Heartbreak still feels good in a place like this: Billy Ray on the cultural impact of his AMC ads
Illustrious screenwriter Billy Ray spoke to The Panther about his iconic Nicole Kidman AMC ad getting a sequel after achieving a cult-like following and reinvigorating moviegoers. Photo illustration by EMILY PARIS, Photo Editor
A wise woman once said, “We come to (theaters) for magic.” But who gave her the words?
Following the quarantine mandate implemented after the global COVID-19 pandemic, the theater-going experience took a major hit. At-home streaming grew exponentially, meaning movie theaters had to quickly find a way to get audiences off their couches and back into those cushy movie theater seats. AMC theaters called upon Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Billy Ray, and together, they came up with a solution: Nicole Kidman lauding the stories that “feel perfect and powerful” and can only be told via celluloid.
Ray fully understood the importance of this endeavor and was eager to put pen to paper in the name of reminding people what they love about cinema.
“My feeling about it was this was something I believed in completely. The idea of people coming back to the movies and celebrating that… That was important to me.”
Since 2021, AMC theaters everywhere have projected the actress on silver screens across the nation, delivering Ray’s extremely quotable monologue and captivating audiences. Ray, the writer behind films such as “Shattered Glass” (which he also directed), “The Hunger Games” and “Captain Phillips,” appeared at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in October 2023 as a visiting artist.
He recently spoke to The Panther about his writing process and why he thinks the ad has so thoroughly cemented itself in pop culture.
Though the original conceit was already admirable enough, it rapidly became so much more. The ad itself has become its own form of entertainment and a cultural phenomenon — something Ray never saw coming but is very proud of and grateful for. There are countless videos showing people’s reactions to Kidman and her unmistakable pinstripe suit with such genuine love and excitement. Some fans have even gone so far as to memorize all her lines.
Since its first showing, there have been countless parodies — including a Saturday Night Live sketch, Halloween costumes and even commemorative shirts. Other celebrities have been eager to get in on the fun as well; like Olivia Rodrigo, whose recent parody went viral.
Although all these things are comedic, the societal impact the ad has had is certainly nothing to laugh at. The seasoned writer thinks it works for many reasons, but the main one is simple yet genius.
“I think it was the tailoring of her suit,” Ray said. “It’s hard to know exactly, but I think that was in there. I mean, it’s just a movie star looking like a movie star, and I think that made a huge difference.”
The glitz and glamor of a leading lady in tandem with triumphant music and iconic film moments — including scenes from “La La Land” and “Wonder Woman” — effectively depict the special kind of enchantment one can only feel in a movie theater.
Despite what some may believe, writing an ad like this isn’t all that different from writing a feature film. Ray explained that once a writer knows what message they want to get across, they can go from there.
“I was writing it in script format from the beginning,” Ray said. “Like any screenplay, you try to figure out what is the point you’re trying to make, and then you choose words and images that will make that point.”
The ad has since been recut into a 30-second alternate version that now plays ahead of each AMC showing and features different films. Ray teased that a completely new ‘sequel’ of sorts has been written and is currently in the works. He told The Panther he’s very excited about it, and enjoyed the challenge of keeping things fresh while also preserving the charm of the original.
“The conceit of the new one is that it has to acknowledge the first one,” Ray said. “It has to both celebrate and expand the message of the first one.”
For students hoping to be screenwriters but feel like their work isn’t good enough, it may help to know Ray was once told by a college professor that he would never be a writer. He has since won a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for “Captain Phillips” and has been nominated for several other major industry awards, including the aforementioned Oscar.
Ray had a particularly crucial piece of advice for aspiring screenwriters, which also applies to positions in all areas of the industry.
“Don’t let anybody outwork you. Don’t let anybody out-hustle you. Be the person who’s always willing to do more drafts and push yourself harder… Hollywood is filled with talented failures who are completely mystified why it never came together for them, and the answer is always they just didn’t work hard enough.”