Love Actually Director Admits This Infamous Scene Is a “Bit Weird”

The romantic comedy Love Actually has earned a passionate following over the years not only for its blend of heart and humor, but also because its holiday setting makes it an annual watch in the wintery months. Like many movies, when viewing the film from a more contemporary cultural perspective, not everything about the movie has stood the test of time, such as one specific scene featuring Andrew Lincoln’s character expressing his love for Keira Knightley’s character, with even director Richard Curtis reflecting on the scene and noting that it does feel “a bit weird.” The filmmaker also noted that he doesn’t think anyone should be surprised that a filmmaker would change their opinion on their work after two decades.

“I think it’s a bit weird. I mean, I remember being taken by surprise about seven years ago, I was going to be interviewed by somebody and they said, ‘Of course, we’re mainly interested in the stalker scene,’ and I said, ‘What scene is that?’ And then I was, like, educated in it. All I can say is that a lot of intelligent people were involved in the film at the time, and we didn’t think it was a stalker scene,” Curtis shared with The Independent. “But if it’s interesting or funny for different reasons [now] then, you know, God bless our progressive world.”

Love Actually chronicles a number of different characters that have various prospective love connections, with the movie showcasing how all of their dynamics and complications unfold. Lincoln’s Mark has a standoffish relationship with his best friend’s wife Juliet (Knightley), leading her to suspect that Mark dislikes her, despite her best efforts to connect with him. This leads to him showing up on her doorstep, encouraging her to lie to her husband to say it’s a group of carolers, and he shows her signs in which he has written about his love for her. He attempts to convey that he is okay with this love being unrequited and that he will find another person to establish a relationship with, though felt compelled to come clean about his behavior.

Curtis added, “I’m surprised that anyone’s surprised that a writer would look back 10 or 20 years and say, ‘We live in a very different world.’”

Even star Lincoln previously expressed that he was conflicted about his character’s intentions.

“He is a stalker,” Lincoln joked to TheWrap back in 2016. “That was my question to [director] Richard Curtis, ‘Do you not think we’re sort of borderline stalker territory here?’ And he said, ‘No, no. Not with you playing it, darling. You’ll be alright.’”

Love Actually is currently streaming on Netflix.

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