While love actually has become a staple of annual vacation for many of us, Richard Curtis, who directed and wrote the 2003 romantic comedy, looks back at what he would have changed about the hit film 20 years after its release, including what made it so makes you feel “uncomfortable”. and “stupid” about the film.
The director spoke to Diane Sawyer for the ABC special The Laughter and Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, where he admitted the one thing that makes him “cinch” when he thinks about his work.
“There are things you would change, but thank God society is changing,” he said. “My film inevitably feels dated at certain moments. The lack of diversity makes me uncomfortable and a bit stupid.”
Curtis added, “There is such an extraordinary love that is spreading in so many ways around the world every minute, making me wish my film was better. I wish I had made a documentary just to watch it.”
Continuing to reflect on the film, which grossed $247 million at the global box office, Curtis pointed out one of those dated storylines that features multiple characters falling in love with someone at work.
“You know, I think there are three storylines with bosses and people who work for them,” noted the screenwriter, who described himself as a “teenage optimist” when writing the film.
Starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy in the ensemble cast, love actually follows the interconnected stories of a group of characters as they come to terms with their respective (and messy!) love lives during the holiday season.
Later in the ABC special, Thompson credited Curtis’ “heart of gold” as the reason the film has enjoyed such success over the past 20 years. She told Sawyer. “He’s really a good person and in our business you have to appreciate that.”
Looking for Stream love actually this holiday season? Check out our guide on when and where to catch the Christmas hit: How to Watch Love Actually 2022 online.