Nicole Kidman, ‘Babygirl’ and the embrace of the age-gap relationship on-screen in 2024
Several buzzy films this year featured women in relationships with younger men. Experts weigh in on why the age-gap romance was so popular.
Nicole Kidman wouldn’t describe her latest film, “Babygirl,” as a professional “risk.”
When asked by Zendaya about the project during their Variety Actors on Actors interview, Kidman said she didn’t hesitate to get involved. “As soon as I heard it was called ‘Babygirl,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah. I want to be the babygirl,’” she said.
The A24 psychosexual drama, which hits theaters on Christmas, stars Kidman as the CEO of a company who begins an affair with her much-younger male intern (played by Harris Dickinson). For many women in Hollywood, a project like “Babygirl” would likely be considered risky just because of its premise.
Over the years, men have been involved with younger female love interests (both on-screen and off), without many giving it a second thought. Women in similar situations have usually been categorized by society as “cougars.” Yet while some films have featured an older woman entangled with a younger man — including 1967’s “The Graduate,” 1971’s “Harold and Maude,” 1998’s “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and others — there’s been a noticeable shift this year.
We allow men to do it all the time. Why can’t we do it?
Rating: 5