Nicole & Hugh Giddy Up

I want to be his horse!!

It’s true that Hugh hasn’t done alot of onscreen sex, but the two scenes that he has done, packed a wallop. Early in his career he guest starred on an Australian TV series called, “Halifax; Portrait Of A Serial Killer” (no, he wasn’t the killer). It was his first sex scene and his co-star just happened to be a very good friend of his wife’s (he said he felt a little awkward, but you’d never know it). The scene was certainly hot, but it was the morning after shot that really got to me. He’s lying face down on the bed asleep, completely nekkid. Oh my! That man’s body is a work of art. The second one was last fall in “The Fountain”. He had a very erotic bathtub scene with onscreen wife, Rachel Weisz. But what they shot was actually hotter than what we saw. The story is actually kind of funny. He pulls his shirt off (and there is a school of thought that says he must be contractually bound to remove his shirt in every film he makes, because he always does. LOL), and the director Darren Aronofsky yells at Rachel to remove his pants too. Hugh said it felt just a bit too weird because Aronofsy and Weisz were/are lovers (and brand new parents). But I guess he got over his weird, because she did indeed yank his pants off. Then Aronofsky goes and edits it out (Darren my boy, what were you thinking? LOL). Actually, the scene didn’t have to go that far. It was perfect just the way they did it. Great, great film (and for the record, Hugh was robbed of an Oscar nomination).

And then, you might want to check out “The Tourist” this fall. It’s the story of an underground sex club in NY and Hugh plays the baddie. I don’t know if they’re going to go the explicit route of say, “Fatal Attraction”/”Basic Instint”, or a more cerebral approach as they did in “Closer” (a film entirely about sex in which nobody did anything, they just talked about it). Although co-star, Ewan MacGregor did say there is nudity (of the bare bum variety). So I’m assuming that if Ewan has dropped his drawers, then Hugh won’t let himself be left in in the dust and he’ll dropped his too (if there’s a God in heaven. LOL).

As for sex in “Australia?” I don’t know. You have to remember that this story takes place in the late 30’s/early 40’s and Baz has said that he wants this story to be told in the style of GWTW (1939), Casablanca (1943), The African Queen (1951) and Giant (1956). And back then, onscreen couples did not have sex unless they were married first.

I’m a purist when it comes to storytelling and it always makes me roll my eyes when movies are portraying characters from another era but then they have to throw the sex in to appease modern audiences. I loved Titanic, but the scene that felt fake to me was when Jack and Rose had sex in the back seat of that car. This was 1912 and I don’t care how free spirited she was, how much she was rebelling against her mother or how much she loved Jack. No “decent” girl of that era would give herself to a boy she’d just met and in such a manner. It wouldn’t have happened. It’s even implied that she’s already engaged in a sexual relationship with her fiance, Cal when he says to her…”you are my wife in practice, if not by law.” NO WAY. Back then a woman brought no status to marriage. Her calling card was her virtue. Any woman who gave it up before then, was considered “tainted.” It simply wasn’t done. Even in GWTW Scarlett was no angel and she had three husbands, but she gave herself to none of them until she had that wedding ring on her finger. But then in the sequel that was made in the 90’s, Scarlett goes to Ireland and promptly has an affair. NO WAY. Again, it felt false. But just another example of catering to modern audiences. Anyone remember Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman? Jane Seymour had to fight to keep her character a virgin until she was married. The producers argued that no one would buy a woman of her age having never had sex. But Seymour countered, that back then no “decent” woman would engage in a sexual relationship until she was married and she was right. So Michaela Quinn went to her marriage bed, a 37 year old virgin and it rang true.

So, what will they do here? I don’t know. If they tell the story accurately for the era, then there will be no sex between Hugh and Nicole, unless their characters marry. But you can bet the studios will be pressuring for it. And who can blame them? You cast two of the most beautiful movie stars in the world in an epic, sweeping love story and people are going to want to see some “action” because modern audiences aren’t interested in the integrity of a story, they just want to see hot movie stars have sex on screen. Don’t get me wrong, I do too. We all do. It’s a fantasy.

There is however one element to this story that would make pre-marital sex acceptable for that era. War time. That changes everything. In times of war there is the element of desperation because you don’t know if you’re living your last day and if you can’t get to the preacher to marry you, you don’t wait. You grab the moment at hand. If you’ll recall, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman were indeed loves without benefit of marriage in “Casablanca”, which was? A war time love story.

I believe this story takes place between the years, 1938 to 1942 (just six weeks or so after the bombing of Pearl Harbor). That is certainly enough time for the characters to meet, fight, fall in love and marry. But, I guess were just going to have to wait and see.

One last thing. I mentioned that Hugh’s first onscreen sex scene with with an actress who was a very good friend of Deb’s. Well, he’s got the same situation here with Nicole. Deb has known Nicole longer than she’s known Hugh. I believe their friendship goes back nearly 20 years and she’s Hugh’s friend too (he sang at her wedding to Keith last summer). So, will there be awkwardness here too if they have an explicit scene to perform? I would imagine so, but I also know that they are both professionals and they are both comfortable with their bodies and I’m sure they’ll do whatever Baz requires of them (after they stop giggling. LOL). As for Deb, she handles it all like a pro too. In fact, she’s a very smart woman. She doesn’t give him crap for doing that for which he is contractually bound to do. Smart, smart woman.

And I didn’t even thank Jared for the shots before I began my novel. Thank you Jared. They are beautiful.

Nic had a sex scene in cold Mountin and that was unthinkable for the time and a women back in that time would have a baby and not be married that would not have been a good thing, Nic has love/nude scenes in every movie she is in.

hugh should be contractually obliged to do sex scenes in all movies

Nicole does NOT have sex/nude scenes in every movie she’s in!
Moulin Rouge, Bewitched, The Stepford Wives, Practical Magic, The Peacemaker, Batman Forever- none of these have sex/nude snenes to name a few