Another controversial Christmas topic: Love Actually

[tcufrog]

I'm not a romantic comedy fan but my dh and I like to watch it while wrapping packages on Christmas Eve. The washed up singer is my favorite story line too. The actor is hilarious and I like what it says about friendship without being cheesy. I didn't like the infidelity story line though because I hate seeing Emma Thompson look so mousy.

 

[E&Cmom]

I absolutely love it. I have the tradition of watching it when I am wrapping gifts.

I like all of Ricahrd Curtis's romantic comedy films.

 

[Disneychick75]

I like Love Actually but would not go out of my way to watch it.

 

[RitaE]

I pull it out every Christmas.

It's kind of funny because if there was one story in there that I would cut it would be Kiera Knightly and the two guys who are friends. That's the one I fast forward through because it just makes me too sad. I actually do okay with married infidelity one because I know Emma Thompson will be okay. But that guy who loves Kiera Knightly just makes me want to sob.

I think it is kind of … off … to fuss over whether or not the stand-in porn couple HAD to be there. Did any of them HAVE to be there? No, they didn't. I think it is pretty obvious that the movie was never made with the intent of it being a wholesome movie to sit down and watch with your Junior High kids.

It's a little like watching a Hallmark movie starring Candace Cameron and then grumping about because they didn't include any naked pre-marital sex. They don't HAVE to because that's not the kind of movie they were trying to make.

 

[Diznygrl]

I watched it back during my Liam Neeson phase, but honestly can't remember much about it. The only two things I remember are the little boy watching the girl pop star singing "All I Want for Christmas is You" and following her to the airport, and Colin Firth proclaiming his love to a girl in broken Spanish.

 

[disney1990]

One of DH and mine favorites - but definitely an adult movie.

 

[mtemm]

dh and I both love it and watch it yearly. I would say my least favorite group is the kiera knightly one, but I still wouldn't cut it. I love what it shows about how complicated and varied love is.


I see some people disliking the martin freeman stand-in scenes, but I just love them. the irony, the sweetness of their story gets me every time. and I remember when we went to see it in the theatre when it first came out how THRILLED I was that Tim finally got the girl!

I have the dvd and have watched all the extras and Liam Neeson and his stepson have some amazing scenes together that were deleted that are really wonderful and heart wrenching.

 

[NMAmy]

\

Oh and just for fun sometimes I have to remember that yes there was a lobster at the birth of Jesus.......

DUH!

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It's one of the few holiday movies that DH will actually join me to watch. I think the scene where Emma Thompson cries quietly and then straightens the bed is one of the most heart wrenching scenes ever.

And when DD met me at the arrivals gate at Heathrow in October and gave me a hug, I told her, "Check it out--we're all Love Actually!" and she said she ALWAYS thinks that at the arrivals gate.

 

[Diznotyzed]

I love it, and my husband enjoys it, too. Yup, those Heathrow arrival gates scenes always get me.

 

[Disneylover99]

I love this movie! I actually enjoy all the story lines too. And Colin Firth? Yes Please!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

One of our favorites. DH loves this movie; fwiw.

I even made a cut version that the kids could watch, and they enjoy it. (In that version I lined up all of the vignettes except the school play by storyline; it's easier for a kid to keep track of that way. The edited version is essentially a collection of short stories.)

One of my fave bits is Billy Bob Thornton as the horndog President. (And, of course, the scene with Hugh Grant's PM doing the "Risky Business" dance number. )

It's a very British movie; and it just wouldn't be what it is without the raunchier parts. British humour does tend to be a bit more earthy than Americans are sometimes comfortable with, but it makes for very funny situations.

 

[superme80]

I love that movie!!!!! I watch it a few times a year. It makes me so happy!

 

[nugov2]

There is a point missed.

I know the movie is rated R, however, it didn't have to be.

Having that couple create a relationship out of a bizarre, funny or awkward meeting could have been done without the porn line….

Demand is what has driven the massive increase in children's movies in the last fifteen years that, before that, did not exist for two more decades because film producers said parents wouldn't go.

They were wrong.

They are wrong about this too.

Just to be clear they are NOT porn actors. They are body doubles for sex scenes in movies. He talks about how he stood in for Brad Pitt. They do this so the real actors don't have to be nude for too long while they prepare the lighting.

 

[kimblebee]

I love this movie too. I watch it year round, not just at Christmas time. My daughter is 14 and I let her watch it with me, have for two years now. Sure, it's awkward when we watch the naked bits but it gives us a chance to talk and I ask if she has any questions about anything. If she does, we talk while the movie plays on. If not, we joke about the weather until the next scene plays.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

It is one of the only Christmas movies I actually love to watch, and my wife and I watch it yearly.

Personally I find the saccharinely sweet Christmas movies of yore to be nearly unwatchable (in that I have never made it all the way through most of them) but I find Love Actually to be sweet, cute, sad, happy, funny, and awkward all at the same time and therefore a fun annual tradition. The fact that it's not a movie for children does not mean that it's not a good movie for adults to watch and enjoy.

 

[ashley0139]

I have to watch it at least once every Christmas season, and I will watch it all year long.

I absolutely love it!!

My favorite is the Hugh Grant storyline with Natalie. I love them.

 

[BelleBriarRose]

I watch it at least once a year, but I don't really consider it a "Christmas" movie. It certainly has its weak points for me--I'm not a fan of Hugh Grant or Keira Knightley, and her wedding dress at the beginning is just horrific--but I adore the scene of the little boy at the end running through the airport. My little brother looked exactly like that when he was a boy, so that kid in the movie will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[powellrj]

I love this movie. We saw it in the theater when it first came out and always watch it at least once every holiday!

 

[SueM in MN]

I love this movie too. I watch it year round, not just at Christmas time. My daughter is 14 and I let her watch it with me, have for two years now. Sure, it's awkward when we watch the naked bits but it gives us a chance to talk and I ask if she has any questions about anything. If she does, we talk while the movie plays on. If not, we joke about the weather until the next scene plays.

We had completely forgotten about that scene and took it to my mother in law's house as a nice little Christmas movie to watch.

Let's just say that we talked about the weather (with red faces) quite a bit.

 

[Luv2Run]

I find it intriguing that folks are complaining about the nude body double scenes, but have zero complaints about seeing Laura Linney's (Sarah's) breasts in her scene with Rodrigo Santoro (Karl) or the slow motion undressing of Lucia Moniz (Aurelia) into her underwear on the dock before she jumps in the water after Colin Firth's (Jamie's) manuscript. You know why these were included? Because nudity happens in real life -