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A Breakthrough Evening by Mona Mars After everything Nicole Kidman has been through in the past year-a divorce, tons of strange press and a worldwind tour promoting Moulin Rouge-who would have expected the red-headed knockout to get all gussied up for a very private affair-Movieline's Breakthrough of the Year Awards? Thrown in a cozy, secluded room in the splashy St. Regis Hotel in Century City, about 40 people gathered to watch two new actors and one not-so-new director pick up awards for excellent achievement in 2001. Once Kidman jumped up to the podium, though, she made it very clear why she took time out of her schedule to make the event-her best friend since her teens, Naomi Watts, was being honored for her brave and stunning performance in David Lynch's new flavorful offering, Mulholland Drive. Kidman did not hold back when describing her very close friendship with Watts, which included how they met at a modeling call in Australia (neither got the gig) and covered the highs and lows they've been through since (not getting parts, a divorce), and tears nearly started to flow as the megastar revealed her glowing pride over seeing her old friend succeed. Kidman, dressed from head to toe in creamy, dreamy caramel, looked happy and came off as witty and extremely warm, something Mona Mars isn't used to seeing from the actress on screen. Watts seemed very touched by Kidman's speech and after thanking nearly everyone in the room, including a beaming Lynch, who just seems to get better looking with age (that gray hair suits him well), she took her award and was off to get her picture taken with Kidman by her side. |
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Next up came Kidman's Moulin Rouge costar Ewan McGregor, looking punkier than ever in eye makeup, a smooth mohawk, a pin-stripped suit and sneakers (!). He was there to give a Breakthrough of the Year Award to Hayden Christensen, with whom he worked on next year's Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones (McGregor plays the wise Obi Wan Kenobi to Christensen's rebellious, ambitious Anakin Skywalker-that's the young Darth Vader before he started breathing through a mask). Though in his charming British way McGregor admitted he had not yet seen the performance for which Christensen was been awarded-that of a punky disaffected youth in the critical hit Life as a House-he was sure that the newcomer was astonishing. After a quick thank you from Christensen, who was happy that people are finally starting to talk about work he's done, not just the work he will do in the new Star Wars flick, Movieline CEO Anne Volokh presented a Visionary Filmmaker of 2001 Award to Baz Luhrmann. Known for creating charismatic, otherworldy universes where two people clash then fall in love (as he did in Strictly Ballroom and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet), Luhrmann was awarded for the razzle dazzle he injected into the magical Moulin Rouge. When thanking for his award, he said that he couldn't haven't worked with better stars than Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. All blushed. |
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Could Naomi Watts and Hayden Christensen have asked for any classier company than three of Moulin Rouge's masterminds? Apparently the MR trio all happened to be in town at the same time to ramp up for their Oscar push for Moulin. (Nicole lives in L.A. and Australia but has been overseas for the past few months; Baz lives in Australia; and Ewan lives in England). Which means that Nicole will indeed get behind an Oscar nod push for Moulin, not for The Others, as was earlier believed (no actress can get two Best Actress nominations in one year, so Kidman had to choose between the two hits. She chose the film she did not work on with Tom Cruise). Though there was laughter and good spirits in the room all evening, there was a bit of whispering circulating and who would Mona Mars be if not a dutiful reporter? Though Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen looked quite fine, the real stares were going to Hayden's brother, Tove, who's very much a looker himself. Tove has not spent much time acting, however-what a shame!-save for a bit part in Robert Towne's Without Limits. |