There are a few things that are certain in life: Death, taxes, and the fact that this guy from Love Actually is a total creep and terrible friend...
This is something that is still discussed at length on Twitter because IT'S IMPORTANT:
That guy in 'Love Actually' who holds up the sign for Keira Knightley's character is a bit of a dick isn't he?
It’s that time of year again when people love to hate or love or love-hate Love Actually. I'm ambivalent, but can w… https://t.co/YqPg77Bc09
i would definitely fight the creepy sign guy from love actually with my bare hands
The most heartbreaking storyline in Love Actually is how Chiwetel Ejiofor does not have good friends
The scene in Love Actually with the signs is so problematic I'm sorry keira and sign guy you're both assholes
Anyways, I just did my second Christmastime viewing of Love Actually and found myself fuming over the scene more than usual. I wondered if director Richard Curtis ever had anything to say about it, and sure enough I found that someone actually asked him about the whole thing when he did a Reddit AMA in May.
Holy crap! I get to ask this question to the writer/director of Love Actually! I've wanted to ask this for years! Do you think the scene where Mark holds up signs professing his love to the wife of his best friend was a good idea? And if so, how can you defend that?
It turns out that Curtis admits the scene hasn't necessarily aged well for him. He said, "I feel stranger about it as the years go by."
He continues by talking about the Red Nose Day Actually sequel that happened earliest this year, saying that they made a conscious decision not to use the whole sign plot as part of the actual story:
In the little remake we've made — I just decided to use the scene as an intro to the little film — rather than something happening to the real characters.
I just feel a little better knowing that he feels weird about the whole thing because it certainly hasn't aged well, and now I'll just resume watching Hugh Grant do this little dance on repeat in peace.
