The most heated debate about Christmas movies centers around the film "Love Actually." Does it deserve to be considered a new Christmas classic?

No, says The Atlantic's film critic Chris Orr.

"It's just a very strange conception of love that sort of starts with physical attraction, and then goes immediately to the happily-ever-afters," said Orr. "A classic holiday movie has to have someone who is changed by the spirit of Christmas in some fashion."

Yes, says The Atlantic's associate editor Emma Green.

"The strength of 'Love Actually' though, which is a more recent classic, is that to me it feels more personal. It feels like something I can see in my real life potentially – hopefully – and something that feels fresh," said Green.





So what do you think? Personally, it makes me kind of mushy. And I love the movie, the airport scences do me in. So I say yes. But I'm not a big holiday movie gal to begin with. I try to make it a tradition of watching LotR at the holiday time, because for whatever reason this time of year for a very long movie seems perfect. But I haven't done it yet this year, so maybe that's the end of my holiday tradition. However, the major holiday classics I don't seem to gravitate to. "It's a wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 32nd Street", I haven't seen in years, "White Christmas" does not do it for me at all.

Funny how heated this particular debate is getting. I heard Orr going head-to-head over this flick with Mother Jones film critic Ben Dreyfuss on CBC radio this weekend.

I've not seen the film, so I can't comment on content. I have to think, though, that if the movie has gained this peculiar attention amid countless other holiday-related flicks over the past 10 years, it must have some extraordinary character.

Anyway, as far as Im concerned, any flick with Andrew Lincoln's pretty mug in it must have a certain... cachet.

[Edited 12/23/13 13:47pm]

I haven't heard anyone mention this movie in years. Now all of a sudden it's a hot topic

Gunsnhalen said:

I haven't heard anyone mention this movie in years. Now all of a sudden it's a hot topic

The British Invasion??? But that's been going on for years now so maybe that's not it. Maybe it's okay to like what's his face now, the statute of limitations on his questionable behaviour (is that british enough) is now up.

The lack of any current holiday spirited movies??? I don't know, I don't seem to watch them.

Lammastide said:

Funny how heated this particular debate is getting. I heard Orr going head-to-head over this flick with Mother Jones film critic Ben Dreyfuss on CBC radio this weekend.

I've not seen the film, so I can't comment on content. I have to think, though, that if the movie has gained this peculiar attention amid countless other holiday-related flicks over the past 10 years, it must have some extraordinary character.

Anyway, as far as Im concerned, any flick with Andrew Lincoln's pretty mug in it must have a certain... cachet.

[Edited 12/23/13 13:47pm]

I thought it was funny too. Then I thought about the idea of hanging out at the airport, since that's at the beginning and ending of the movie which is the really mushy part of it, but the way our airport i set up, it's a practical ghost town just to hang out in, so that's no fun (and really creepy).

Oh my goodness, I forgot Andrew was in it. Ha, I might have to pull out my copy after all. Yes, I do own one, it got to me that much.

It seems pretty dumb to me that there's a debate over whether this movie should be a "Christmas" movie or not. It's not one of the best movies I've seen, but more like a "feel good" movie. But what do I know. I consider "Die Hard" a Christmas movie even though I watch it year round.

I think the movie evokes love memories in all of us and the fact that the movie ends at the time of Christmas makes people perhaps tie it in as a Christmas flick.

I equate this change into a Christmas movie as The Wizard of Oz became the Easter movie-when ever year they played it on TV that weekend. Love Actually is a beloved movie and they are just turning it into something more. Love Actually was the last romantic comedy movie that I have loved, because it is about all kinds of love and that we may only have one chance to get that certain love.
Lammastide you should see this feel good movie, I think you would like it.

morningsong said:

So what do you think? Personally, it makes me kind of mushy. And I love the movie, the airport scences do me in. So I say yes. But I'm not a big holiday movie gal to begin with. I try to make it a tradition of watching LotR at the holiday time, because for whatever reason this time of year for a very long movie seems perfect. But I haven't done it yet this year, so maybe that's the end of my holiday tradition. However, the major holiday classics I don't seem to gravitate to. "It's a wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 32nd Street", I haven't seen in years, "White Christmas" does not do it for me at all.

kewlschool said:

missfee said:

love the great cast, cringy moments, funny bits & is soooo tacky it's a christmas must watch

I saw it in the theatre and it didn't leave a lasting impression except for Hugh Grant being his typical annoying self.

I thought it was already considered a modern Christmas classic. At least in Europe it seems to be.

I mean, this Robert Palmer/Troggs rip-off is classic!

[Edited 12/28/13 13:57pm]

lazycrockett said:

morningsong said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I haven't heard anyone mention this movie in years. Now all of a sudden it's a hot topic

The British Invasion??? But that's been going on for years now so maybe that's not it. Maybe it's okay to like what's his face now, the statute of limitations on his questionable behaviour (is that british enough) is now up.

The lack of any current holiday spirited movies??? I don't know, I don't seem to watch them.

What is this so-called "British Invasion" you speak of?

Dave1992 said:

The last 30 minutes make the movie; the resolutions of the Liam Neeson and Colin Firth plots are heartfelt and sweet and watchable over and over (which is great because this is the part I always seem to come in on every time it comes on TV). I also like the Hugh Grant/ Secretary story but the Billy Bob Thornton President character is way over the top earlier in the film; having Hugh Grant drug along to the Christmas musical with a kid dressed up as an octopus in tow is hilarious. The Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman story does not interest me even though it is probably the most realistic of the stories in the movie. Tonally it just doesn't fit though. And I hate, hate, hate the whole Laura Linney subplot; why shoehorn the uninteresting American character into the mix.

Here's the thing about the movie though. It's hit or miss throughout, great scene (Bill Nighy is hillarious) followed by "meh" scene for 90 minutes and then once "All I Want for Christmas" starts playing the movie gears it into overdrive and it is one brilliant scene after the other, ending with the perfect song ("God Only Knows"). You laugh, you cry, you feel good...can't ask for much more than that in a Christmas classic.

morningsong said:

Dave1992 said:

What is this so-called "British Invasion" you speak of?

Since the days of Paul Revere they just keep coming back. They're everywhere.

I still don't understand. Who or what comes back where to? What does this have to do with "British Invasion"?

Dave1992 said:

A Christmas Story wasn't that well received on original release. Its rebroadcasts on TBS/TNT over the last 20 years have sent it into "classic" status and video sales. Love Actually is following the same path.

I'd say Love Actually is a new Christmas classic, along with Elf. It's a true Christmas movie with a light, sometimes-balanced touch. The actors were all well established stars (Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant), stars in bloom (Kiera Knightley, Colin Firth) or actors on their way to stardom (Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor). It helped put Bill Nighy on the radar (at least for folks like me). And Christmas is the lead character.

GottaLetitgo said:

The last 30 minutes make the movie; the resolutions of the Liam Neeson and Colin Firth plots are heartfelt and sweet and watchable over and over (which is great because this is the part I always seem to come in on every time it comes on TV). I also like the Hugh Grant/ Secretary story but the Billy Bob Thornton President character is way over the top earlier in the film; having Hugh Grant drug along to the Christmas musical with a kid dressed up as an octopus in tow is hilarious. The Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman story does not interest me even though it is probably the most realistic of the stories in the movie. Tonally it just doesn't fit though. And I hate, hate, hate the whole Laura Linney subplot; why shoehorn the uninteresting American character into the mix.

Here's the thing about the movie though. It's hit or miss throughout, great scene (Bill Nighy is hillarious) followed by "meh" scene for 90 minutes and then once "All I Want for Christmas" starts playing the movie gears it into overdrive and it is one brilliant scene after the other, ending with the perfect song ("God Only Knows"). You laugh, you cry, you feel good...can't ask for much more than that in a Christmas classic.

I also wondered if the Bill Bob character was an issue in the debate, was he suppose to be Bill Clinton-ish? I can see that getting kind of a side-eye. But oh well, it worked for me, so eh.

morningsong said:

GottaLetitgo said:

The last 30 minutes make the movie; the resolutions of the Liam Neeson and Colin Firth plots are heartfelt and sweet and watchable over and over (which is great because this is the part I always seem to come in on every time it comes on TV). I also like the Hugh Grant/ Secretary story but the Billy Bob Thornton President character is way over the top earlier in the film; having Hugh Grant drug along to the Christmas musical with a kid dressed up as an octopus in tow is hilarious. The Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman story does not interest me even though it is probably the most realistic of the stories in the movie. Tonally it just doesn't fit though. And I hate, hate, hate the whole Laura Linney subplot; why shoehorn the uninteresting American character into the mix.

Here's the thing about the movie though. It's hit or miss throughout, great scene (Bill Nighy is hillarious) followed by "meh" scene for 90 minutes and then once "All I Want for Christmas" starts playing the movie gears it into overdrive and it is one brilliant scene after the other, ending with the perfect song ("God Only Knows"). You laugh, you cry, you feel good...can't ask for much more than that in a Christmas classic.

I also wondered if the Bill Bob character was an issue in the debate, was he suppose to be Bill Clinton-ish? I can see that getting kind of a side-eye. But oh well, it worked for me, so eh.

Considering the film came when George W Bush was president, one that Europeans weren't exactly fond of, I think Thorntons character was more of a mix between Bush and a bit of Clinton. But the sexual-harassment part was probably added mostly to make him as unlikable as possible. Americans are often stereotyped as loud, egotistical and greedy in Europe and I think Thornton's character made that very clear, plus we were meant to cheer for Hugh Grant (and Britain).

VenusBlingBling said:

morningsong said:

I also wondered if the Bill Bob character was an issue in the debate, was he suppose to be Bill Clinton-ish? I can see that getting kind of a side-eye. But oh well, it worked for me, so eh.

Considering the film came when George W Bush was president, one that Europeans weren't exactly fond of, I think Thorntons character was more of a mix between Bush and a bit of Clinton. But the sexual-harassment part was probably added mostly to make him as unlikable as possible. Americans are often stereotyped as loud, egotistical and greedy in Europe and I think Thornton's character made that very clear, plus we were meant to cheer for Hugh Grant (and Britain).

I don't know, W. was never known as a ladies man, now if Billy Bob was doing a line of coke, of course that would be going too far, I guess, but still, that thick southern accent with the highly flirtatious manners, I immediately thought Bill C., with the exception of the bullying like behaviour (which I'm not sure isn't him dealing with other dipolmats), it was him to a 't'.

morningsong said:

VenusBlingBling said:

Considering the film came when George W Bush was president, one that Europeans weren't exactly fond of, I think Thorntons character was more of a mix between Bush and a bit of Clinton. But the sexual-harassment part was probably added mostly to make him as unlikable as possible. Americans are often stereotyped as loud, egotistical and greedy in Europe and I think Thornton's character made that very clear, plus we were meant to cheer for Hugh Grant (and Britain).

I don't know, W. was never known as a ladies man, now if Billy Bob was doing a line of coke, of course that would be going too far, I guess, but still, that thick southern accent with the highly flirtatious manners, I immediately thought Bill C., with the exception of the bullying like behaviour (which I'm not sure isn't him dealing with other dipolmats), it was him to a 't'.

Well, that's true... Still think Bush was a great inspiration for creating such a nasty president