When I googled "Nicole Kidman significance" most of the immediate results were in regards to the meaning of her new daughter's name. So, as you can see, Nicole Kidman's star has certainly risen since her days on set for Jane Campion's "The Portrait of a Lady." Personally, I've always admired Kidman's acting abilities, though lately some her role choices have left something to be desired. She's seemed to reach the Mel Gibson equivalent of beginning as a young actress in some of the most important Australian films, only to see her fame explode only a few years later leading to Hollywood super-success and a marriage to a certain ubiquitous star. In fact, much like Gibson, her career has declined in such a manner that in 2007 she was reported, alongside Russell Crowe (a kiwi), as "Box Office Poison," meaning that she was the most overpaid actress in Hollywood because her films tended to not gross a profit.
Kidman is looking to return to her roots, in more ways than one, with her new film "Australia" (aptly titled), which co-stars Hugh Jackman and is directed by Baz Luhrmann (both Aussies). The film is a sort of Down Under "Gone With the Wind" and touts itself as an epic. However, the really interesting aspect of this whole thing is the intense marketing campaign by 20th Century Fox aimed at the Australian markets. It's been reported that the company is spending upwards of $20 million alone to promote the film in Australia, and in the article linked below one source says it could surpass "Titanic"'s marketing budget of $57.6 million (an equally important American film, no doubt). The company is banking on Kidman's appeal to a native audience and expect big returns in Australia that will fan out to the rest of the world (interesting because the movie was produced by Hollywood). The article quotes one rep as saying, "if it works internationally, it will be the first big cross-over Australian hit for a long time," reflecting the state of Australian Cinema as a business. It remains to be seen whether Kidman can bring Australia back onto the cinema stage in a big way as she helped to do 12 years ago alongside Jane Campion.
Australia - Opens 11/26/08 in the U.S. & Australia
- Matt Holden
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