The Blockbuster Nicole Kidman Regrets Filming
Nicole Kidman has spent decades at the center of big screen epics and intimate character pieces. Few projects sparked more anticipation than Baz Luhrmann’s sweeping romance set against the outback, Australia. The film paired her with Hugh Jackman and promised old fashioned spectacle. It arrived with sky high expectations and a star who had already proved she could thrive inside Luhrmann’s heightened worlds.
In recent years the story has taken a new turn. Luhrmann revisited the material as a six part series titled ‘Faraway Downs’, reframing the narrative for streaming audiences. The return put the original back in the spotlight and invited fresh conversation about how the film landed with viewers and with its leading lady.
Kidman has been candid about how she felt after sitting through the premiere. She told a Sydney radio station, “I can’t look at this movie and be proud of what I’ve done.” The reaction surprised fans who expected a victory lap from one of Australia’s most decorated actors.
The honesty did not stop there. Kidman added, “It’s just impossible for me to connect to it emotionally at all.” She also turned to her husband Keith Urban during the screening and asked, “Am I any good in this movie?” The comments echoed a performer’s worst fear that the work might not match the effort poured into it.
Even as she critiqued herself, she praised her castmates. “I thought Brandon Walters and Hugh Jackman were wonderful.” It was a gracious nod to the young breakout and her headlining partner and it underscored that her misgivings were about her own performance rather than the team around her.
Kidman has also explained that she rarely watches her films. Reflecting on her habit she said, “I don’t usually see my films, but because of Baz, I had to see it. I saw Moulin Rouge. I’ve really only seen that and this in my whole career. It gets worse as I get older.” The remark captures a mix of loyalty to a trusted director and the self protective routine many actors adopt.
In the months after release some outlets reported that her remarks were harsher than intended. There were suggestions that the nuance of her comments had been lost in the rush of headlines. The debate did little to change the impression that the project left her conflicted about a film that aimed to be a national calling card.
The new cut as ‘Faraway Downs’ has encouraged audiences to reevaluate the story and its themes. For Kidman the revisitation offers a gentler epilogue. The original may never be her favorite chapter yet the openness with which she has discussed it has become part of her allure. Few stars would say that a lavish epic did not connect. She did. And in doing so she reminded fans that even the most celebrated careers are built on risks that do not always land.