If Nicole Kidman and I had not become friends recently on MySpace, it is doubtful I would have attended the premiere of "Rabbit Hole" in Hollywood last night.
After all, I was unfamiliar with the project (which was low on my radar screen) and the original stage production which inspired the adaptation for the big screen.
I am glad that I hot-footed it down to the exotic Egyptian Theatre to catch the flick - which was nurtured into development by Nicole Kidman - who acted as a producer on the insightful drama.
The evening turned out to be a very enlightening entertaining one.
A half-hour before curtain, anxious fans queued up outside the historic theatre (built in 1922 in the golden heyday of Hollywood) bent on nabbing a coveted seat for the much-anticipated event.
Quite a few fans of the director - John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig & The Angry Inch) - were in attendance hanging on his every word.
I was surprised at how young Mitchell was when he sauntered up to the mic to launch the screening.
Just before ringing the curtain down, rhough, he caught sight of a few empty seats in the orchestra area that were being held for no-show celebrities.
"These actors and their reserved seats," he huffed, somewhat annoyed.
He was about to make a comment, then caught himself, and moved on.
"See you after the screening," he muttered, or something to that effect.
By the way, Aaron Eckhart - who plays the lead opposite Nicole Kidman in the family potboiler - attracted a posse of loyal fans, too, who - no doubt - find the actor's strong virile presence on-camera appealing (judging from the response he received from the audience when he was first introduced).
Meanwhile, the well-produced feature moved a long at a decent clip.
Frankly, I was impressed with Ms. Kidman's producing debut!
In response to a query from the audience - in the Q & A after the screening - the soft-spoken director noted that he was drawn to the project partly because of the death of his own brother a few years ago.
"I could relate to the characters," he underscored, at one point during the informative interview process.
"In the 70's, if you were Catholic, you didn't question such things. There was no such thing as therapy. It was God's will, according to my parents. Consequently, there wasn't any healing. The family exploded because of it. It nearly destroyed us."
In "Rabbit Hole", a couple (portrayed by Kidman & Eckhart) struggle with the loss of a child, which threatens to tear them apart because of their inability to cope.
"Nicole is alone. In a way, her grief is narcissistic. Essentially, she implodes."
Efforts to "heal" by way of a therapy group fail, and so, the young parents are forced to gingerly make their own way along a slippery slope that threatens to destroy their happy home and basic mental and emotional sanity.
Mr. Mitchell admits that he fell in love with the project, in spite of the fact he never caught the stage play.
In the film version, a few scenes (one at the park and another at a therapy session) were judiciously scripted in - to flesh out the characters - with the specific aim of breathing greater emotional depth ino the material.
"The art of it is, that you go through the Rabbit Hole, and come back into the light."
As much as possible, the young auteur gave the actors free rein on the set.
"I avoided set-ups and dolly shots as much as possible. In one scene, I used two cameras to shoot each character in sync with the other as the characters went full force. In this way, they could build the scene without stopping the flow or the need for additional coverage."
As a result, the acting is seamless and convincing.
"I have worked with great talents in the business" Eckhart noted, at one point in the interview, "And, Nicole is one of the best."
"She was always prepared when she turned up on the set and ready to do the material. And, she was always making adjustments, each time there was another take."
He drew attention to one scene - in particular - where Ms. Kidman was rolling dough in the kitchen.
"Each shot was different."
I was particularly enthralled with "Rabbit Hole" because the storyline was allowed to unfold naturally during the course of the run-of-the film.
Although relevant details were not revealed right away - oftentimes leaving the audience in the dark during the interim - the director did not rush to reveal or try to manipulate the audience.
In due time - all the in's-and-out's of the plot - made sense.
And, eventually - "Rabbit Hole" - glided on to a triumphant satisfying end.
Kudos, Nicole!
3 1/2 Stars
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John Cameron Mitchell
(bares all!)
