1. The Casting of British Actors
The array of British actors is, in my book, the ultimate reason as to why this movie has become such a memorable part of Christmas in the UK (and beyond). From Kiera Knightley to Martin Freeman, many of these actors were just starting out before they each went on their separate paths to Hollywood stardom.
It’s a cute reminder of just how small the British film industry really is, and it’s even more of a joy to see all of the actors celebrate Christmas in a very relatable British way. From Sherlock to The Walking Dead and everything in between, it is a Christmas miracle itself to see just what the humble beginnings of these now household names have turned into.
2. Sam’s First Love Story
Is there anything more adorable than the story of first love between the underdog and the most popular girl in school? Throw Christmas into the mix and you’ve got a totally aww-worthy first love story. The fact that Sam puts all of the energy that he could spend missing his mother into being totally “in love” just shows that love really is all around.
3. Hugh Grant’s Dancing
Can we just appreciate that, as the role of prime minister, Hugh Grant thought it would be an excellent characterisation point to introduce dance moves such as THESE?
4. Emma Thompson’s Crying Scene
Please, name a more iconic scene than a heartbroken Emma Thompson crying on Christmas morning to Joni Mitchell. In total contrast to the previous scenes, she brilliantly captured a broken mother attempting to put her feelings aside for the betterment of her children and, of course, the perfect family Christmas.
5. Sarah and Karl’s Love Story
If there’s anything more heart-warming than falling in love for the first time, then it’s stupidly realising that everyone at work knows you’re head over heels in love with the most attractive guy in the office. Or maybe that’s just plain embarrassing on your part. Either way, Sarah finally confesses her love for Karl and even manages to get with him after the Christmas party. She finally gets what she wants, but devastatingly it’s clear that they can’t commit to each other…
6. More importantly, the storyline between Sarah and her brother
Although things don’t exactly work out romantically for Sarah and Karl, we still see her more important commitments in her life. Despite some people claiming this to be an unsatisfactory storyline as Sarah doesn’t get her happily ever after, I personally think that it is endearing and refreshing to show familial love trumping a potential romantic love interest. After all, despite all of the romanticism in the movie, family is what Christmas is all about.
7. The reminder that love, actually, is all around…
The ending scene of Love Actually might be criticised as being a cringe fest, but it really does capture the family Christmas feeling perfectly. We come to realise that everyone’s storyline is in some way interconnected to everyone else’s. After all, now more than ever we need a reminder that we all affect each other’s lives in some way, big or small. And that is exactly what Christmas is all about!
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