, with the most significant being Becca on Scary Movie 3.
While her acting career was heavily impacted by the tape’s scandal, Anderson focused on her other ventures, especially activism. On numerous occasions, she spoke out and even posed for animal rights, promoting animal welfare and conservation. She also became an advocate against online pornography, possibly due to her experience dealing with Rand Gauthier’s actions and the lawsuit against Penthouse’s Bob Guccione. To help spread “a sensual revolution,” she co-wrote opinion pieces and books that discussed how hazardous its consumption was. Also serving as a spokesmodel for various organizations for AIDS and HIV, she helped raise funds for different causes.
Although Pam & Tommy only showed glimpses of its Barb Wire recreation, Lily James revealed that she shot more scenes that were cut. Presumably, the material was scrapped to highlight instead Pam’s reaction to her film’s reception. In an interview, the actress shared how surreal it was filming whole scenes of the movie, as it was essentially acting with layers of Anderson and Barb on. As a matter of fact, some of the original Barb Wire stars returned, including Clint Howard who played Schmitz. The episode’s director Lake Bell also recalled how eager the original actors were to reenact parts of the 25-year-old film on Pam & Tommy.
