While we’re entering the final frames of the 2024 movie schedule, the general public is starting to take in holiday movies again. One of my favorites, warts and all, has always been Love Actually, and one of the “warts” in question is definitely that scene involving Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightley and a bunch of cue cards. It’s so iconic that people have naturally been inspired to recreate it in the presence of the Pirates of the Caribbean alum; and she talked about that mixed blessing while also being brutally honest on filming that classic moment.
During her recent guest spot on The Graham Norton Show (via People), the star of the new Netflix spy series Black Doves recalled her experience making writer/director Richard Curtis’ entry on the list of the best rom-coms ever. And yeah, I can’t help but agree with this assessment:
I was stuck in traffic for ages recently and a car full of builders next to me started holding up the signs like in the movie. It was creepy and sweet at the same time, much like it was in the film.
We’re 21 years removed from the release of this Christmas classic, and it’s no surprise that Lincoln and Keira Knightley’s scene is seen as something sweetly untoward. Not only has Chiwetel Ejiofor shared his Love Actually thoughts on his supposed on-screen best friend, but even Richard Curtis admits the film hasn’t aged well. And Knightley’s comments are definitely indicative of this point, which resonates with me despite my love for the movie.
On one hand, we’ve all been conditioned to love the sorts of “grand sweeping gestures” you’d see in a romantic comedy. And among those seen in Love Actually, we’ve got a young child running through airport security two years after 9/11, the star of The Walking Dead trying to put to rest his unrequited romance with a cue card sendoff and Colin Firth being charmingly English through trying to learn Portuguese. As for the card scene, check it out below:
As you can see, not all romantic gestures are alike, and I think that’s kind of the point of the early 2000s holiday film. But that’s something I could talk about at length for some time, and I’m sure Keira Knightley would find that both annoying and sweet, if she were to read this. The big point is why this 2003 picture has a lot to say about the subject of amour among the holidays, there are pieces of it that people really shouldn’t try to emulate.
Let that be the lesson you take to heart this holiday season, my friends. And, with that, I’ll still admit that Love Actually is one of the best movies about unrequited love, even if it doesn’t stick the landing with some of its stories. Should you want to revisit them with fresh eyes, or if you haven’t seen this film at all, grab a Prime Video subscription and prepare to get the shit kicked out of you by love!