Kidman offers several lethal line readings in her portrayal of a cripplingly bitter poet in Noah Baumbach's typically verbal character comedy, but none more so than this one: after reeling off a dully vicious list of her sister's failings, climaxing with a takedown of the woman's supposedly ill-advised and inevitably doomed upcoming wedding, her teenaged son reasonably asks why they're even attending the nuptials. “Because we're supporting her,” Kidman counters with irony-free incredulousness. Never afraid to play unlikable, Kidman pushed even some fans away with this thorny creation, but it's unpleasantly riveting to watch her patiently peel away Margot's mannered defenses.

Awards: Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) nominee, Satellite Awards.