Love Actually (2003)

Taglines: The ultimate romantic comedy.

Against the backdrop of aged has-been rock star Billy Mack’s Christmas themed comeback cover of “Love Is All Around” which he knows is crap and makes no bones about it much to his manager Joe’s chagrin as he promotes the record, several interrelated stories about romantic love and the obstacles to happiness through love for Londoners are presented in the five weeks preceding Christmas. Daniel’s wife has just passed away, leaving him to take care of his adolescent stepson Sam by himself.

Daniel is uncertain how to deal with Sam and his problems without his wife present, especially in light of a potential budding romance within their household. Juliet and Peter have just gotten married. They believe that Peter’s best friend and best man Mark hates Juliet but won’t say so to his or her face. Others looking at the situation from the outside believe Mark is jealous of Juliet as he is in love with Peter himself. Jamie, a writer, is taking a writing retreat by himself in rural France.

To a writer (Colin Firth) escaping to the south of France to nurse his re-broken heart who finds love in a lake…

From a comfortably married woman (Emma Thompson) suspecting that her husband (Alan Rickman) is slipping away…

To a new bride (Keira Knightley) mistaking the distance of her husband’s best friend for something it’s not…

From a schoolboy seeking to win the attention of the most unattainable girl in school…

To a widowing stepfather (Liam Neeson) trying to connect with a son he suddenly barely knows…

From a lovelorn junior manager (Laura Linney) seizing a chance with her long-tended, unspoken office crush…

To an aging “seen it all, remember very little of it” rock star (Bill Nighy) jonesing for an end-of-career comeback in his own uncompromising way…

Love, the equal-opportunity mischief-maker, is causing chaos for all. These London lives and loves collide, mingle and climax on Christmas Eve—again and again and again— with romantic, hilarious and bittersweet consequences for anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to be under love’s spell.

Read the Full Production Notes

Love Actually

Directed by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley
Screenplay by: Richard Curtis
Production Design by: Jim Clay
Cinematography by: Michael Coulter
Film Editing by: Nick Moore
Costume Design by: Joanna Johnston
Set Decoration by: Caroline Smith
Music by: Craig Armstrong
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality, nudity, language.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: November 7, 2003