A Fork in the Road

Now that award season is over, our favorite couple is now focusing on their careers.

It doesn't need to be pointed out, but Nicole Kidman was nominated for five awards and came away with nothing, while Keith Urban was up for one, and won his fourth Grammy.

Let’s revisit Oscar night for a moment. While all of Kidman's peers were partying with Sir Elton John, according to Entertainment Weekly, Kidman and Urban were with Rupert Murdoch and the head of Fox Searchlight pictures at the Governor’s Ball. Kidman was licking up the money trail forgoing all those parties where one is seen in order to make deals for the future. What was Keith doing? Looking really bored and spotted for the first time in public actually pulling away from her.

Now Kidman still wants all of you to believe that they are a happy, happy family. She even summoned young Faith away from the home fires to her set in San Francisco. She made sure Keith was photographed on set, as well.

So, Kidman is working. This is good news for the citizens of Nashville. Kidman won't be doing her seasonal visit to the "farm" any time soon. The television event is scheduled to shoot for many months all over the world. I am sure the little girls will be dragged all over because Kidman is a working mother and she wants everyone to know it.

Keith has begun his tour in Australia, so he won’t be able to join in for much of the big shoot. Was it planned that way? World tours take a lot of planning and the dates were announced very early, and then Kidman announced this television epic. Work can pull the happiest of couples in many directions.

This tour is important for Keith. Very important. Probably the most important tour in his career because this is really a make or break time for him. The CD is a failure. That can't be denied. The first single died on the charts. The second is moving very slowly and it’s not getting very much airplay. And the video, which was filmed during awards season, pushes the happy family facade to the max. He got into bed with Target and that really wasn't lucrative. The deluxe version of the CD that was an exclusive is now available to everyone and Keith is doing free shows and more and more corporate gigs. Has he reached his peak, and is now going through the motions? Is he enthusiastic enough for a turn around? If his recent performances are any indication he seems distracted, stale and predictable. Where is the joy he always seemed to have when he performed?

Is there something else pulling on him now? Worry about the future? His vanity label? Or is there something else in another part of his life distracting him? Kidman can put everything else aside to work on her art. Can Keith? The video exploiting his wedding photos and his daughter was not a very bright move. Why, after both Kidman and Keith tell the press that they have a private life with parts off limits, make a video that shows the most intimate private parts of that life? It is very interesting for those of us who feel the marriage is sham. The new single wasn't even written by him; he can't express anything stronger than a baby girl reference in a pithy, throwaway single. As he starts his tour of Oz Keith is talking more about being a father and about his parents than he has about the wife. Is that why the infamous third arm picture has shown up on HIS fan site?

All we can say is whore out your family, but don't bitch when it bites you in the ass because a chunk of people either don't believe it or don't care. Time will tell, but perhaps there is much more going on than we know about and just perhaps there is more in the future of this couple than just work.