A movie about a tech executive’s passionate love affair with a young man could easily slip into hackneyed erotic thriller territory if the creative team wasn’t careful. But the new release of A24, baby girla fresh exploration of sex, power, and the exhaustion of always trying to live up to society’s expectations.
The story follows Romy, played by Nicole Kidman, as she juggles a robotics company, her marriage to Antonio Banderas, and her increasingly complicated dalliance with Harris Dickinson.
ScreenCraft recently spoke with writer-directors Halina Reign and Kidman about their tricky drama, and we found their collaboration provided practical wisdom for screenwriters. Enjoy the insights below, especially if you aspire to tell bold stories.
how baby girl Rooting its character in human struggles
Wren discusses her background as an actor, specifically in theater, and her roles of women seeking freedom but failing to achieve their goals or often meeting tragic endings.
How does she build on this basic premise and give it new meaning?
“I’ve always wanted to create my own story about women finding freedom, but also maybe finding freedom and surviving,” Lane said. “So I think that was the first seed of it. Later on, as a woman, that’s what I really struggled with – is it possible to love all these different aspects of our identity, not just the ones that we feel comfortable presenting to On the outside level, and on the level of who we are, am I the one who is ashamed?
With this resonance in mind, Wren began to write.
Kidman said in later conversations that what drew her to the script was Wren’s approach to complex characters and their timely personal struggles.
“It’s energetic and fresh, and I love it because Helena is so good at dealing with what’s going on right now,” Kidman said. She added that she liked the modern interpretation of “generations colliding and teaching each other,” which is a key part of the relationship at the heart of the film.
It was an idea so appealing that Kidman read the script in one sitting—something every screenwriter longs to hear from readers.
Read more: Three simple ways to write good instructions in your scripts
“Baby Girl” (2024)
Trust your creative instincts and delve into research
Sitting down to find direction after the initial inspiration can be one of the most difficult aspects of a project. How do you get started and how do you organize your ideas? Wren said she jots down her thoughts before diving into the broader plot.
“First, I immediately started writing down ideas freehand, and then I worked on a page,” Wren said. “Then while I was undergoing treatment, I did a lot of research.”
For many people, myself included, script research is where the real fun begins. This is where you can absorb as much information as possible and hopefully be open to new ideas that can add to your story or take it in an interesting direction.
Kidman’s character Romy is the CEO of a robotics company. This is not a world that Renn is familiar with. There is also the BDSM aspect that needs some digging.
“I just want to make sure I know what I’m talking about,” she said. “You can have feelings about things and a lot of intuition about things, but when you write, of course, as the three of us know, you want to have a wealth of knowledge before you even start. So, yeah, I’m in the process Did a lot of research, but first and foremost I think it’s very important to stick to your gut and intention.
and baby girl A corporate drama, Wren speaks to people about “making sense of the world,” as she puts it.
“What’s it like to be a female CEO? Because we really wanted to make a comedy of manners about two generations, and there’s a lot of work being done right now about leadership and how to lead, horizontal leadership or vertical leadership.
Even if you don’t use all this research on the page, the knowledge will filter in as you develop the world and characters more fully.
Read more: 7 things to remember when researching your script
how baby girl Find type expectations (and subvert them)
Metaphors exist for a reason. They help viewers understand what to expect in certain worlds or genres. But as a writer, it’s really fun to use these tropes to surprise your audience, just by flipping them on their head.
exist baby girlWren said erotic thrillers that walk a tightrope with humor rely on an awareness of these tropes so they can hit the right tone.
“Obviously we wanted to play with the clichés and archetypes of the ’90s sex thriller and even all those classic female characters. And then we wanted to turn it into this female-driven story with its own specific tone.”
Sometimes, in these types of stories, the protagonist’s partner is so unlikeable that the audience thinks their infidelity is justified. This is not the case baby girlBanderas (a heartthrob himself) plays Romy’s husband.
“Harina said, I don’t want a man that you’re going to leave, ‘Oh my god, get away from him now, come on. He’s horrible, run for the door,'” Kidman said. “You want someone who you go, ‘Why? You’ve got it all. What are you doing?’ I think that’s very, very true.
“Baby Girl” (2024)
As a writer, start with personal questions
When giving advice to screenwriters, Lane shared an anecdote that Paul Verhoeven told her.
“What really helps is, what’s your problem?” she said. “You have a very specific question, but you don’t know the answer. It’s a question that scares you and makes you nervous, but you really want to know. If you write it down on a piece of paper. It will be yours. Intention, whenever you get distracted by “Oh, this will never work” or “No one wants me” or people are being mean to you, you can always come back to your intention.
This intention can also guide you in reverse situations, she says—if your head is getting a little too big and you need to stay grounded, think about where you started with the intention.
Kidman agreed, sharing her own advice for telling adventure stories.
“Be curious, be open, be an explorer… looking for things. That’s when people talk about being brave,” she said. “It’s not bravery, it’s just curiosity and keeping a completely open mind. I always say I make teenage choices. Because I don’t think about the consequences.”
Read more: What is the core issue? (Why is it important to your script?)
Get actionable drama notes from professional readers with real industry experience!
