"She is that rare thing: a wonderful actress, a wonderful soul possessed of that skinlessness that
the camera is greedy for, which allows us to glimpse all of her frailties, her sorrows, her joys,
her good heart. She manages all of those things with grace, style and an astonishing work ethic."
- Anthony Minghella on Nicole Kidman
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
Nicole plays Diane Arbus
Fur tells the story of Diane Arbus, the photographer whose images caught the attention of the world
in the 1960's. The film is set in the 1950's, when Diane is playing the dutiful wife and mother to her
successful photographer husband and two children. Looking for something more in her life, Diane encounters
the new upstairs neighbour, Lionel, who suffers from a condition that causes him to be covered in fur. He
and his fellow "freak" friends open Diane's eyes to a different side of life, and inspire her to further her
own career as a photographer...
GENERAL INFORMATION Released: Italy- 20th October 2006; UK- March 16th 2007; US- 10th November 2006;
Argentina- 30th November 2006; Australia- 12th January 2007; Spain- 16th February 2007; Japan- 16th June 2007; Directed by: Steven Shainberg Written by: Erin Cressida Wilson (film sreenplay), Patricia Bosworth (book) Co-stars: Robert Downey Jr (Lionel Sweeney), Ty Burrell (Allan Arbus), Emmy Clarke (Grace Arbus),
Harris Yulin (David), Jane Alexander (Gertrude) Genre: Drama, Biopic Filming: May-July 2005, production completed in October 2005. Filmed in the Steiner Studios in New York
City, and at various outside locations in NYC including 52nd and 54th street, and Fort Tilden beach. Budget: $16.8m Box Office: - Runtime: mins / hr mins
NICOLE SAYS...
"It's very odd. But I'm interested in things that are unusual. I don't have to look like her [or] sound like her -
I just have to hope that my spirit joins hers and they intertwine for a moment."
"It's a small, small portrait. In fact, it's called an imaginary portrait. What counts is the creativity of the
artist, what's inside."
"My way of trying to play her was more trying to capture her inner self."
REVIEWS
[1] 'jungewum' from imdb.com [on the rough cut] - "Nicole's performance in FUR embodies Diane Arbus' character
and vision... Nicole's portrayal of Diane Arbus is deep and emotional... "
click to read full review
[2] monstersandcritics.com - "Arbus is played by Nicole Kidman, who brings the same fantastic
danger and foreboding that she portrayed so well in Lars von Trier’s ‘Dogville’ to the 1958 setting of
her parents upper-crust fur salon on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue."
click to read full review
[3] Variety - "Sporting dark brown hair, Kidman responds with quicksilver subtlety to the progressive stages
of her character's journey. But since Diane is a largely reactive role, Downey ... is able to dominate the picture
while speaking his lines with a calm, low-pitched self-confidence and with sparkling eyes that provide the
focal points for a great many scenes."
click to read full review
[4] Screen Daily - "Kidman, once again demonstrating her impulse to take on unusual projects and characters,
splendidly and subtly embodies the seachange in Diane, while Downey Jr, in one of the most challenging
roles of his career, is captivating as Lionel."
click to read full review
[5] road-dog-productions.com - "It's a delicate substructure of imagery and incident, punctuated by latent shots of
Diane's Rolleiflex camera, which goes unused for most of the film. Arbus didn't actually begin using a Rolleiflex
until later in her career (and indeed, it became intrinsic to her acclaimed style), but its prominence in the film
further speaks to Shainberg's intentions. "
click to read full review
[6] Cinematical - "Kidman and Downey, Jr. give spectacular performances; Kidman, in particular, captures the
pent-up passion that drove Arbus; this may well be my favorite performance from her yet. The film is visually
spectacular, overlapping worlds of fantasy and reality until we're never quite sure what's real and what's not. "
click to read full review
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
TRIVIA
[1] The title 'Fur' is in reference to Robert Downey Jr's character who is covered in fur.
[2] Samantha Morton was originally cast as Diane Arbus.
[3] Read more about Diane Arbus
here.
WORTH WATCHING FOR...
... Nicole in another dramatic, heavy-weight role.
Welcome to Nicole's Magic, a fansite for the Academy Award winning Australian actress Nicole Kidman.
Nicole is one of the most sought-after actresses of her generation, and is known for her roles in Moulin Rouge,
The Hours and To Die For, and has recently been seen in Nine.
Nicole's Magic is the largest and most comprehensive fansite for Nicole and is completely dedicated to supporting her
and her career, and keeping the fans up to date with all that she's doing. Comments, suggestions and contributions
are always more than welcomed so please contact me if you have anything to say.
Enjoy your visit, add us to your Favourites and come back again!
Movie Of The Month
Charities
• UNIFEM The women's fund at the United Nations, promoting women's empowerment and gender equality
• Breast Cancer Care Join the fight for women's survival and help beat cancer.
• Sydney Children's Hospital A specialist facility for children's health and a paediatric teaching centre
Owned by: Jess 
Fur tells the story of Diane Arbus, the photographer whose images caught the attention of the world
in the 1960's. The film is set in the 1950's, when Diane is playing the dutiful wife and mother to her
successful photographer husband and two children. Looking for something more in her life, Diane encounters
the new upstairs neighbour, Lionel, who suffers from a condition that causes him to be covered in fur. He
and his fellow "freak" friends open Diane's eyes to a different side of life, and inspire her to further her
own career as a photographer...