USA: NICOLE KIDMAN AND JODIE FOSTER TALK ABOUT THEIR FILMS AND MAKE APPEARANCES AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Record ID: 392363

  • Title: USA: NICOLE KIDMAN AND JODIE FOSTER TALK ABOUT THEIR FILMS AND MAKE APPEARANCES AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
  • Date: 17th January 2002
  • Summary: PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 17, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SCU SOUNDBITE (English) KIDMAN SAYING: "They were both intense. 'Moulin Rouge' was just sort of this love-filled circus, we called it. We were this big family and 'The Others' was really, really tough, emotionally, to do, so 'Moulin Rouge' was tough physically, 'The Others' was tough emotionally, so
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA1669YFC2TKCCHMTA9QTX90DD9
  • Story Text: Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster made appearances at the independent film festival Sundance in Salt Lake City, Utah -- two of Hollywood's A-list at what used to be a marketplace for unknown directors, with unknown films, starring unknown actors. Now Sundance has stars like Kidman and Foster in low-budget films like "Birthday Girl" and "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys." The two actresses talked to Reuters about making films for the love of filmmaking.
    Sundance is the United States' top festival for independent films, and each year writers and directors bring their movies here to gain attention for their work. But increasingly, the films here are getting attention with the help of the big-name stars that are getting involved. This year, Nicole Kidman has a film, "Birthday Girl" opening at the festival and Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster has "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," which she co-stars in and produced.
    These films will likely be among the hottest art house titles this year, as mainstream Hollywood goes indie. It's a trend some low-budget filmmakers may resist, but there's not doubt that names like Kidman and Foster are helping to bring attention to the independent filmmaking movement.
    "Birthday Girl" is about an English bank manager (Ben Chaplin), who orders a mail-order Russian bride (Kidman) over the Internet, but soon finds his life tipped topsy-turvy as she exhibits an unexpected possible dangerous side. The chaos is accented by the arrival of two Russian cousins who make an even bigger mess of things. And from there, the real madness begins, giving this romantic comedy some memorable, lighthearted moments.
    Kidman speaks Russian through much of the film (subtitled in English), a task for which she had to study for months.
    "I spent about two months prior, just dabbling with it, you know I'd spend just two or three hours a day just doing it and I think the great thing about being and actor is that you get to do these things that you would never normally get the chance to do. And you have to make the time, I mean, when would I ever in my life say, I'm going to sit down and I'm going to learn Russian. I'm going to spend three hours a day and I'm going to do this, but when you have the motivation to do it because of work, then you do do stuff like that," Kidman told Reuters.
    The actress somehow found time in her schedule to study the language and it was no easy task. Kidman shot "Birthday Girl," "Moulin Rouge," and "The Others" back-to-back and went through her divorce from Tom Cruise in the middle of it all.
    It was a trying year, but certainly a rewarding one, with "Moulin Rouge" and "The Others" having won Kidman much kudos already from various critics' circles, not to mention the serious Oscar buzz both films are generating. So if it were up to her, for which film would she rather be recognized? "They were both intense. 'Moulin Rouge' was just sort of this love-filled circus, we called it. We were this big family and 'The Others' was really, really tough, emotionally, to do, so 'Moulin Rouge' was tough physically, 'The Others' was tough emotionally, so it was just half a dozen ... It puts me in such an uncomfortable position when people say, 'Which one do you prefer,' because ... I know for sure, I'm never doing to have another year like it, so I'm just sort of saying, I have to just enjoy this because when does this happen?" Kidman said.
    While 2001 was professionally perfect but personally not so perfect for the Aussie actress, Kidman says she hopes this year will be more balanced.
    "I hope 2002's a kinder year, a gentler year on me, I hope. I don't think I could go through another 2001. It was intense and it was long. And I was really glad for New Year's Eve, I've got to say, because it was sort of like, whew, move on. But I think everything makes you who you are and so ...
    everything you go through, gives you your experiences and your wisdom," Kidman said.
    Joining Kidman in the indie spirit at the Sundance Film Festival is Jodie Foster, who's premiering her film "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," which borders on mainstreaming moviemaking, but is edgy enough to make it into Robert Redford's Sundance. It stars Kieran Culkin, newcomer Emile Hirsch, Foster and Vincent D'Onofrio in a coming-of-age tale about two teens in the 1970s. What makes it different is the way it weaves animated comic book heroes into its plot. The animation expresses the spirited and often subversive internal lives of the characters -- a gaggle of altar boys at Catholic school.
    "I think the film has a very specific point of view that is inside these boys' heads -- it's these boys' lives -- and it's very true. And I don't think anybody can really fault us that. I don't think anybody can really turn around and say, yeah, well, this doesn't happen. It does happen and it's a very true film and finally, I think it's morality is really in the right place. It really is coming from the right place,"
    Foster told Reuters.
    "Altar Boys" is a film about youth that possesses both maturity and wisdom. It strikes chords in adults and teens because it's an honest and familiar depiction of the rebellion experienced by all adolescents. It recalls in the adult mind, the angst, frustration, and sheer joy of being in those difficult teen years.
    Foster says she remembers it well:
    "For me personally, 14, 15, 16 were the worst years of my life. Oh yeah. I had no confidence and I really thought I would never be happy.
    And I'm sure most of that was hormonal. I'm chemical, I'm certain of that, but you know, I thought it was the apocalypse and that the world was going to end and life was dark and nobody understood me and nobody would ever love me and you really can't see your way out of it and the only people who really understand what you're going through are the people who are next to you, are you friends, and I don't think adults really recognize or validate that experience. Because I tell you, if had to live through what I lived through when I was fifteen, I would not be alive now. Somehow I was dumb enough when I was fifteen, to live through it."
    Foster lived through it; Kidman lived through 2001; and they've both made it to Sundance, where they've gone back to the basics of filmmaking and arrived at what they believe to be the true art of movies.
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