Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ begins with the festivities of the wedding, which are soured when one of the guests is murdered. Set in the panoramic location of Nantucket, the story majorly focuses on the residents of Summerland, which belongs to the Winbury family, headed by Greer and Tag Winbury. While Tag has generational wealth, it is Greer who runs the household, from her children’s lives to the finances of the family. What makes her even more influential is the fact that she is not dependent on her husband’s wealth to make a name for herself. Instead, she is known for authoring a series of mystery novels that have made her one of the most successful writers in the country. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal adds a sense of realism to the character, making her more relatable than she appears at first glance. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Fictional Greer Winbury Shares Similarities With the Woman Who Created Her
‘The Perfect Couple’ is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand, an author who has been a regular on the bestselling lists across the country. While majorly known for writing romance novels, Hilderbrand waded into the murder mystery genre with ‘The Perfect Couple.’ While concocting the stories and the characters, she didn’t have to look far for inspiration. In fact, the protagonist of the story, Greer, is made in her own image.
In the show, we come to know Greer as the best-selling author of the Dolly Hardaway murder mystery novels, better known as “Dash and Dolly” for its central characters. While the investigation continues into the murder that took place within the premises of her house, Greer is busy preparing for the release of her latest book in the series, ‘Death in Dubai.’ The parts about Greer’s novel writing career and all the things she has to juggle, be it the marketing of the book or fiercely protecting her image as a public figure, come from Hilderbrand’s own experience as a beloved novelist. But that’s not where the similarities end.
Hilderbrand revealed that she saw a lot of herself in Greer while writing about her, especially her position as the matriarch of her family. Greer has three children, and so does Hilderbrand. Both the author and her protagonist juggle a stressful family life with a successful but demanding career. Further, Hilderbrand gave some of her own qualities and routines to Greer, such as being an early riser and dedicatedly working on her next book. At one point in the story, it is revealed that having written dozens of novels in the series, Greer is ready to call it a day for the Dash and Dolly series. Hilderbrand also considered retirement after writing about 25 novels set in Nantucket, believing that she had explored all she could about the place she has lived in and loved for decades.
While Hilderbrand drew upon her own experiences to give a realistic touch to Greer, she ventured deep into fictional territory to create everything else about the character. Right from her background to her character traits, which make her intimidating as well as a major suspect in a murder investigation. Nicole Kidman, who plays Greer in the Netflix series, found the character a force to be reckoned with, calling her a “mama bear” who is ready to go to whatever lengths it takes to protect her family. This is not the actress’ first rodeo as a wealthy woman caught in a murder investigation (having played somewhat similar but fundamentally different roles in ‘Big Little Lies,’ ‘The Undoing‘ and ‘Nine Perfect Strangers‘). She found some key features of the character that allow her to be rooted in reality, giving the audience something to sympathize with her. So, despite the questions about her hand in the murder, we find ourselves rooting for the fictional character.
Read More: The Perfect Couple: Where is the Netflix Show Filmed?
