Trash Talk

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As someone noted yesterday, Tony Ortega's "Trash Talking with Harvey Weinstein" piece, which was posted yesterday on the Village Voice site, recalls the sifting-through-garbage tactics of famed Dylanologist A.J. Weberman. Ortega happened upon a large bin of Harvey's trash in some Tribeca back alley that had all kinds of good stuff, and so he made a piece out of it and even got Harvey to get on the phone.

Harvey Weinstein; Nicole Kidman

The most heartening or encouraging thing for me were the various unsigned Nicole Kidman contracts regarding The Reader, which is currently filming without her. As Ortega notes, "She dropped out when she got pregnant for the first time with her new husband, Keith Urban, and was replaced by Kate Winslet. The documents contain details that are probably pretty standard for highly-paid stars like Kidman: the size of her name in advertising, a guarantee of first-class travel, a right not to have her hair 'permanently' colored, restrictions against nudity not already spelled out in the screenplay, the right to keep one of each item of her wardrobe," etc.

The agreeable surprise is that Kidman agreed to make the flm for a lousy $100 grand, plus another $450,000 if the movie breaks even. (Given the lore about Harvey's bookkeeping practices, the $450 thousand sounds like a dream.) As Ortega points out, "That's a pittance for a star in her bracket, but not unusual when an actor really wants to take part in an 'art' movie."

Kidman's price surely has been dropping since the double box-office calamities of The Invasion and The Golden Compass (which followed a commercially lackluster run of films starting with Cold Mountain and the refrain I've heard said over and over, to wit: "She doesn't sell tickets") but $100,000 seems really low for a star of her magnitude. Cheers nonethless for her willingness to take less for the right role. I don't know how many others have this attitude, but everyone should embrace the concept of risk in this business, at least occasionally. It would be a far healthier business if they did.

comment #1

Richardson says ...

"which followed a commercially lackluster run of films starting with Cold Mountain"

She's not really the star of 'Cold Mountain', which is probably why it's the third highest grossing movie she's ever been in (including 'Batman Forever', which surely has nothing to do with her).

"but $100,000 seems really low for a star of her magnitude."

She's a "star" because she sells magazines with her picture on the cover and because gossip columnists know her name, not because audiences are interested in paying money to watch her act.

comment #2

Unison says ...

Don't be absurd Jeff... It's not that Kidman could only get $100k for starring in a movie... it's obviously that she agreed to take a pay cut to star in this particular movie. This stuff happens all the time with indie fare. I doubt she got millions for films like Dogville, Fur or Birth either.

comment #3

Howlingman says ...

A Village Voice writer does a feature on Harvey's trash? Was the poor scribe living in the dumpster too?

comment #4

NDH says ...

This is hardly news. I doubt Winslet is getting a whole lot more either, and her career is certainly not declining. Pay cuts are standard with these kinds of films.

comment #5

iamjoe says ...

I think Wells is just on about seeing the very proof of an A-Lister taking less for an artful indie project, not just hearing that they have or would through the press...

That beings said, I'd like a guarantee of first class travel, please.

comment #6

Mr. Muckle says ...

What does an unsigned contract prove? I can produce unsigned contracts in which Nicole agrees to screw me for a nickel (plus air fare). That might have gone through, but she held out for a dime.

comment #7

JD says ...

Better check your facts, Jeff. In addition to being huge on DVD, The Golden Compass grossed $372 million worldwide. New Line may have been expecting to gross more, but this certainly doesn't diminish Kidman's status as a star.

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=goldencompass.htm

comment #8

The Pope says ...

It astounds me. The more I read what Jeff writes, the more I scratch my head and wonder how little he actually understands about the industry and also human nature.

How much money did Nicole Kidman pocket in her divorce from Tom Cruise? How much did she get for being the face of Chanel? How much was she paid for starring in The Stepford Wives, Bewitched, and voicing Happy Feet? She has, I am sure, more than she could spend in an afternoon of madness.

There may be more, but I think with the exception of Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, and Cameron Diaz, there are hardly any actresses who DON'T work to scale. Personally, I always assume that when I see an actress appearing as "the face" for a cosmetics firm, it is because she has decided NOT to do the big action picture and instead, is financing herself when she does the small scale movie that will garner her kudos... which, if the RISK pays off, will give her better leverage when it comes to the next actioner.

Look no further than Angelina Jolie.

comment #9

The Pope says ...

And, I forgot to second what Richardson said.

"She's a "star" because she sells magazines with her picture on the cover and because gossip columnists know her name."

It seems that such is just one of the narrow windows actresses have for big bucks and movie power.

comment #10

Richardson says ...

"It seems that such is just one of the narrow windows actresses have for big bucks and movie power."

It's not limited to actresses -- I originally came up with that description in answer to the question "How does Orlando Bloom get work?" And I would've applied it to Colin Farrell, though, in this past year, Farrell has shown some actual acting ability.

Bloom is a lot like Kidman being in 'Golden Compass'; nobody is going to see 'Compass' (or 'Batman Forever') for Kidman, but it certainly doesn't hurt her career to do it.

comment #11

Terry McCarty says ...

Any buzz so far regarding AUSTRALIA?

comment #12

The Pope says ...

Richardson,
I agree with you that it is not limited to actresses. Also, I think you're spot on about Orlando Bloom... even more so because I have seen nothing in him EVER to convince me he can exist outside a high voltage ensemble TENTPOLE. He is a blank among blanks.

Terry McCarthy,
I understand that there is some report over at Harry Knowles. But who would believe anything there. The trailer looks "dumber than a bunch of hammers."

comment #13

Valerie Cherish says ...

Why has AUNT SASSY been BANNED???

I miss her insightful comments on film, and her bitchy commentary. She added a refreshing viewpoint to this site.

FREE AUNT SASSY!!!

comment #14

D.Z. says ...

Pope: Jolie is a has-been. When she's relegated to side-kick role in an action movie, you know it's over for her.

comment #15

Michael Cavayero says ...

I think Kidmans gotten lazy in the last five years though. Really what happened to her signing onto three or even five projects a year and then doing them even if badly.

I agree with The Pope, Australia looks dumb, but that might just be marketing. Still though every time I watch her now, I can't get over that lower fat lip and how much her face has started to look like wax. its very distracting, ugly and even irritating. Like I want to take her and shake' r sort of thing.

But she definitely lost her drive. She's probably having a lot of great sex or is just bored and insecure that if she goes off Urban will cheat on her again. Gulp.

comment #16

raygo says ...

I'm watching "The Others" as I read this ... yeah ... she's a movie star.

comment #17

Terry McCarty says ...

The Pope wrote:
Also, I think you're spot on about Orlando Bloom... even more so because I have seen nothing in him EVER to convince me he can exist outside a high voltage ensemble TENTPOLE. He is a blank among blanks.

Blankness prominently displayed in ELIZABETHTOWN.

comment #18

Rain says ...

LoL/ She is really sexy!!! I have ever seen her hot video on the wealthy dating club R I C H L O V I N G.C O M for hot guys and girls to hook up for Hot Love and Sexy Dating. She is really sexy with bikini in that video.

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