Another controversial Christmas topic: Love Actually

[Praying Colonel]

Another Christmas season, so time to resurrect this thread. What say you?

 

[Disney_Alli]

It's a classic in my family that we all love and quote endlessly "just in cases" is a family catch phrase. It was also only rated 14A up here but we get way lower ratings for everything... says the girl who saw every American Pie movie in theaters and watches them all with her parents from 13 on. It's only awkward and creepy if you make it awkward and creepy. My dad forgetting about the "O" scene with the flower in 40 Days and 40 Nights and playing it for my grandma was hilarious for all involved.

And Die Hard 1 & 2 and Lethal Weapon 1 are some of my all time fav christmas movies too.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Also if you've never seen it the actor commentary is quite funny especially because the little boy is doing the commentary and the other actors all kinda forget about the fact that he's way too young for the movies until we're suddenly shooting the nipples "a little to the left please"

 

[brockash]

OK--we were able to keep it civil and discuss the pros and cons of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime."

I think we've shown we can deal with hot-button, pressing issues of Christmas, so I'm going out on a limb and raising another touchy subject:

Love Actually. Some (led by DW) think it's cute and sweet and romantic. Others think it's dreck and probably not a real Christmas movie, anyway.

Here's a good article that discusses the pros & cons.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/...the-case-for-and-against-loving-love-actually

So what say you? Do you like Love Actually? Do you hate Love Actually? Do you have another thought about it?

I like it, but I don't really think of it as a real xmas movie. I also think it's more of a depressing love story type movie, not really a romantic one.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Enjoyed watching it this past Friday night! It is a Christmas classic for us now.

 

[KatyWDW]

Love Actually is just the greatest!

 

[MillauFr]

Love Actually is just the greatest!

Agreed. One of my all time favorites.

 

[Imzadi]

I just saw the movie again. I recorded it off the TBS Channel. They are showing a sanitized, edited version without the 2 porn body doubles/stand-ins. They cut their whole story line out, and since there were so many other characters, and their story line doesn't really intersect much with any of the others, the whole movie still makes sense!

This version is rated "TV-14": "This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age." In addition to cutting the nude/porn scene & characters, the language is pretty much cleaned up. No swearing. It still has the other adult-level situations going on though. It is Love Actually, not Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. So, it's still not child appropriate.

On Spectrum Cable, this "TV-14" version and another version for "TV-Mature", which is probably the uncut version, is free On Demand. (It was weird seeing the movie without the 2 characters. So I may watch it again later On Demand.)

If you just want to record the "TV-14" version to watch it, or you just don't have On Demand, there are currently 2 more re-airings (at least) of the movie on TBS:

Sun 12/9 at 3:30pm ET
Mon 12/10 at 1:30am ET

 

[Disneylover99]

I just saw the movie again. I recorded it off the TBS Channel. They are showing a sanitized, edited version without the 2 porn body doubles/stand-ins. They cut their whole story line out, and since there were so many other characters, and their story line doesn't really intersect much with any of the others, the whole movie still makes sense!

This version is rated "TV-14": "This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age." In addition to cutting the nude/porn scene & characters, the language is pretty much cleaned up. No swearing. It still has the other adult-level situations going on though. It is Love Actually, not Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. So, it's still not child appropriate.

On Spectrum Cable, this "TV-14" version and another version for "TV-Mature", which is probably the uncut version, is free On Demand. (It was weird seeing the movie without the 2 characters. So I may watch it again later On Demand.)

If you just want to record the "TV-14" version to watch it, or you just don't have On Demand, there are currently 2 more re-airings (at least) of the movie on TBS:

Sun 12/9 at 3:30pm ET
Mon 12/10 at 1:30am ET

I watched the sanitized, edited version last year with my 11 year old daughter. I like the porn couple, but you're right, they're not really necessary.

We watched what I thought was the sanitized, edited version on Saturday. Oops, I was wrong.

 

[MomofKatie]

The unedited, unsanitized version is available on Netflix now. It is required Christmas season viewing in our house.

 

[Imzadi]

We watched what I thought was the sanitized, edited version on Saturday. Oops, I was wrong.

 

[Imzadi]

Should we talk about how Hugh Grant's love interest had a "me too" moment with the President? It was written all over her face. Billy Bob, you skeevy dog. Eww!


Has anyone mentioned what a great soundtrack this movie has? It has really great songs throughout.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Should we talk about how Hugh Grant's love interest had a "me too" moment with the President? It was written all over her face. Billy Bob, you skeevy dog. Eww!


Has anyone mentioned what a great soundtrack this movie has? It has really great songs throughout.

The soundtrack is great!

 

[mousefan73]

Saw this for the first time last night on Netflix. The movie was OK. I think the too many storylines doesn’t let you get deep into the characters’ stories. Which I kind of missed but overall it’s pretty easy movie just to watch. I want to see this movie is a classic that I would have to watch repeatedly. For me there are many other romance comedies or Christmas movies that come out first.

Question can someone explain to me what Linney’s brother had and why he was hitting her? she bolts out On a hot guy to go to her brother. Is there a backstory on this, did I miss something

 

[Imzadi]

I think the too many storylines doesn’t let you get deep into the characters’ stories. Which I kind of missed but overall it’s pretty easy movie just to watch. I want to see this movie is a classic that I would have to watch repeatedly.

The movie does get better the more times you watch it, as you see more things you missed the times before and can follow different storylines better. The first few times I watched, I also thought Liam Neeson was Emma Thompson's brother. But, I thought it was odd that he had no interaction or reaction to with Hugh Grant, as that would make them brothers. Reading over the previous posts, I paid more attention to his interactions with Emma, and it was clearer that they are just parents at the same school together.

Question can someone explain to me what Linney’s brother had and why he was hitting her? she bolts out On a hot guy to go to her brother. Is there a backstory on this, did I miss something

I just think her brother has some lifelong mental illness in which he has to be institutionalized and supervised as, the legal qualifications, (here in the U.S., so it might be the same in the UK,) are: "when one is a danger to themselves or others." He clearly had outbursts of sudden violence that Laura Linney's character was used to and the male nurse/aide was on the watch for.

I think she clearly felt guilty & burdened that her brother was that way. I think she mentioned that they lost their parents, so she feels it is all up to her to be there for her brother as best she can. Even if it means always answering all his excessive phone calls and placating him- like when he wanted to call the Pope, as he probably becomes violent to the institution staff if she doesn't answer and keep him calm. Her storyline shows she chose to LOVE her brother more than herself or to give herself a chance for love with Hot Guy.

 

[tink1970]

Question can someone explain to me what Linney’s brother had and why he was hitting her? she bolts out On a hot guy to go to her brother. Is there a backstory on this, did I miss something

He sounds delusional when he thinks "they're trying to kill me" and clearly has been institutionalized for a while (which likely wouldn't happen here in the US) so my best guess is he is schizophrenic or another psychotic disorder not otherwise specified.

That story line is my least favorite and it's when I go the the restroom, fold laundry, etc. DD and I have watched this annually since it came out and she was tiny. She heckles the clean version with me. I've watched this movie on Delta many times and oddly they cut the first narrative about the Twin Towers and message of love which is sort of puzzling--I guess they don't want any allusions to plane crashes on a plane?

The soundtrack is great!

Love the soundtrack too!

I've already watched Love Actually twice this season, hoping British Airways airs it when I fly on Christmas Day This is my favorite Christmas movie ever and I'm firmly in the It's a Christmas Movie camp!

 

[AlohaNow]

I am firmly in the Love It camp. One of my all time favorites. It most definitely is a Christmas movie, though I didn't get around to watching it last year. But as it opens with 'Five Weeks Until Christmas', this year I watched it over Thanksgiving weekend to get into the holiday spirit! There is so much I love about this movie, I can't even. Emma Thompson's performance is amazing and heartbreaking, but overall it is a very positive movie about life and love.

 

[tink1970]

Emma Thompson's performance is amazing and heartbreaking, but overall it is a very positive movie about life and love.

I think I bored DH to sleep last night when I was telling him about the scene in the bedroom-how it was shot from one angle in one shot and could he imagine the work she put into it to cry so convincingly over and over. It is such a poignant scene...and watching a mom pull herself together for her children was something I think many of us can relate to!

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

I like it. It has to be a decent movie to have the ensemble cast it had. I'm assuming people are upset about the body doubles nudity, but it was supposed to be funny/weird and even without the nudity, I wouldn't say it was a kid themed movie anyway.

I, too, will take it over the Hallmark movies. DH, who normally likes violent action movies, loves these for some reason. I'd think they would actually be a worse influence on naive people who think life could be that cookie cutter perfect. The decorations throughout every room in the movie are beautful, I'll admit.

 

[Imzadi]

In case you don't get enough of this movie every year, someone actually made an Off-Broadway parody play out of it:

https://www.loveactuallyparody.com/gallery


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