Everything I Know in Life I Learned from the Movies: Love Actually

Don't tell me this is sappy.

Don't tell me that romance is dead.

Don't tell me that love can't break your heart.

I know better.

I saw this movie 10 years ago when it first came out.  At that time, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman,  Emma Thompson  and Colin Firth were the stars.  Since then, Keira Knightly, Andrew Lincoln, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman and Laura Linney have emerged as major stars as well.

I watch this once a year without fail.  It makes me about as happy as a movie can make me and it makes me about as sad as a movie can make me.

Settle in, we're about to learn some life lessons about love, actually...

Love can break your heart through death... 

Oh My God.   I can still barely get through the funeral of Liam Neeson's onscreen wife without wailing, since every time I watch I cannot help but think of him losing his own lovely wife Natasha Richardson.  I have often wondered if he can even stand to watch this movie, but I wouldn't have the nerve to ask for fear of the answer.  When he meets Claudia Schiffer in the end you are so happy because he is so sad.

Love can break your heart if it is unrequited:

Oh Andrew Lincoln, do NOT waste your love on that skinny wretch Kiera - she's just going to stay with soon-to-be-Oscar-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor anyway.

No, you need an older woman, one with a little fat on her, one that will take care of you and isn't afraid of the zombies you're going to run into later on...

You can't tell, but the hand is covering the word WENDY

Love can happen regardless of age

When I was 14 years old I was wooed by a country boy who would just "show up" every time there was a waltz at the school dance.  It was very romantic and I loved him dearly, as you can only love someone when you are 14 years old and you hole yourself up in your bedroom listening to England Dan and John Ford Coley for hours at a time.  So I am sympathetic to Sam's shenanigans in this movie and I salute his step-dad (Liam) who knows enough not to rain on his parade.. Sam has one of the most romantic airport scenes ever..

Love can break your heart when one of you falls out of love..

You want to see acting?  Watch Emma Thompson hold it together for the Christmas concert while Joni Mitchell plays in the background (and to my English friends - school concerts on Christmas Eve????).  Emma and Alan break your heart for different reasons...This is every unhappy marriage writ large...

Love Can Give you Hope:

Sure, you're a loser in England, but turn that frown upside down and make your way to the Midwest with that British accent, for the American dames do love an accent....

Love Can be Familial:

We so want Sarah to end up with Karl, but she is married to the responsibility of her mentally ill brother.  It breaks our heart to see her throw this chance away and we hope that after New Year Karl rethinks it all..

Love can happen in the most Unexpected places:

At work for instance:

Whether you are a porn movie stand-in, or Prime Minister, everyone deserves to be happy...

Love is its own common language:

Who doesn't cheer at the scene when Colin Firth walks through the streets of Marseille with his love's family to ask her to marry him?  Sure they speak each other's language poorly but they are in LOVE!

And sometimes your friends are your greatest loves...

One of the most touching love stories in the movie is between Bill Nighy (who steals every movie he is in) and his manager.  Christmas is all around, come on and let it snow...

But for me the most powerful part of the whole movie is the real-life shots of families and couples being reunited at Heathrow Airport.  Breaks me up every time...

And of course, the movie gave us that now classic Christmas song by Mariah Carey, "All I Want For Christmas":





This movie has something for even the most cynical of people.  It gets better every time I watch it, which is, for me, the sign of a Christmas classic...

How about you - will you be watching Love Actually this Christmas?

Have a happy Monday and stay safe out there!