As the snow settles and the credits roll, ‘Love Actually’ has become as much a part of the holiday tradition as overcooked turkey and awkward family gatherings. But just when you thought you knew every nook and cranny of this festive rom-com, I’m here to tell you about the plot twists that got lost faster than your New Year’s resolutions. So grab your popcorn, it’s about to get as juicy as that turkey should’ve been.
Love Actuallys Deleted Lesbian Storyline
First up on our sleigh ride of ‘what-ifs’ is the storyline that could’ve added a heartfelt layer to our beloved headmistress. Anne Reid portrayed the stern ruler of the school corridors with a secret life that was all tenderness and tragedy. Her character was in a relationship with Geraldine, played by Frances de la Tour, who was terminally ill. The idea was meant to be that later on in the film, we suddenly fell in with the headmistress and you realise that no matter how unlikely it seems, that any character you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love,
said Richard Curtis. But alas, like my last three relationships, it wasn’t meant to be. Curtis was “really sorry” to lose the scene, but continuity issues after cutting another bit meant this tender storyline had to go. A shame, really; it would’ve given the film a much-needed dose of inclusivity.
Love Actuallys Original Airport Introduction
Imagine an airport scene more chaotic than your average family holiday flight. The original opener for ‘Love Actually’ featured a connecting character and stunts that would make Tom Cruise raise an eyebrow. It was a sequence so elaborate it involved 40 stunt performers and a specially-built Heathrow set. But what ended up on the cutting room floor could’ve funded my coffee addiction for life. So all the expense, cost of building and shooting it all isn’t in the film!
lamented Curtis. We were robbed of an Olympic-worthy performance by young Sam, who turned out to be quite the promising gymnast. But hey, at least we got to see him run through the airport without all the extra flair.
Love Actuallys Cut African Famine Plot
In what could’ve been a stark contrast to the film’s light-hearted escapades, there was a plotline set in Kenya about characters surviving famine. This would have highlighted that ‘love is all around’, even amidst such harrowing circumstances. Yet this ambitious subplot was discarded faster than my diet plans post-January. The depth it would have added to the film’s otherwise frothy narrative is something we can only speculate about now.
Love Actuallys Missing School Bullying Arc
We’ve all dealt with schoolyard tyrants at some point, right? Well, ‘Love Actually’ nearly gave us a peek into this less-than-jolly aspect of childhood. There was supposed to be a storyline about school bullying that aimed to add layers to one of our young characters’ lives. Curtis referred to an omitted scene involving Thompson’s son and Reid’s character discussing an essay on ‘farts’. Highbrow stuff, I know. But without it, we missed out on potentially more meaningful content that could’ve made us hug our own little terrors a bit tighter come Christmas time.
Love Actuallys Dropped Character Connections
Last but not least are the character connections that never made it past first base. The film initially intended for us to casually meet characters like the stern headmistress and later discover their complex tales of love. You just casually meet this very stern headmistress, but later on in the film we suddenly fell in with her and you realise that no matter how unlikely it seems, any character you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love,
Curtis explained about one such narrative thread that got snipped. It’s like finding out there were supposed to be more guests at your party but they all got lost thanks to your dodgy directions.
In conclusion, these missing plot twists from ‘Love Actually’ are like unwrapped gifts that got left behind by Santa—full of potential but ultimately not part of our Christmas bounty. It makes you wonder how these twists might have changed our annual holiday viewing experience—would we have loved it more or just been overwhelmed by even more storylines? Either way, I guess we’ll just have to settle for what we got…which is still pretty good, even if it doesn’t include acrobatic kids or deep-dives into social issues.