I know--it's so weird. I wonder if the casting of two people who grew up in the industry adds the family dynamic of the Ratliffs seeming sort of from another planet, and not just the planet of the the south.
ok two things 1. I wonder if patrick even realizes HIMSELF the performance he is giving, like i feel like i were that hyper aware i''d lose my mind, but like good for him? watching his characters masculinity shatter is like to meta for my own brain I think i just shrieked at the tv 2. I have been saying this! babygirl feels like kidmans the character in eyes wide shut redemption story
1. Right?? There's something anthropological about it. I saw that Mike White told him to watched the Bravo show Southern Charm for his accent, but it's also just such a meta hole to think about how reality tv is influencing an nepo actor--like, he has to study regular people to do that part. 2. Yes! The director actually said in an interview that Babygirl was her response to Kidman's lack of agency in Eyes Wide Shut.
Thank you for closing the loop on this - this is the perfect intellectual take to reference in my next White Lotus convo. Way better than "idk what the f*ck was happening with the brothers"
Isn't that interesting how even if you don't consider yourself someone who watches a ton of film, you still feel the aura of her celebrity on the movie!
He’s also the son of Maria Shriver, which offers its own sense of offscreen legacy to play with. The Ratliffs are very much giving American dynasty (albeit on a much smaller scale than the Kennedys), with all the weight of paternal expectations and generational insecurities that come along with that.
Thanks so much for reading and for this comment! You're totally right—intertextuality and extra-cinematic references are foundational in film studies, and I’m definitely building on that lineage here, especially Richard Dyer’s work on star theory.
What I’m interested in is how those foundational ideas shift under contemporary conditions: the rise of new casting practices (like algorithmically-driven decisions or influencer-to-actor pipelines), the way social media extends and fragments star images in real time, and the deepening archive of audience experience as cinema history grows longer and more accessible. But--more in my next post on that.
So yes, absolutely rooted in Film Studies 101—but I think the evolving media landscape opens up new dimensions worth examining. Appreciate you engaging with it!
Yeah, I agree completely. It's sort of like how production companies just keep regurgitating old IP because they don't want to do the work/spend the money on introducing audiences to new stories. It's all pretty flattening and undiversified.
100%!! Yeah, I thought a LOT about what the daughter of Johnny Depp's sense of how women should be treated might be while I was watching her in Nosferatu.
Yes girl I was just talking about this, even more so though because the younger brother is also a nepo baby
I know--it's so weird. I wonder if the casting of two people who grew up in the industry adds the family dynamic of the Ratliffs seeming sort of from another planet, and not just the planet of the the south.
ok two things 1. I wonder if patrick even realizes HIMSELF the performance he is giving, like i feel like i were that hyper aware i''d lose my mind, but like good for him? watching his characters masculinity shatter is like to meta for my own brain I think i just shrieked at the tv 2. I have been saying this! babygirl feels like kidmans the character in eyes wide shut redemption story
1. Right?? There's something anthropological about it. I saw that Mike White told him to watched the Bravo show Southern Charm for his accent, but it's also just such a meta hole to think about how reality tv is influencing an nepo actor--like, he has to study regular people to do that part. 2. Yes! The director actually said in an interview that Babygirl was her response to Kidman's lack of agency in Eyes Wide Shut.
Fascinating! I was cool on watching “Babygirl” but now that I’ve heard more about the inspiration I’ll give it a whirl. Also, love your writing.
ugh of COURSE 🤌💆🏻♀️
Thank you for closing the loop on this - this is the perfect intellectual take to reference in my next White Lotus convo. Way better than "idk what the f*ck was happening with the brothers"
This is brilliant
“An ouroboros of bro-ness” is incredible
can't wait for the Kidman piece, I kept thinking Babygirl was doing something with Eyes Wide Shut. I am far from a film enthusiast though!
Isn't that interesting how even if you don't consider yourself someone who watches a ton of film, you still feel the aura of her celebrity on the movie!
He’s also the son of Maria Shriver, which offers its own sense of offscreen legacy to play with. The Ratliffs are very much giving American dynasty (albeit on a much smaller scale than the Kennedys), with all the weight of paternal expectations and generational insecurities that come along with that.
Oh! And lest we forget Parker P’s mentally ill /incestuous sister “Jackie-O” in the House of Yes
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0119324/
This is great, but I mean intertextuality and extra-cinematic references are Film Studies 101.
Thanks so much for reading and for this comment! You're totally right—intertextuality and extra-cinematic references are foundational in film studies, and I’m definitely building on that lineage here, especially Richard Dyer’s work on star theory.
What I’m interested in is how those foundational ideas shift under contemporary conditions: the rise of new casting practices (like algorithmically-driven decisions or influencer-to-actor pipelines), the way social media extends and fragments star images in real time, and the deepening archive of audience experience as cinema history grows longer and more accessible. But--more in my next post on that.
So yes, absolutely rooted in Film Studies 101—but I think the evolving media landscape opens up new dimensions worth examining. Appreciate you engaging with it!
I don’t like it one bit that apparently art must, like politics and wealth, be handed down via bloodline.
Yeah, I agree completely. It's sort of like how production companies just keep regurgitating old IP because they don't want to do the work/spend the money on introducing audiences to new stories. It's all pretty flattening and undiversified.
100%!! Yeah, I thought a LOT about what the daughter of Johnny Depp's sense of how women should be treated might be while I was watching her in Nosferatu.