Under the Spotlight: Nicole Kidman’s complex performance in ‘Big Little Lies’
Australian actor Nicole Kidman began her career in the 1980s, rising to worldwide stardom the following decade with roles in movies such as Batman Forever, To Die For, Practical Magic, and Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Kidman has always possessed great range, with credits ranging from thrillers to musicals to family-friendly comedies.
However, despite her impressive list of movie credits, one of Kidman’s most outstanding performances came in the HBO television series Big Little Lies, based on the novel by Liane Moriarty. The show, which aired between 2017 and 2019, follows five women living in Monterey whose lives become entangled due to a murder. Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz star alongside Kidman, all of whom have various marital and parental issues to deal with throughout the show.
It’s a brilliantly written piece of television, leaving audiences unaware of the murder victim until the final episode of season one. There’s plenty of explosive drama within Big Little Lies, although it never feels overblown or overstuffed. Instead, the women each deal with genuine and intense issues, from sexual assault trauma to spousal abuse. Writer David E. Kelley and directors Jean-Marc Vallée and Andrea Arnold treat the weighty topics with care and nuance, making Big Little Lies one of HBO’s most astounding releases in recent years.
While every actor does a fantastic job in their roles, Kidman’s portrayal of Celeste becomes the show’s most essential performance. The actor plays the character with such complexity, depicting the conflicting emotions of enduring sexual, emotional and physical abuse from the man who is meant to love her. A retired lawyer, Celeste lives in a lovely house with her husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgard) and twin sons, Josh and Max. However, underneath this perfect-looking exterior, Perry is horrifically abusive, although this behaviour often morphs into aggressive sex, which Celeste sometimes enjoys.
Based on Celeste’s history as a successful lawyer, she is evidently a powerful woman, and Big Little Lies presents the idea that abuse sufferers aren’t necessarily passive, helpless victims. Her relationship with Perry is incredibly complicated, and her defiant attempts to fight his abuse often backfire. Despite the dangerous situations she finds herself in with Perry, Celeste finds herself conflicted, finding it difficult to gather the strength to leave him. However, when she discovers that her son has been abusing Renata’s daughter, Amabella, at school, the long-term effects of her husband’s actions force her to reconsider everything.
Kidman’s ability to portray this mental battle is extraordinary. When Celeste is around her friends and children, she is portrayed as loving, caring and passionate. Yet, behind closed doors, we see her take on fear, aggression and distress, clearly unsure how to react to her vicious husband. But these sides of Celeste are not black-and-white, and Kidman moves through these emotions with great attention to detail. Perry wears away her pleasant nature, yet, for a while, she tries to trick herself into believing that he’s not an entirely bad person.
Kidman’s standout scene comes in the therapist’s office, where Dr Amanda Reisman probes Celeste into revealing the abuse she has been subjected to. She begins by insisting that Perry’s a good person and never hurts the children. Kidman’s exclamation of “God no!” verges on over-the-top, reflecting how Celeste attempts to tell herself elaborate lies to live. Although Perry doesn’t hurt the children, she knows he is more than capable. She insists that she “couldn’t think of a better” father for her kids, scrambling to make Perry sound like a good man. However, Reisman’s insistence on going deeper and uncovering the trauma she knows exists leads to Celeste’s breakdown into tears.
Kidman’s performance highlights how abuse can manifest, from feelings of denial to genuine fear. Her anger pours out when she confronts Perry in the car in the final episode, yet she controls it, giving her response much more vitriol. When Perry assures her that he’ll speak to their son about his aggressive behaviour, she bites, “What are you gonna say to him? ‘It’s not the way a man should treat a woman? That men should never hit women?'” Her voice becomes more defiant as she gives him a damning look, wielding her power over him instead.
Kidman rightly won multiple accolades for her performance, including a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award. Proving her ability to portray a complex issue with depth, Kidman’s portrayal of Celeste elevates Big Little Lies to outstanding heights, and it’s easily one of her best on-screen appearances.
