Nicole Kidman’s Best Performances

Nicole Kidman was fetted last night at the American Film Institute. Here she is, making a grand entrance:

And here’s Meryl Streep introducing her (courtesy of Clayton Davis) and Graeme O’Neil, who has to offer commentary or else he’ll get a copyright strike. I can’t find any other footage online.

I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about what I consider to be Nicole Kidman’s best performances, and probably that doesn’t include the one she won her Oscar for. It was very good, of course, but it didn’t embed itself in my heart the way some of her other performances have. So here are my top ten Nicole Kidman performances.

To Die For

Has there ever been a better role for Nicole than Suzanne Stone?

It’s bittersweet because Hollywood doesn’t make movies like this anymore. They can’t and won’t tell uncomfortable truths without moralizing. Everything has to be up to code so that the wrong people aren’t insulted and no one is offended. But there was a time when filmmakers could tell stories, and To Die For is a great satire. It’s all about the mix of true crime and celebrity, something we were oddly fascinated by in the 1990s but that seems so common now as to be ordinary.

It is based on a true story of a teacher who seduces her students to kill her husband. A great cast, including Joaquin Phoenix in an early role and Matt Dillon.

Moulin Rouge

This might be Kidman’s most famous performance. There’s a reason they played Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend when she took the stage at the AFI. How does one even begin to describe this performance? It’s beautiful, romantic, tragic, naughty… It’s the hair, the dress, the voice — unforgettable.

Dead Calm

Early on in Kidman’s career she plays a badass on a boat. She was young and just starting out, with her corkscrew curls and her very Aussie accent. The reason this film is so watchable is Kidman. Anyone who saw her had no doubt she would be a force to be reckoned with.

Big Little Lies

It’s possible the work in this series is the best acting Kidman has ever done, though it’s a little strange it comes so late in her very long career. Everything came together for her in this. It was exactly the right character at exactly the right time. She steals the show.

Far and Away

Okay, so it isn’t the greatest movie, but it’s a lot of fun to watch and remember the days of Tom and Nicole. They met on Days of Thunder and then made this film together. It’s also one of those adventure epics we don’t see much of anymore, even if Kidman later made Australia with Baz.

Those are my top five favorite performances of Nicole Kidman’s but she is an actress I will watch in anything. She’s paid her dues and then some, and would be just as fun to watch reading the phone book as she is playing a juicy role.

Like, who wouldn’t watch this?