As soon as the days get colder, there’s one question everyone starts pondering: How soon is too soon to watch Love Actually again? Endlessly rewatchable, many viewers will know the scenes inside and out, but unlike the film’s writer and director Richard Curtis, you might not have noticed a pretty glaring continuity error with Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister.
"I have some odd things that I like about the film when I watch it," Curtis told 12DOVE recently when speaking about the legacy of his 2003 film. "I like the fact that my mother-in-law is in it, that two of my kids are in it, and that I seem to be the only person who notices that Hugh Grant changes his tie 20 times in one scene because we put on the wrong tie after lunch. So from the side, he’s wearing one blue tie, and from the front, he’s wearing another."
The scene in question happens when Grant’s newly elected Prime Minister is in Number 10 for the first time pretty early on in the movie. As he’s introduced to his new staff members, including Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), his tie changes multiple times: in one shot it’s blue and spotty and in another it’s chequered. Try unseeing that one on your next watch.
Despite the error though, Curtis adds that he feels incredibly lucky that the film has had the lengthy legacy it has. "Sometimes when you finish movies, when you watch them, they're like a very expensive diary," he adds. "So when I watch it, I remember all the times, troubles, and fun of shooting it. But I just consider myself very lucky. I start getting texts around December 1 from people who have watched it and I just think, 'Well, I never dreamed that would happen.'"
Curtis is back with a new festive film this holiday season too with Genie. He's behind the screenplay of the fantasy film starring Paapa Essiedu as Bernard, a man down on his luck who struggles to win back the trust of his wife and daughter after missing her birthday. Luckily, he gets some help in the form of Melissa McCarthy’s genie Flora to save the day.
Genie is on Peacock now in the US and on Sky Cinema and streaming service NOW from December 1. Read our full chat with Curtis about Genie, his favorite Christmas movies and Love Actually here.
For more festive favorites, check out our guide to the best Christmas movies of all time.
