Regarding the intimate scenes in the movie, Kidman admitted that they were more challenging than expected. She had to fake orgasms with Dickinson and Antonio Banderas, who played her husband in the film. There was a level of trust and vulnerability with her co-stars, but also moments of frustration. At one point, she felt so overwhelmed that she had to stop the scene and take a break. She said, “There was a lot of sharing, trust, and then frustration. There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm any more.’ It was like, ‘Don’t touch me.’ At times, I’d think, ‘I don’t care if I’m never touched again in my life!’ I was just over it.” Filming “Babygirl” was an emotionally and physically draining experience for her, and she described it as leaving her “ragged.”
Nevertheless, her performance has won critical acclaim. She received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and won the Best Actress award there. The film was also a box office success, earning over $60 million on a $20 million budget. It was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, and Kidman picked up another Best Actress award.
“Babygirl” has sparked a lot of discussion. Its bold take on intimacy and personal boundaries has led people to debate where art ends and real vulnerability begins. The raw scenes and deeper themes of consent and desire in the movie ensure it will be talked about long after it’s been watched.
