In “The First Wives Clubgrand casino,” Goldie Hawn memorably outlined the three ages of women in Hollywood: “Babe, district attorney and ‘Driving Miss Daisy.’”
That was in 1996. Almost 30 years later, middle-aged women are everywhere. For every D.A., mother of the bride or groom, newscaster or president, there’s a woman in her 40s or 50s or beyond starring as the love interest or the leading lady. Think Demi Moore in the body horror film “The Substance” or Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door” or Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in “Maria.”
Then there’s Nicole Kidman who, of late, has been busier than ever, playing the expected and the less-expected parts on screens large and small.
What’s remarkable about Ms. Kidman’s trajectory isn’t just that she has continued to work so steadily. It’s that along the way she has transformed her onscreen presence and her role in her industry. Once she was celebrated for playing the object of a man’s desire, in movies made by men and in large part for men; today many of the projects she stars in and produces are written and directed by women and aimed squarely at a female audience. Having come to prominence as an object of the male gaze, she now performs and creates for the female gaze.
That is an unusual choice for a woman in her late 50s in an industry that remains both youth-centered and male-dominated. It should be no surprise that Ms. Kidman’s recent roles have won her legions of female fans. Nor should it be any surprise that they have also won her a healthy dose of disdain from some cultural gatekeepers.
Neither side can deny that Ms. Kidman has been busy. Since 2018, she’s appeared in 10 movies and eight TV series — far more than many of her peers. She has been in superhero movies and art-house films and, most notably, in streaming series after streaming series.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.grand casino