The Paperboy

THE PAPERBOY: TENNESEE WILLIAMS ON STEROIDS

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The audience walking out of a recent screening of Lee Daniels’ “The Paperboy” didn’t know WHAT to think. Some were repelled by the white trash vulgarity of the oversexed sweaty characters and others were mesmerized. Some seemed EMBARRASSED to admit they liked it! In the movie, it’s 1969 in Florida and Matthew McConaughey plays a reporter with a lurid dark side and Zac Efron is his sex-obsessed younger brother. John Cusack plays the most revolting character of all – a deranged prisoner who might be innocent of murder. Nicole Kidman is the desperate floozy who wants to marry her prison pen pal. Mix all this up with thick southern accents (especially Macy Gray the narrator) swamp dwellers, and racial tension, and you have a poisonous stew. But the movie is funny at times, surprisingly compelling, and you cannot take your eyes away. Some might call it lowbrow, but it’s entertaining.

NICOLE KIDMAN WILL DO ALMOST ANYTHING FOR A MOVIE, BUT SHE WON’T DO THAT!

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“Precious” director Lee Daniels put Nicole Kidman through the wringer while filming “The Paperboy.” She not only had two explicit sex scenes, but a scene where she pees on Zac Efron after he’s bitten by a sting ray. And the whole movie takes place in the steamy Florida swamps in the early 70’s. Daniels says he shocked the actress when he insisted that Nicole would understand her character (the town hussy who has a pen-pal relationship with a convict) better if she did her OWN hair and makeup. To illustrate, he placed her in a room full of women who wrote to men in prison. AND he required that she “jiggle,” so she had to GAIN fifteen pounds! Nicole did as she was told until she got to the part in the script where her character had to use the N-word. She flatly refused. No WAY. Eventually, director Daniels relented.

NICOLE KIDMAN: HER MOVIE “THE PAPERBOY” IS DEBATABLE, HER MARRIAGE IS NOT….

Nicole Kidman married the right man this time around. She arrived at the Cannes premier of her steamy Southern noir film “The Paperboy” with hubby Keith Urban sweetly carrying her handbag for her. Tom Cruise didn’t do that – he had a Scientologist do the carrying. Unfortunately, much of the stuffy audience at Cannes laughed at the wrong times during Nicole’s movie. It’s had mixed reviews to say the least – the movie was described as “so bad it’s good,” and “queasily funny” (especially the scene where Nicole’s character pees on Zac Efron’s character after he’s bitten by a jelly fish.) although some observers really liked it. Everyone who saw it agreed the actor’s performances were exceptional.
Photo: Reuters

ZAC EFRON IS A GOOD TIPPER IN NEW ORLEANS


Zac Efron is in New Orleans filming The Paperboy with Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey, and he’s enjoying the city. One of his preferred restaurants is Arnaud’s because he loves the jazz band there. Arnaud’s is also a favorite of Nicoas Cage, who enjoys looking out the window and watching all the action on Bourbon Street. We’re told that Zac orders healthy food – usually fish – and one night he changed his clothes three times while eating dinner there.(?) He always refuses to get up and sing with the band but will take a photo with EVERY fan that asks. Oh, and he’s described as a good tipper “over 20 per cent.”