The only movie Nicole Kidman watches at least once a year: “I love the film”
Almost everyone in the arts has that one movie, album, or television show they come back to every once in a while, including Nicole Kidman.
In fact, if you were to think of any name in the film industry, it’s likely that each one will feel the same way. Often, it’s as simple as a comfort movie, though sometimes, it’s for immediate inspiration or to get into the right headspace. Steven Spielberg, for instance, always watches The Bridge on the River Kwai whenever he’s making “anything that has a lot of scope and is somewhat of an adventure”.
Nia DaCosta always watched Apocalypse Now before starting any new role. And countless others always find themselves coming routinely back to the same thing, even if it’s just for the joy and gratification of watching something they’ve always loved and appreciated. While it’s not necessarily unique to actually take an interest in the field you’re in, many choice favourites actually say a lot about the actor in question, and how they then approach nuance when it comes to their own craft.
While it might be somewhat of an off-kilter example, especially when it comes to his own work, Robert Pattinson’s love for The Exorcist might actually say more about his own mindset in acting than you think. Even more so when you think about his reasoning for visiting it over and over, and the fact that he believes it has that secret, hidden ingredient that keeps you coming back, even if you have no idea why.
For some, like Elizabeth Olsen, it’s also about the escapism element, which is why she always comes back to Bridget Jones’s Diary – because it “always hits the spot”. For others, like Nicole Kidman, it’s about emotional response and reaction, which is why she always finds herself revisiting the 1939 epic historical romance Gone With The Wind – something she rewatches at least once a year.
Granted, doing something like that might feel like a bit of a chore to most people, especially considering the film’s hefty runtime and even heavier premise. For Kidman, however, that’s all a part of the fun, especially when you lose yourself in all the frustrating whirls of emotions that come with the choices of the central character, Scarlett O’Hara. It pains Kidman that she can’t be with Rhett, but that’s precisely why she keeps coming back to it.
As she once explained, “I watch it every year. I adore Vivien Leigh. ‘Ashley!’ I’m still devastated that she can’t love Rhett. You feel like shaking her. I love the film because of that — it brings out all those emotions.”
Whether subtly or not, Kidman actually brought a lot of that to her own roles, especially when it came to portraying someone who falls hard and fast while in the throes of an immense period of cultural or political unrest. In fact, she reflected on her work on Cold Mountain at the time, and how her belief in the nature of love and romance was a main part of the role, and something she continuously carries with her. “If I fall, I fall, that’s it. So that really plays into my whole idea of what I think love is,” she said.
Despite her own battles in Hollywood, Kidman clearly prefers to focus on art that is actually worthwhile, whether it’s one of her yearly rewatches of the Victor Fleming epic or in keeping her own projects fresh and authentic. And the sweet spot is and will always be that raw nuance that keeps people coming back – even if there’s tragedy in the stories, because that’s what ultimately becomes a reflection of the world around.
