Kidman and Paltrow and accents (was Skewed Australia & Ms. Kidman)

[David <dfrankiswork@netscape.net>]

thalia wrote:

> Nicole Kidman is a goddess. Her American accents are the best I've 
heard.

Her British English in The Others was excellent.  Her acting wasn't 
bad either.
 
> On a side/similar note, will someone *please* clear up Gwenyth 
(sp?) 
> Paltrow's nationality for me? (I am laregly out of the media loop, 
> forgive my ignorance.) I think she's American, and if so, what'd 
ya'll 
> think of her accent in 'Sliding Doors'? Fooled me (can you tell?).

I think she's American, er, that is, US American.

Her accent in Sliding Doors was weird.  It sounded British to me, 
but rather a rare brand.  Very adenoidal, conveying a sort of 
rootless upper class impression.

In general I think most actors seem to be able to do accents when 
they need to.  The notorious exception being Dick van Dyke in Mary 
Poppins.

Disney went through a phase of having a token Brit in their 
animations, and these often sound a bit phoney.  I'm not sure 
whether this was because the actors couldn't really reach what they 
were aiming for, or because Disney thought the real thing wasn't 
what was wanted for the American audience: the aural equivalent of 
insisting on red phone boxes and policemen on bicycles, without 
regard to reality.

Our kids' television often has the British presenters doing American 
accents.  These are just as excruciating as anything thrown at us 
across the Atlantic

David