Ingénues tend to come and go, but lately, actresses who’ve long outgrown that youthful stock character are embracing their sexualities onscreen opposite younger men.in a boomlet of big stars finding success in movies about age-gap relationships. Amid the seemingly endless parade of discourse around the subject, Kidman’s decision to appear in a sugary rom-com withreminds us that age is not an expiration date, and that Hollywood should write more love stories for actresses over 40.
In Hollywood, though, what some critics fail to understand is that casting an actress allegedly “past her prime” as an object of carnal lust is a shrewd business move. So is pairing her with a younger fling, which guarantees wider interest and social-media engagement — particularly among middle-age viewers. Unlike an ingénue pushing 30, Kidman’scharacter offers Efron’s hot-shot millennial a wise, intellectual ear and the chance to live a life filled with purpose and meaning.
In another movie, Kidman, 57, could very well play 36-year-old Efron’s mother. But like all good actors, the duo makes their attraction appear natural and inevitable.