Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ takes the audience into the complicated dynamics of the Winbury family when they assemble in their lavish home in Nantucket to celebrate Benji Winbury’s wedding with Amelia Sacks. Following the festivities of the rehearsal dinner, everyone is ready for the wedding the next day. However, the plans are put to a screeching halt when Amelia’s best friend, Merritt, is found dead that very morning. Every member of the Winbury family comes under scrutiny, including Abby Winbury, who is heavily pregnant at the time. Actress Dakota Fanning embodies the role so perfectly that it makes one wonder if she tapped into her own experience with pregnancy to bring that edge to Abby. SPOILERS AHEAD
Dakota Fanning Has a Fake Baby Bump in The Perfect Couple
Dakota Fanning was not pregnant during the filming of ‘The Perfect Couple.’ The actress does not have any kids so far, though she has played a couple of characters who have been pregnant in the story over the past few years. While her baby bump might look incredibly real in the Netflix series, it is fake (most likely prosthetic, which is generally used to portray baby bumps) and covered with very well-done makeup.
While Fanning has not become a mother yet, she has talked about the prospect of being one several times. She has stated her desire to have kids in the future and has even said that given the choice between having kids and acting, she will choose to have kids. She started as a child actress in Hollywood and has enjoyed a career of more than two decades. She is interested in doing the roles that challenge her and wants to explore the possibilities that her career brings as much as possible. Still, she doesn’t want to be “a person who is so consumed” with their professional life that they miss out on other things.
Fanning said that she has “always felt that pull” towards having kids, adding that it is “probably more important to [her] than anything.” The actress has preferred to keep certain aspects of her life private, including her current dating life. There have been no talks of tying the knot or expanding the family so far from the actress, so it is fair to assume that the actress is currently focused on her career and sees having kids as a certainty in the future.
Abby Winbury’s Pregnancy is Important to the Final Twist in the Show
While Dakota Fanning may not have been pregnant in real life, it was important for her to sport a baby bump for the role because Abby’s pregnancy is integral to her arc in the story. When the investigation begins, several people within the Winbury family emerge as the obvious suspects, especially Tag and Greer Winbury. The cops also explore the possibility of the involvement of someone else from the Winbury family, but it isn’t until much later that Abby’s role in it comes into focus.
There are several reasons why Abby is not actively pursued as a suspect by the cops. For one, there is the lack of a clear motive. On the surface, there is no direct connection between Abby and Merritt. While her husband is cheating, it is with Isabel, so if Abby had to kill someone, it would be Isabel. Or so everyone thinks. Another thing that makes Abby an unlikely suspect is her pregnancy. By the time the wedding comes around, Abby is seemingly in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and it is assumed that she wouldn’t be capable of killing someone because of her condition. Her pregnancy makes others underestimate her, and she takes full advantage of this, leading the cops toward other suspects and stirring trouble for everyone.
When the full picture comes into view, it turns out that Abby’s pregnancy is one of the major motives driving her. With her husband being good for nothing and losing the money he doesn’t have, Abby needs to make sure that she and her kid’s future is secure. So, eventually, what she does is not driven by hatred or jealousy. It is purely driven by love and self-preservation. The cops miss this point and would probably have never figured it out if Abby hadn’t made the mistake of lying for her husband’s alibi. If she had been a bit more cautious, she could have gotten away because who would suspect a pregnant woman of murder.
Read More: The Perfect Couple: Who Does Amelia End Up With: Shooter or Benji?
