When splitting up our Naughty and Nice lists, Love Actually easily came down on the nice side for me. Sure the film has loads of nudity and "fuck" is said as much as "Christmas," but though it's not one for the whole family to enjoy, I still walk away feeling like I've had a nice 2+ hour hug from an old friend. (Though if any of my friends actually hugged me for two hours, I'd feel extremely creeped out.)
This year, my annual viewing of the film was much needed. Though I haven't suffered any tragedy in my personal life and am very blessed, it's easy to look around at the tragedies of the year and wonder what the hell is wrong with the world. Waking up to the news of Aurora on July 20th terrified me to my core, because as a die hard movie fan, the theater is one place I have always felt safe. Alas that was a drop in the bucket as to how I felt just over a week ago when the news of Newtown broke around lunch time, a tragedy I have not and simply cannot bring myself to talk about as the mother of a young child, with another due in the coming months.
So Hugh Grant's opening monologue tonight was probably the best therapy. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it certainly seemed everything was falling apart, because it's so easy to focus on what's wrong with the world instead of celebrating what we have. If you have love in your life, any kind of love, then frankly, you're doing alright. And that's the best part of Love Actually. It's not just about guy meets girl and they live happily ever after, because it's not afraid to show many types of love, between parents and children, best friends and unrequited along with the sappy romances.
And now that I've had my annual 2+ hour hug from my naked, foul-mouth friend, I remember that the world isn't all that hopeless or helpless.
You know this is one of my favs. Hold fast to the people you love and love them with all your heart. This film may have an unconventional way of saying it, but by the end, the message is unmistakable.
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