 Kidman seated and lit from behind by colorful lights emanating from a movie projector. A raised platform was constructed inside the theater to achieve this effect. | |
| Agency | Barkley Inc. |
|---|---|
| Client | AMC Theatres |
| Market |
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| Language | English |
| Running time |
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| Product |
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| Release date(s) | September 2021 |
| Written by | Billy Ray |
| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Production company | Wondros for AMC. Elvis for Odeon Version |
| Budget | $25+ million |
In September 2021, AMC Theatres began airing a commercial starring actress Nicole Kidman in its theaters and on television. The ad, written by screenwriter Billy Ray, was intended to spur theater attendance following the COVID-19 pandemic by highlighting the "magic" of the movie theater experience. In the ad, Kidman enters and sits alone in an empty AMC theater while delivering a monologue describing in heightened language the pleasures of the moviegoing experience, such as the "indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and we go somewhere we've never been before". The commercial became a surprise hit among audiences, with its earnestly rhapsodic style and script — particularly the line "Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” — developing a certain camp appeal. It has inspired internet memes, parodies, and in-theatre audience participation rituals.
Description
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 The full 60 second version of the commercial via YouTube |
The ad begins outside an AMC cineplex, with a shot of high-heeled shoes stepping through a puddle, reflecting an illuminated "AMC" sign. Kidman lowers an oversized ("Jedi-like") hood and enters the building, making her way into an empty theater. She takes her seat, the lights dim, and clips from a number of films appear onscreen before her, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Jurassic World (2015), Wonder Woman (2017), La La Land (2016) and Creed (2015). Throughout the 60-second spot, Kidman delivers a rhapsodic monologue on the pleasures of the moviegoing experience, partly via voice-over and partly delivered straight to camera. The commercial ends with the AMC Theatres logo and the tagline "We make movies better". Throughout the ad, Kidman wears a gray-blue suit with shiny silver pinstripes. The 30 and 15-second versions change the films Kidman watches on the screen, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and A Star is Born (2018). The 2024 update changed the films to Elvis and Avatar: The Way of Water (both 2022).
Production
The commercial was directed by brothers Jeff Cronenweth and Tim Cronenweth. Kidman suggested the duo after having worked with Jeff Cronenweth on the 2021 film Being the Ricardos. Kidman also selected friend and screenwriter Billy Ray to write the commercial's script. Kidman had previously worked with Ray on the 2015 film Secret in Their Eyes. Barkley Inc. worked with AMC on the campaign.
The ad was shot at the AMC cineplex in Porter Ranch, a suburb north of Los Angeles. An elevated platform was constructed for Kidman to sit on to achieve a shot where beams of light from the movie projector play around her head.
The ad was conceived at a time when AMC Theatres, and movie theaters as a whole, appeared to be in a precarious situation, with audience numbers still far below levels from before the COVID-19 pandemic (see Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema). Kidman's husband Keith Urban explained that it was "a no-brainer" for Kidman to participate in the commercial since "she loves movies" and it was a way to help theater because of the pandemic. According to Variety, AMC spent $25 million on the ad campaign, with television airtime being the highest expense.
The 60-second commercial was also edited down to 30- and 15-second versions.
Release
The ad began airing on television in September 2021. It was also played at AMC's 600 United States theater locations, as well as in nine European countries through Odeon Cinemas Group after the coming attractions. According to AMC, this was the first national ad campaign from a movie theater chain.
Impact
The commercial's grand style and the earnest melodrama of Kidman's monologue has led the commercial to be appreciated as an artifact of camp. The commercial has been the subject of internet memes, parodies, merchandise, and audience participation rituals. The line "Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this" has been singled out as particularly memorable. Reflecting later on the commercial's impact, Billy Ray stated that this was "the best line I ever wrote".
In-person demonstrations of affection for the ad by theater-goers have included cheering (particularly at the line "Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this"), saluting, and reciting the script in time with Kidman. According to Vanity Fair, fans of the ad have also created shirts with Kidman's face on them, mash-up videos, TikToks, and even an eight-minute shot-by-shot analysis. The outfit Kidman is wearing in the ad has also become a very popular meme and become quite popular to dress up as during 2022. According to Vulture, it was one of the "Best Meme Halloween Costumes" of 2022.
According to Ray, the chairman of AMC reported observing these unexpected audience reactions within weeks of the ad's debut. A significant indicator of the commercial's cult following came in December 2021 when AMC began showing a reduced 30-second version in theaters in conjunction with the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which omitted the "heartbreak" line. The decision sparked outraged responses from fans, including a jocular Change.org petition demanding that AMC restore the "Kidman cut" (an allusion to the "Snyder cut" campaign). AMC relented and returned to showing the full-length version. Kidman expressed surprise upon hearing of the ad's following in a January 2022 interview. Urban noted that he and Kidman never expected "in a million years... that be this cultural thing". At the 95th Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel included a joke about the ad during his opening monologue.
Some of the various parodies included:
- The season 48 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night Live in October 2022, with Chloe Fineman as Kidman. The sketch received strong positive response from viewers and fans, who praised its faithfulness to the commercial.
- A trailer for Saw X (2023) in September 2023, with Billy the Puppet (voiced by Tobin Bell) in Kidman's place and watching scenes from the film in the theater. Shortly after it went viral online, Lionsgate received a takedown notice, according to Josh Stolberg.
- The opening segment of Live with Kelly and Mark's 2024 "After the Oscars" show parodies the commercial, with hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos in Kidman's place watching themselves on the screen starring in parodies of Barbie (2023), The Princess Bride (1987), A Few Good Men (1992), Basic Instinct (1992) and Dirty Dancing (1987).
- Olivia Rodrigo in March 2024 to promote her concert in Montréal.
- Babyface in April 2024 to reveal his Las Vegas residency.
- Morgan Freeman in April 2024 as a tribute to Kidman at the AFI Life Achievement Award event.
- The cast of The Summer I Turned Pretty, featuring Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Sean Kaufman, and Rain Spencer in June 2024.
2024 update
Kidman's commercial was initially set to run until August 2022, for the duration of her one year contract as spokesperson for AMC. In August 2022, AMC's CEO Adam Aron announced that Kidman would be signed as spokesperson for another year. Later the same month, Billy Ray stated that he had written a script for a follow-up, describing it as taking a "very different approach that is a little bit of a wink to the one we've already done". By May 2023, a version of another commercial had been written, but Aron was uncertain if that would result in the final product. Aron added that AMC hoped to have the new commercial debut later in 2023 or 2024 and hoped it would "live up to expectations". Beginning March 1, 2024, AMC introduced three new 30-second versions of the commercials that would appear before films, on a rotating basis; this was meant to replace the 60-second version that had been in use for the previous four years. In October 2024, Kidman confirmed that the sequel was in the process.
References
- "Odeon: We Make Movies Better by Elvis".
- ^ Kring-Schreifels, Jake (March 23, 2022). "How the Magic of Nicole Kidman's Beloved AMC Commercial Was Made". GQ.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 8, 2021). "AMC Theatre Shells Out $25 Million for Ad Campaign to Get People Back to the Movies". Variety.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 2, 2022). "'Somehow, Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This': How Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter Billy Ray Crafted Nicole Kidman's Iconic AMC Ad". Variety.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 8, 2021). "AMC Theatres Launches First-Ever $25M+ National Ad Campaign With Nicole Kidman, "We Make Movies Better"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Carly (November 25, 2023). "Keith Urban Says Wife Nicole Kidman Never Expected Her AMC Ad to Become "This Cultural Thing"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- Klee, Miles (February 15, 2022). "The Cult of the Nicole Kidman AMC Commercial". MEL Magazine.
- "Nicole Kidman's AMC Theaters Promo Is Only Slightly More Creepy As 'Saturday Night Live' Parody". Vanity Fair. October 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- Zhan, Jennifer (October 30, 2022). "Best Meme Halloween Costumes 2022: the AMC Commercial, Scary Movie 2, and More". Vulture. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (August 5, 2022). "Heartbreak doesn't feel as good as Nicole Kidman extending her AMC commercial deal for 1 year". Entertainment Weekly.
- Ellwood, Gregory (January 14, 2022). "Nicole Kidman Talks 'Being The Ricardos' & Is Shocked Over The Love For Her AMC Theatres Ad [Interview]". The Playlist.
- Knolle, Sharon (March 12, 2023). "Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun at Austin Butler, Nicole Kidman's AMC Ad and Pauly Shore in Delightful Oscars Monologue". TheWrap. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- "Nicole Kidman's Iconic AMC Commercial Reaches Cult Status on Saturday Night Live".
- Nelson, Dustin (September 13, 2023). "Saw X parodies Nicole Kidman's AMC ad: 'Somehow, self-amputation feels good in a place like this'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Thrash, Steven (September 13, 2023). "AMC Don't Want to Play with Jigsaw; Demand Removal of Saw X Parody of Nicole Kidman's Ad Campaign". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- SchneiderIlana, Michael (March 5, 2024). "'Live With Kelly and Mark' Hosts Preview Their Post-Oscar Special — and Parody That Nicole Kidman AMC Spot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Kaplan, Ilana (March 27, 2024). "Nicole Kidman Approves of Olivia Rodrigo's Recreation of AMC Theatres Ad: 'Won Me Major Points with My Girls'". People. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- Dailey, Hannah (April 10, 2024). "Babyface Announces Las Vegas Residency With Spoof of Nicole Kidman's AMC Theaters Ad". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- Davis, Clayton (April 27, 2024). "'Generous,' 'Elegant,' 'The Heart of a Lioness': Nicole Kidman Showered with Compliments at AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- Tinoco, Armando (April 27, 2024). "Morgan Freeman Spoofs Nicole Kidman's Viral AMC Spot At AFI Life Achievement Award Gala". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- Tinoco, Armando (June 10, 2024). "'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Cast Spoofs Nicole Kidman's Viral AMC Spot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- Murphy, Chris (August 31, 2022). "Nicole Kidman's Amazing AMC Ad Is Getting a Sequel". Vanity Fair.
- Devore, Britta (May 2, 2023). "Sequels Feel Good in a Place Like This, AMC CEO Confirms New Nicole Kidman Ad Coming Soon". Collider. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- Goldsmith, Jill (February 28, 2024). "AMC Theatres Enters "Phase 2" Of Nicole Kidman Preshow Campaign With Trio Of New Spots". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (October 24, 2024). "Nicole Kidman hides her face when her AMC ad plays at the movies, says new ad is 'brewing'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
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