Show No kidding about Kidman's star power jf patricK atricK Goldstein Los Angeles Times V When I wrote about critical and commercial prospects on my blog the other day I Isaid Isaid Isaid said somewhat flippantly that the movie once again proves that Nicole Kidman is many things but bu not a movie star The film in fact is being sold by Century Fox largely as a Baz aBaz Luhrmann extravaganza not as a Kidman-Hugh Kidman Jackman picture Ive I've been getting a lot of flak from readers especially loyal Australians who have been posting comments defending Kidman's movie stardom and well basically saying that Im I'm an idiot Fair enough But who's right Is she a star or isn't she First lets let's define our terms In the movie business being a star isn't about being a recognizable celebrity If that were true Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan would be getting 15 15 million a picture Being a star is not about being a great actress either or Kate and and Cate Cate Blanchett would be getting 15 million a picture For the re record ord Kidman has given many many fine performances H I F going all the way back toTo to toTo toTo To Die For She can bea be bea a formidable presence on screen Being a movie star star is about a very simple equation Do people pay money on opening weekend to see you in a movie Movie marketers want actors whose presence in ina ina a picture makes rank-and- rank file moviegoers say Oh my God I want to see that movie By By that standard Kidman do doesn't fill the bill Australia placed fifth fth with 20 million over ver over its holiday opening In fact there are shockingly few female stars of any stature who fulfill that equation I called a couple of movie marketers to ask if I was being unfair to Kidman Their answer No As one marketer cannily noted If someone moves a Will Smith film onto ont one of your release dates you panic If someone moves a Nicole Kidman movie onto your date you shrug She's just not a real commercial force Or as another marketer put it an actress not a movie star Theres There's a big difference You can check out her track re record ord at the com corn one of the m more re reliable office box-office It reveals that Kidman has had several distinct chapters in her career but only one relatively brief period where you could say she was a genuine star In the Tom Cruise Erain Erain Era Erain in the early to mid she was an intriguing new screen luminary but her only big hits Days of Thunder and Batman Forever were summer action movies carried by Cruise or Val Kilmer Jim Carrey and company The 2001 05 era established Kidman as a recognizable commodity She She appeared appeared in a series of international hits notably Moulin Rouge The Others Cold Mountain Bewitched and The Interpreter But marketing experts say none of these movies was solely propelled by her star wattage The Others for example was wasa a genre thriller sold on its concept not its star The Interpreter had Sean Penn who could've carried the film with almost any actress Ditto for Bewitched which was wasas as much Will Ferrell's Fen movie as Kidman's film As far as Kidman is concerned 2006 08 wasi was 4 r the Ice Age with flops like Fur and The Kidman was a supporting presence in The Golden Compass but marketers say that movie did well overseas because of f its concept not its costars At best Kidman has helped elevate genre material The Others or delivered a strong performance Cold Mountain and The Hours but its it's hard to say she drove fans to the theaters as Will Smith does or as Julia Roberts did in her heyday What's really depressing is that when you ask marketing execs to name the actresses who do earn their keep youre you're usually met with silence There are always caveats Meryl in the right role as as' as with Mamma Mia Angelina Jolie who can put some extra oomph in a genre film like Wanted Reese Witherspoon or Sandra Bullock in th the right kind of comedy In today's Hollywood its it's a lot 1 easier to build a career as asa asa a respected actress than as asa asa j a office box-office icon Whether youre you're Kidman or anyone els else its it's a mans man's mans man's mans man's world orld I M |