Love, Actually

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Fun, thanks!

[Wynbish]

Here's the uncut version

[Scripps2]

I saw Love Actually for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

I think the scene between Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman (and, yes, Emma is brilliant - though she should have given hubbie the slap she gives John Travolta in Primary Colours) was deliberately ambiguous, so that you were left hoping/worrying what the ultimate outcome would be, until you saw them in their next scene with Emma's character still ill at ease and unhappy with the situation.

However I may be being over-generous here, as I felt the film left a few other plotlines unresolved.

[Scripps2]

Also of interest for me were the way the career trajectories of the many and various hot-young-things in this have panned out over the subsequent 9 years:

Martine McCutcheon now advertising yoghurt on British TV to the accompaniment of a million British housewives saying "I'd have stuck with EastEnders if I were you, luv."

I haven't seen Andrew Lincoln around for a while, whereas Martin Freeman seems to be managing quite nicely.

[Wynbish]

Andrew stars in The Walking Dead

[Gothampc]

Scripps2, I also find it interesting how careers shaped after this movie.

January Jones is now a famous actress on Mad Men

I think this movie helped boost Keira Knightley to a higher level of fame

I also think Joanna Page got a career bump out of this movie. Would she have done Gavin & Stacey without this movie?

[Gothampc]

"Martine McCutcheon now advertising yoghurt on British TV"

Did her musical theater career not take off the way she hoped? Wasn't she Eliza in My Fair Lady several seasons ago? And would she go back to EastEnders? I would think being on a popular soap would be better than pushing product.

[doodlenyc]

She won the Oliver Award for her Eliza.

[strummergirl]

Andrew Lincoln arguably has had one of the steadier careers of his other, lesser known at the time co-stars (Knightley is not the best comparison since she already had crossed over to the states with Bend It Like Beckham). I have no idea about TWD's popularity in England but it consistently breaks cable ratings records here in the states. That said, the zombies are probably the biggest stars of the show. I am not even sure people know Lincoln is English.

Elisha Cuthbert was also one of the bombshell American blondes besides January Jones. I know she was not the most believable actress on 24 but she has settled on being a solid comedic actress on Happy Endings.

[BeadleDeedle]

Martine McCutcheon is so gorgeous in this movie. And she gives a really sweet and funny performance as well. I redevelop a mad crush on her whenever this movie comes on.

[Mister Matt]

I saw Martine in My Fair Lady (I was one of the few, apparently) and she was SUBLIME. I was never a huge fan of the show until that production.

The Family Stone is my favorite holiday movie! The whole family wasn't as passive aggressive as just certain members (the closeness of the family as well as the array of personalities is probably what drew me in to the movie in the first place), but I like the way the characters developed and changed. I really didn't find the characters all that nasty other than defined in the classic family roles and the conflict that was the driving force of the plot. I just loved the characters, the cast and again, the beautiful score.

[Scripps2]

"Did her musical theater career not take off the way she hoped?"

I think her revival of MFL was before Love Actually actually. As Mister Matt implies, she had a reputation for missing performances. There used to be some footage on YouTube of Jonathan Pryce (Higgins) giving definition to the word gobsmacked when her winning of the Olivier was announced. I can't recall her having done anything else on stage subsequently.

"And would she go back to EastEnders?"

They'd have a harder time resurrecting her character than they did Dirty Den.

First of all Grant pushed her down the stairs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY6Qu1dcuKw

...then Frank ran over her in his car...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m19Zer-UPpE

...then they damaged her life support system...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUPU0p4YqAE

...then they scattered her ashes...

"She's gone. Let's go 'ome."

[Gothampc]

"They'd have a harder time resurrecting her character than they did Dirty Den."

Just do what American soaps do: who knew she had an identical cousin that has been living in Ireland all these years?

[Mister Matt]

There used to be some footage on YouTube of Jonathan Pryce (Higgins) giving definition to the word gobsmacked when her winning of the Olivier was announced.

Funny as he was the weakest link in the cast. His performance was the only thing I didn't like about that production. His only good scene was when he broke character and got the giggles with Martine.

[NYadgal]

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."


Adore this movie. Simply adore it.

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[NYadgal]

[Mister Matt]

[NYadgal]

I love this Laura Linney scene...

[NYadgal]

I think I need to watch this tonight.

[NYadgal]

Daniel: Tell her that you love her.

Sam: No way! Anyway, they fly tonight.

Daniel: Even better! Sam, you've got nothin' to lose, and you'll always regret it if you don't! I never told your mom enough. I should have told her everyday because she was perfect everyday. You've seen the films, kiddo. It ain't over 'til its over.

Sam: Okay, Dad. Let's do it. Let's go get the **** kicked out of us by love.