Mrs Nicole Coulter? and Australia through US eyes

[Tabouli]

>Hey, Nicole's Australian--not British exactly, she would still be eligible to 
> act in a Harry Potter movie, wouldn't she?

(waves Australian flag patriotically)

...though I confess I've never been all *that* into Nicole Kidman as an actress - a bit cool for me (though the Australian tabloids would shred me for saying such a thing about Our Nic).  I like more warmth and energy.  "Moulin Rouge" was the warmest I've seen her, although I haven't seen that many of her films.

As to the question, I suspect when the "British actors only" clause was chiselled into the HP movie contract it was probably intended as a "no Americanisation" clause in thin disguise.  The HP books *are* very British indeed in flavour, and IMO actors with American accents would have jarred.  That said, if an actor who wasn't British could assume an appropriate accent convincingly, I don't see why not.  From my (limited) experience it's easier for an Australian to put on a convincing English accent than a convincing American accent, and given that Nicole has no trouble with American accents (that I know of: any American thoughts?), I'm sure she could do a good job with at least standard RP English.  As to what part to give her, errr... Madame Rosmerta? The tea trolley lady?  :D

On the subject of films, I read in an interview with Philip Pullman in which he said that he thought Nicole would do well as Mrs Coulter in his books, and *there* I agree.  That coolness I don't go for is perfect for Mrs Coulter.  Cool, alluring, aloof, sinister.  Just the thing.  If they're going for strict from-the-page accuracy she'll need a sleek black Uma-Thurman-in-Pulp-Fiction-esque wig, which would be a pity with those great red curls, but even so.

Back to accents, one thing I noticed when travelling the States last year for the first time was that in the US Australia has almost no presence (save perhaps Paul Hogan and that crocodile guy).  Quite different from the UK, where people readily recognise an Australian accent and have definite (albeit sometimes odd) ideas about what the place is like.  My impression was that in the States Australia has, if anything at all, a vaguely... *rural* sort of an image.  Californian beaches crossed with small midwest country towns and peppered with kangaroos.

Ah, if only the truth were so romantic!

Mind you, bits of Northern California looked remarkably like the countryside just outside Adelaide. Eucalypts and yellow grassy hills and coastline and all (friendly wave at Catherine Keegan, who was very hospitable in said Northen California).  And Melbourne is said to have a similar look and feel to Boston, according to those who have visited both.

So, while I'm taking one of my favorite hobby horses (Anglophone Contrasts, out of Curiosity by Midnight Message) out for a canter, what image *do* people in the USA have of Australia, if any?  Would you recognise an Australian accent?

Tabouli.


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