Film: Moulin Rouge!
Previous wins for role: Golden Globe, best actress in a musical or comedy
Previous Oscar wins/nominations: None
Character bio: In Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann’s fantastical, love-it-or-hate-it movie about the infamous Moulin Rouge nightclub, Kidman plays Satine, the nightclub’s star who also happens to be Paris’ most beloved courtesan. She hopes to one day become an actress and leave the Moulin Rouge behind, and she sees her way out when a wealthy English duke offers her the lead in his musical. The chance role doesn’t come without a price, however; the creepy duke also intends to marry her. Satine thwarts the duke’s plans when she unexpectedly falls for Christian, a poor writer also involved in the show, but their happiness is ultimately destroyed by tragedy.
Oscar odds: Kidman may pose the single biggest threat to Sissy Spacek’s chances at gold. Both women won Golden Globes this year (Spacek for drama, Kidman for comedy/musical), and Kidman even gave Spacek a run for her money in the drama category with her sleeper hit The Others. The Academy might appreciate the fact she’s not only a great actress but also proved herself quite a songbird as well, having the guts to perform all her songs herself and really immersing herself in the role of Satine. That Moulin got a Best Picture nomination, while director Baz Luhrmann and Kidman’s co-star Ewan McGregor were snubbed, could mean the Academy’s giving Kidman the credit for making the movie Oscar-worthy. It’s probably Sissy’s game this year with the kind of tear-jerking performance in the kind of tear-jerking movie the Academy favors (Moulin is hardly conventional), but Kidman may surprise. —Stacie Hougland
