Sia's directorial debut, Music, was met with controversy even before it was released. While Sia herself had openly addressed the backlash the film has received from the autism community, lead star Kate Hudson had yet to speak on the matter in depth. Now, as the film reaches a lower Rotten Tomato score than controversial musical Cats, Hudson is addressing the controversy surrounding the film.
It's fair to say the release of Music has been bittersweet for Kate Hudson, as she's been singled out for her performance -- for positive and not-so-positive reasons. During her recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actress spoke with Kimmell on a host of topics, including dealing with quarantine and getting back into music. The conversation also turned to her recent Golden Globe nomination for the Sia-helmed musical film. In regard to the controversy, she discussed the importance of representation in the film:
I think when people see the film, that they will see the amount of love and sensitivity that was put into it. But it is an important conversation to have, not just about this movie, but as a whole, about representation. For me, when I hear that there's anybody that feels left out, I feel terrible.
Kate Hudson went on to emphasize that discussions surrounding the film are all part of an ongoing conversation. With this, she stressed that she. Sia and their collaborators are open to hearing from others:
It’s not a soundbite conversation. I think it's an ongoing, important dialogue to be had about neurotypical actors portraying neurodivergent characters. It is an important one to have with people who are experts and know how to engage in the conversation. I encourage it, truly. We are listening, and it's an important dialogue to have.
Kate Hudson's sentiments on the controversy show just how aware she is of the public’s perception of Music. Her openness to hear others out is admirable and necessary. It honesty would have been easy for her to look over the controversy and relish in the fact that she received an award nomination for her work but, as she seems to understand, these kinds of conversations are necessary when handling delicate subject matter as Music does. Before the musical was released, Sia also apologized for it when it scored two Golden Globe nominations.
As mentioned, Kate Hudson's comments arrive as reviews for Music continue to pour in. The film recently saw its Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score drop to 10% with its audience score currently sitting at 15%. To put things in perspective, this puts it in territory similar to 2019's Cats, as that film suffered a similar fate with both critics and audiences. Cats had a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 19%. But it faired better with audiences, scoring 53%.
Kate Hudson’s willingness to speak on the controversy showed how she doesn’t mind tackling things head-on. Still, the controversy and Rotten Tomatoes score have already put somewhat of a stamp of disapproval on Music. The film is currently playing in select theaters and is available through premium VOD.
