Q&A: Coppola and Kidman on female gaze of 'The Beguiled'
Coppola loved Kidman's wicked humor and Kidman loved Coppola's cinematic style and vision.
[...] Kidman didn't hesitate to say yes when Coppola asked her to play the part of Miss Martha, the headmistress of a girls' school in the Civil War-era South that's thrown into disarray when they decide to take in a wounded Union soldier, in her retelling of "The Beguiled."
[...] the two share more than might meet the eye — both are married to touring musicians, both have daughters around the same age and both have been having an incredible year professionally.
Coppola became the first woman in 56 years to win best director at the Cannes Film Festival, and Kidman is enjoying widespread praise of both her film and television work.
The two women gathered recently in Los Angeles to discuss their film, out Friday, the awkwardness of directing a sponge bath, and the reinvigorated support of women in Hollywood.
Miss Martha's sponge bath of Colin Farrell's character could have easily taken a different tone with a different director.
[...] I'm like turning red like asking her to wash his inner thigh and all my gay guy friends are like, Couldn't you have just moved that cloth over there?
Sofia, why did you walk away from directing "The Little Mermaid"?
[...] I decided to do a project that was smaller, that I could really have creative control over every aspect ...
[...] it's also healthy, if you have a creative spirit and you're artistic, there does have to be a place for that.
When I saw the ending of "Big Little Lies" I thought there was a similar solidarity ...
Particularly when you get older, I think your female friends become more and more — I mean, obviously we live longer!
Do you feel like there's a culture-wide re-evaluation and newfound appreciation of women like you who have been doing incredible work in Hollywood for years?
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr