Margot At the Wedding

First Look

Nicole Kidman Interview - Below

Acclaimed Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale," "Kicking and Screaming,") brings to life a sharply observed portrait of a family in distress. His latest project is a story about coming to terms with one's family and oneself, a journey that is both funny and heartbreaking. Starring Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman - (interview below).

STARRING: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black
DIRECTOR: Noah Baumbach
STUDIO: Paramount Vantage
RATING: R (For sexual content and language)

Wild About Movies Grade: D

"Nicole Kidman" Interview
"Margot At The Wedding"

Although "Margot At The Wedding" is a stinker, a movie that won't make a dime at the box office, Nicole Kidman is still one of the most exquisite actresses alive. Below, excerpts from the "Margot At The Wedding" Nicole Kidman press conference that recently took place overlooking Central Park in NYC at the newly renovated Waldorf!

Question: Is Margot emotionally unstable or chemically unbalanced?

Nicole Kidman: I think she's having a breakdown. I think she's in crisis and the way in which she's coping and behaving is very much an indicator of things turning into turmoil. I think what's wonderful about Noah's [Baumbach, the director] writing is that he wickedly funny. He's dealing with disturbing parts of family life and he's able to bring humor and I've always been attracted to things like that. I made a film, To Die For, which had a pretty dark subject matter; but it was done with such humor. Buck Henry was able to balance that. I think Noah has some similar attributes with Buck Henry. I think they are both great writers.

Question: Was there any improvisation on set?

Nicole Kidman: Pretty much the way Noah constructed the script is what we shot. I think when you work with a writer-director; you work with someone that's full of art. He's very thoughtful. Everything's constructed layer upon layer and by the time you get to actually shooting, the script has been worked on to such a degree that it wasn't like let's rewrite scenes. There was a scene that we added while we were shooting. It's the scene in bed where Jennifer and I are both talking to each other. I'm so glad he put that scene in there.

Question: Did you want to see a resolution that makes Margot more likeable, or at least redeems her?

Nicole Kidman: I think that's a very simplistic way of looking at filmmaking. People expect there to be a beginning, middle, and an end. Life doesn't give you an ending. We're born and we die. Everything that happens in between, there isn't a beginning, middle and an end that we are able to follow in a linear way and I think this film doesn't deal with an ending. It deals with possibly a beginning.

Question: What was the key in finding this character?

Nicole Kidman: I think Noah's (the film's director) strong understanding of what he had written; and also working with Ann Roth again, who I worked with on The Hours and Cold Mountain. She's the costume designer and one of the greats in the world. She really works well with me. She's able to find pieces of clothing and helps me with the walk and all things that you need to change. She gave me the pair of willow socks and that cardigan. I was able to walk around when we were rehearsing and somehow triggered the whole feeling for the movie for me. I also worked with a dialect coach because Margot is such a New Yorker.

Question: Did Ann find the red hat on the poster for you?

Nicole Kidman: Yes. She did and grabbed it and said, 'Perfect'. I tend to work with the same people. I'm doing a film at the moment in Australia (titled "Australia") with Baz Luhrmann, whom I did Moulin Rouge with. I'm back with a lot of the same crew that I have worked with from when I was a kid. Most of these people that I'm working with now in Australia have known me since I was 16 years old. I realize that I've been around awhile.

Question: Talk a little about working with Jennifer Jason Leigh...

Nicole Kidman: Jennifer and I have done a lot of work and are very passionate about what we do. We take it really seriously and I can say now 'I'm an actor and that's okay'. I don't have to apologize for that. I think that when you step into the rehearsal process together and you know you only have two weeks, we immediately started to be tactile and we started to open up secrets to each other. It's so lovely to work with someone that just gets it; that works on that deep level and is willing to work on that level, isn't freaked out by it and has such an enormous knowledge of her craft and is willing to share it. It's rare to be given two female characters in a movie that requires that kind of commitment. It was lovely to be able to watch her, stand back and go 'You're just so talented and I'm so glad that your husband has written such a great role.' It was lovely and to see him supporting her in that way, I think they will make some wonderful films together in the future. Hopefully we have another union like John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands.

Question: Is there any director that you haven't got to work with that you would like to?

Nicole Kidman: I seek out directors who I think are strong voices. I'm not fond of difficult directors, but I'm drawn to that in a way. I really would love to work with Scorsese. I'd love him to construct a film around a woman. I still ask him all the time; because I'd be interested in seeing that movie. I'd like to work with Steven Spielberg. I've known him as a friend for a long time, so I would like to do that. I love working internationally. I'd be willing to go back into Dogville territory at some stage.

Question: How was it working on ?

Nicole Kidman: When you're in drama school and you have mime class and say, 'I'm never going to be using this' and subsequently now with green screen and special effects, the mime class and the accent classes are the most important classes in drama school. Pretending I had a golden monkey that was just a stuffed toy. That's a big leap. I used all I know from Marcel Marceau.