Honestly, it’s rare for a movie to actually stay with you for years. Most of the stuff we stream is basically background noise while we scroll on our phones. But then there’s Lion. Even if you haven't seen it since 2016, you probably remember that feeling in your chest during the final scenes. While Dev Patel got a ton of well-deserved credit for playing the adult Saroo Brierley, it’s Nicole Kidman’s performance as Sue Brierley that really grounds the whole thing.
She isn't just "the mom" in this story. She’s the emotional anchor.
The Real Story Behind Nicole Kidman’s Lion Role
A lot of people think the movie is just about a guy finding his way home using Google Earth. And yeah, that’s the "hook." But the real-life Sue Brierley, the woman Kidman plays, had a much more radical perspective on family than what we usually see in Hollywood.
In the film, there’s this specific scene—everyone calls it the "speech"—where Sue explains to Saroo that she didn't adopt because she couldn't have her own kids. She chose to. She had a vision when she was younger that she would adopt children who were already here and needed love.
That’s not movie magic. The real Sue Brierley has talked extensively about this. She grew up in a pretty rough, volatile household in Tasmania and decided early on that the world had enough people in it. For her, motherhood wasn't about bloodlines; it was about providing a safe harbor.
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Kidman, who has adopted children in her own life, reportedly felt a "spiritual bond" with Sue. You can see it in how she carries herself on screen. She doesn't play Sue as a saint. She plays her as a woman who is deeply tired, sometimes overwhelmed by her second adopted son Mantosh’s struggles, but fiercely committed.
Why Kidman Didn't "Look Like Herself"
One thing that kinda threw people off was Kidman’s look. The frizzy 80s red hair, the sensible Australian "mum" outfits—it was a far cry from her usual red-carpet glamour.
Funny enough, the real Sue Brierley actually joked in interviews that she wished the directors had made Kidman look a bit more glamorous. Sue is a woman who takes pride in her appearance, and she felt the movie made her look a bit more "weathered" than she actually was during those years.
But from an acting standpoint? It worked. It stripped away the "movie star" and left us with a character who felt like someone you’d actually meet in Hobart, Tasmania.
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The Most Misunderstood Part of the Movie
There is a big misconception that Saroo was "hiding" his search for his birth mother because he didn't love his Australian parents.
That’s not it at all.
If you watch Kidman’s face in their scenes together, you see the tension. Saroo (played by Patel) was terrified that his search would be seen as a rejection of the life Sue and John gave him. He didn't want to be ungrateful.
But the real Sue Brierley was his biggest supporter. She has said that she always knew Saroo had another mother out there and that she never wanted to replace her. She just wanted to be another layer of love for him.
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Does the Movie Hold Up?
Looking back, Lion succeeds where other biopics fail because it doesn't try to be "too big." It’s intimate.
The first half is a harrowing survival story in India with young Sunny Pawar (who was absolutely incredible as little Saroo). The second half is a quiet, internal drama about identity.
Kidman manages to bridge those two worlds. Even though she’s mostly in the second half, her presence is felt throughout because you’re constantly thinking about the home Saroo is trying to reconcile with his past.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Lovers and Truth-Seekers
If you're looking to dive deeper into this story or just want to appreciate the film more, here’s how to do it:
- Read the Source Material: Pick up A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. The movie is surprisingly faithful, but the book goes into much more detail about the technical side of his Google Earth search.
- Check out "Lioness": That’s the memoir by the real Sue Brierley. It gives the full backstory of her childhood and why she felt so strongly about adoption. It adds a whole new level of respect for what Kidman did on screen.
- Watch for the "Invisible" Acting: Next time you watch, ignore the dialogue. Just watch Kidman’s eyes when she’s looking at Dev Patel or Divian Ladwa (who plays Mantosh). She’s doing a lot of "listening" as an actor, which is way harder than it looks.
- Support the Real Cause: The film ends with a note about the millions of children who go missing in India every year. If the movie moved you, looking into organizations like Railway Children or Magic Bus is a great way to turn that emotion into something real.
Nicole Kidman’s role in Lion wasn't just a supporting turn for an Oscar nomination. It was a tribute to a very specific kind of Australian resilience and a modern definition of what makes a mother. It’s one of those rare cases where the Hollywood version of a person actually managed to capture their soul.
Next Step: Watch the 2017 Academy Awards speech or behind-the-scenes interviews where Sue and Nicole are together; their physical resemblance in mannerisms is actually wild once you see them side-by-side.