Whitty on Kidman, Cruise, "Invasion"

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Newark Star Ledger critic Stephen Witty asked last night if The Invasion (Warner Bros., 817) could be read as a metaphor about Nicole Kidman's experience with Scientology and Tom Cruise.

Kidman, after all, is "playing an ambitious working woman and devoted mother who -- some years back -- had a really ugly divorce from her dark, narcissistic husband," Whitty observes. " Who has now re-entered her life, accompanied by a hive-like entourage of humorless, robotic friends.

"Add into the mix that Kidman's character -- unlike earlier versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in which the hero was a physician -- is a psychiatrist. Worse, she's that bete noire of Scientologists, a drug-dispensing psychiatrist -- one who even prescribes mood-altering medicines to her own kid.

Whitty acknowledges that The Invasion, "nominally directed" by Oliver Hirschbiegel, "went through a massive post-production overhaul by the V for Vendetta team, which makes crediting anyone with anything fairly suspect. [And yet] the bland villains in this movie looked an awful lot like the folks giving those 'free stress tests' just outside the movie theater. And the scene where Kidman knocked her on-screen husband out cold drew the biggest -- and happiest -- cheers of the screening."

And of course, the Munich-born Hirschbiegel was reared in a country with a government currently known for its anti-Scientology views and policies. I'm obliged to be silent about The Invasion until Friday morning, but given the other socio- political echoes and allusions in this film, it will be fun trying to sort out whether these were included in the Hirschbiegel version of The Invasion (Dave Kajganich is the credited IMDB screenwriter) or whether they were more from the hand of the Wachowski Brothers, who allegedly re-scripted and re-shot the Hirschbiegel version by more than 50%.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 15, 2007 at 6:16 AM

comment #1

Reedyb says ...

This may be reaching. One of the villains was a psychologist in the Kaufaman 70's version. Forrest Whitaker played the hero psychologist in the 90's version.

But one of the fun things about watching a movie is reading into it all sorts of pop culture or current event metaphors.

I was sort of hoping the Pod People would be compared to neo-cons. But that's my bias.

Posted by Reedyb at August 15, 2007 6:57 AM

comment #2

Movie Watcher says ...

The one thing Kidman has that Cruise probably will not have...an oscar. However, most actors careers take a turn for the worse when they win. I wonder if he thinks will he ever win one.

Posted by Movie Watcher at August 15, 2007 7:14 AM

comment #3

erniesouchak says ...

I find it hard to believe that the mile-long non-disclosure agreement Kidman undoubtedly had to sign as part of that marriage & divorce didn't include the demand that she never criticize Scientology openly or subtly.

Posted by erniesouchak at August 15, 2007 7:26 AM

comment #4

vansmith says ...

i like that look in her eyes...

Posted by vansmith at August 15, 2007 7:31 AM

comment #5

vansmith says ...

in the first picture up top...i'm inclined to go the other way on cruise - he's probably a regular guy just very protective of his brand and that includes scientology - "im for whatever gets you thru the night." - frank sinatra..

Posted by vansmith at August 15, 2007 7:34 AM

comment #6

T. Holly says ...

ernie, at most she'll be hounded and harassed the rest of her life. What she really can never ever talk about is Ewan McGregor.

Posted by T. Holly at August 15, 2007 7:47 AM

comment #7

carla kolchak says ...

You can read a film any way you like. That's the beauty of the thing.

I can remember Robert Wise being asked (in the mid-80s, at the University of Toronto, where he was a guest of the Cinema Studies Program's Jewison Lecture Series) about the "obvious" metaphor of Carpenter in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL as Jesus Christ. He denied that way of reading the film was ever his intention. Yet there it is.

Similarly, I don't see why you can't read THE INVASION any way you like.

Whether or not the filmmaker intended for a film to be read this way or that is irrelevant, IMHO.

Posted by carla kolchak at August 15, 2007 7:58 AM

comment #8

christian says ...

i'm sure cruise's rage knows no bounds after being nominated for best actor and best supporting actor...

i know for a fact that scientology is bullshit. but if people want to apply it to their life caveat emptor. oprah and millions of others think they has "the secret" -- more bullshit.

all this cruise psychoogical projection does is make me side with the guy. and if kidman isn't already a candidate for pod people status...

Posted by christian at August 15, 2007 8:40 AM

comment #9

christian says ...

some of the grammar above is questionable.
it's early. i'm not clear yet.

Posted by christian at August 15, 2007 8:41 AM

comment #10

AH says ...

Given that this film will flop, this is just another attempt to raise in something that the general paying public is not interested in. Of course, I could be wrong.

Posted by AH at August 15, 2007 8:41 AM

comment #11

Wrecktum says ...

I had forgotten how pretty she was before all the weird plastic surgery and bad dye-jobs.

Posted by Wrecktum at August 15, 2007 8:50 AM

comment #12

insidah says ...

Yeah, someone call Kevin Huvane and politely remind him that it's not enough to land his actresses good roles - he needs to make sure they continue to resemble human beings as they age.

Posted by insidah at August 15, 2007 9:45 AM

comment #13

Mark says ...

Ugly divorce? By what standards? from an outside view, it appeared fairly tame, as if her contract with him had simply expired.

Posted by Mark at August 15, 2007 11:04 AM

comment #14

dobois says ...

yeah, i read the same thing about stepford. and the furry dude from Fir represents scientologies engulfing of mankinds literal body, and kidmans shaving of him releases her.(snark) Kidman should consider signing on to quality and coherant productions, before the pass she's gotten for years, because people are so eager to pile on cruise, is over.

Posted by dobois at August 15, 2007 12:05 PM

comment #15

Wrecktum says ...

The fur in Fur obviously represent body thetans that need to be cleared. The movie's pro Scientology slant is so apparent you'd have to be a blithering idiot to ignore it.

Posted by Wrecktum at August 15, 2007 2:45 PM

comment #16