Love Actually (2003)

Genre
Romantic Comedy
Written By
Richard Curtis
Logline
A film that follows nine London couples as they experience love, loss, and friendship in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Why break it down?
As a man, it can be tough to admit you like chick flicks. Progressive as the world has become, I still dare you to tell your bro's how much you liked the movie 'Wimbledon' and see if you don't get repeatedly superman-punched in the dick. So instead of begging you to give chick flicks a shot (seriously, though...what do you have to lose?), I'll just say - as I did back when I started this blog - that if nothing else, ROMANTIC COMEDIES CAN TEACH US A GREAT DEAL ABOUT HOW TO STRUCTURE A SCRIPT, which is reason enough to at least take them seriously. That's why today, after two long months without a post, we're going to break down my third-favorite chick flick of all time...Richard Curtis' 2003 date-night masterpiece, 'Love Actually.'

'LOVE ACTUALLY' IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ENSEMBLE FILM, a type of narrative in which several different stories (each with its own protagonist[s]) are weaved around a single overarching theme. 'Crash', for example, is an ensemble film, as are 'Boogie Nights,' 'Requiem for a Dream,' and 'Magnolia'. They're notoriously difficult to write, as there are no established rules for making them work. But although it seems complex on the surface, you'll quickly find that 'Love Actually' is a pretty straightforward script, which is great...because it means we can use it to learn how to write ensemble films of our own (as always, see the Analysis section below for more)!

So read up, keep an eye out for the beats, and we'll look at the film's structure after the jump. (Click the [+] button for a summary of each scene.)

5 WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS (≈ 34 PAGES)
00:00 - 02:00 (2.00 pages) [+]

INT. AIRPORT - DAY
Montage over music. DAVID (Hugh Grant) explains via voice-over his views on love, while people greet each other in an airport.

02:00 - 07:30 (5.50 pages) [+]

The following short scenes in LONDON are part of one larger scene, which is why they're grouped together.

INT. RECORDING STUDIO
Aging rock star BILLY MACK (Bill Nighy) sings a Christmas song in his recording studio. He knows the song is crap, as does his manager JOE (Gregor Fisher)…but they also know the song will make money, which keeps them smiling.

INT. JAMIE'S FLAT
JAMIE (Colin Firth) hurriedly puts on his coat, running late for a wedding. He kisses his girlfriend, SKANKY McSLUT, and hurries out the door.

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT / KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE
DANIEL (Liam Neeson) calls KAREN (Emma Thompson) on the phone, but she can't talk:

They hang up, and Karen's daughter tells her some good news:

INT. DESIGN AGENCY
COLIN (Kris Marshall) walks through the office delivering food, hitting on various women (because he's horny and young). He gets turned down by all of them and hangs his head, sad.

INT. FILM SET
JOHN (Martin Freeman) and JUDY (Joanna Page) meet on the set of a film, where they are body doubles for actors in a sex scene.

INT. CHURCH
MARK (Andrew Lincoln) and PETER (Chiwetel Ejiofor) whisper to each other at the altar, where Peter is waiting to be married. The bride JULIET (Kiera Knightly) arrives, and Mark gets out his video camera to record the ceremony.

07:30 - 09:45 (2.25 pages) [+]

EXT. / INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
David - who we heard in the opening voiceover - arrives at the UK government headquarters to thunderous applause. He waves at the citizens, then heads inside for his first official day as Prime Minister.

David meets his staff, and has a strange moment of chemistry with NATALIE (Martine McCutcheon), a junior employee. As he walks off, he looks back at her:

"Oh, no…that is so inconvenient."

He continues into his office and closes the door, letting his breath out.

09:45 - 11:30 (1.75 pages) [+]

INT. CHURCH - DAY
Peter and Juliet are pronounced man and wife. They kiss and make their way toward the door, but suddenly a whole crowd of musicians steps out from behind the curtains and starts playing "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles. Peter looks back at Mark, who clearly set this all up:

"What? It wasn't me..."

Peter and Juliet watch the performance, laughing. Mark videotapes the whole thing, happy for his friend.

11:30 - 12:15 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. JAMIE'S FLAT - DAY
Jamie arrives home to find his brother, who has been having an affair with Skanky McSlut (Jamie's girlfriend). They stare at each other awkwardly...

12:15 - 14:00 (1.75 pages) [+]

INT. / EXT. WEDDING RECEPTION - DAY
Colin, who is a waiter at the reception, tries to hit on a woman, but she rejects him. He has an epiphany that British girls don't like him, and goes outside to tell his best friend TONY (Abdul Salis) about his new plan: He's going to America to get laid.

14:00 - 15:15 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. FILM SET - DAY
John and Judy make small talk, but are interrupted when the assistant director (Tony) asks Judy to take her clothes off. She does, and the two continue talking while pantomiming sex against the wall.

15:15 - 16:45 (1.50 pages) [+]

INT. CHURCH - DAY
A funeral. Daniel gives a speech about his late wife while his stepson SAM (Thomas Sangster) watches sadly. Daniel starts to cry as the coffin is carried away.

16:45 - 18:00 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. WEDDING RECEPTION - NIGHT
Peter and Juliet dance, totally in love. Mark videotapes them, looking sad. SARAH (Laura Linney) slides up next to him:

18:00 - 20:15 (2.25 pages) [+]

INT. DESIGN AGENCY - DAY
HARRY (Alan Rickman) works in his office. MIA (Heike Makatsch), his hot secretary, informs him that he has a visitor. Awkward moment of sexual tension between them, and then…

Sarah walks in. She sits down, and Harry has a discussion with her:

Sarah leaves the office, where Mia (the hot secretary) is playing obnoxious Christmas music. Sarah asks what the hell it is, and we cut to...

20:15 - 22:45 (2.50 pages) [+]

INT. RADIO STATION - DAY
A radio DJ fades out Billy's song, and complains about how washed-up Billy is. But he bites his tongue when he realizes Billy is in the studio, getting ready to interview with another DJ. Cut to…

The interview. Billy sits across from the other DJ, answering questions about his new Christmas album. Billy thinks the album is crap, but encourages people to buy it anyway.

22:45 - 24:15 (1.50 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
David talks with his advisors about how to deal with the asshole Americans. His advisors - and the rest of the country - want him to be firm, but he doesn't seem up to the task. Stressed, he sits back in his chair:

Enter Natalie, who has brought (you guessed it!) cups of tea and chocolate biscuits for everyone. David stares at her, drooling.

Later, David works in his office. Again, Natalie enters with biscuits. David tries to talk to her, but ends up sounding dumb. She leaves, and David face-palms, disappointed.

24:15 - 25:00 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. FILM SET - DAY
Back at the film set, John and Judy continue to make small talk, this time naked on a bed.

25:00 - 25:45 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. CAR - DAY
Colin and Tony drive along, arguing about American girls. Colin tells Tony some big news:

25:45 - 26:30 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. DESIGN AGENCY - DAY
Harry gives Mia directions for setting up the company Christmas party:

26:30 - 28:15 (1.75 pages) [+]

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - DAY
Daniel and Karen talk about Sam, who is taking his mother's death pretty hard:

"His mom always used to talk to him..."

Daniel starts to cry, not knowing how to be a good stepfather to Sam. Karen comforts him because she's a good friend.

28:15 - 29:45 (1.50 pages) [+]

EXT. CITY - DAY
Daniel and Sam sit by the river, talking. Daniel asks Sam what's on his mind, and Sam tells him:

29:45 - 30:45 (1.00 pages) [+]

INT. DESIGN AGENCY - NIGHT
Sarah collects her things, getting ready to leave for the night. KARL (Rodrigo Santoro) - the hot designer she's in love with - passes by her desk.

But before Sarah can think about it too much, her phone rings. We don't know who it is, but she obviously doesn't want to talk to him...

30:45 - 31:15 (0.50 pages) [+]

INT. CABIN - DAY
Jamie opens the windows of his cabin in the woods, sitting down at his typewriter (because he's a lonely author).

31:15 - 33:15 (2.00 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
Natalie enters David's office, delivering something. Before she leaves, David strikes up a conversation with her.

33:15 - 34:00 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - DAY
Sam tells Daniel about the girl he's in love with:

3 WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS (≈ 13 PAGES)
34:00 - 35:30 (1.50 pages) [+]

INT. TV SOUNDSTAGE - DAY
Billy talks to some TV hosts about his new record, which he hates. Joe watches, horrified, as Billy makes fun of other famous musicians and encourages kids to do drugs.

"Kids, don't buy drugs…become a pop star and they give you them for free."

35:30 - 36:45 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. ART GALLERY - DAY
Mark talks on the phone with Peter while customers walk around his art exhibit. The customers giggle at the pictures - they're mostly of naked people - and Mark cringes.

Peter puts Juliet on the phone. Mark is clearly unhappy to talk to her. She asks him for a favor:

36:45 - 37:30 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. DESIGN AGENCY - DAY
Harry asks Sarah if she talked to Karl (the hot designer she's in love with). She says no, and the conversation is interrupted when she gets a phone call -- obviously from the same guy who called her last time (29:45 - 30:45).

Harry walks over to Mia and asks if she's made preparations for the Christmas party. She says yes, blatantly flirting with him.

"Do me right here on the table, Snape."

37:30 - 39:45 (2.25 pages) [+]

INT. CABIN / INT. CAR - DAY
Jamie's writing is interrupted by a knock at the door. It's a friend of his, who has brought over a new cleaning lady, AURELIA (Lúcia Moniz). Jamie tries to introduce himself, but she only speaks Portugese, meaning they can't understand each other at all. Jamie agrees to give Aurelia a ride home at the end of the day. CUT TO:

The end of the day. Jamie and Aurelia are in the car, driving home. Again, Jamie tries to talk to her, but she can't understand a word he's saying. He feels like an idiot.

39:45 - 44:30 (4.75 pages) [+]

EXT. / INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
The American PRESIDENT (Billy Bob Thornton) arrives at 10 Downing Street, where David greets him and shows him inside. The two make small talk, and the President quickly reveals himself to be a womanizing prick:

CUT TO:

A meeting room. The President bullies David and his advisors, which makes David feel increasingly nervous. CUT TO:

David's office, later that day. David and the President continue to chat, but the President is pretty much just an asshole. Natalie enters, and David steps outside to get some paperwork. When he returns, he's surprised to see the President hitting on Natalie:

Embarrassed, Natalie leaves. David stares at the President, disappointed. CUT TO:

The press room, even later. David and the President address a room full of journalists. Suddenly, David gets inspired, and stands up to the President with a rousing speech about how much of a bully America is. The crowd goes wild. CUT TO:

A few minutes later. David shakes people's hands, takes pictures, etc., but is interrupted when he gets a call from...

44:30 - 45:30 (1.00 pages) [+]

INT. KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Karen calls David on the phone (turns out they're brother and sister). He's busy and can't talk. Karen hangs up, proud of him.

Karen and Harry (who are married) wrap Christmas presents for their kids. Karen talks about how much she loves Joni Mitchell (the singer), and the viewer happily ignores the fact that there's no point to her mentioning this…unless she's planting it for a payoff later in the script!

45:30 - 46:45 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT
David unwinds from the press conference in his bedroom, exhausted. Over the radio, a catchy pop song comes on, and he starts dancing to it. Thinking nobody else is home, he dances around the entire house…until he's caught by one of his secretaries. Trying to play it off, he walks away, embarrassed.

2 WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS (≈ 34 PAGES)
46:45 - 51:30 (4.75 pages) [+]

INT. CABIN - DAY
Jamie and Aurelia have a conversation with each other in two different languages (it's adorable). The phone rings, and they awkwardly look for it.

Later, Jamie writes outside by the lake. Aurelia brings him more coffee, but when she picks up his empty cup, the papers underneath it go flying into the lake. Shocked, she takes off her clothes (sexy moment where Jamie watches her getting undressed) and jumps in after them. Jamie jumps into the water with her and they scramble to collect the pages of his book.

Later, the two dry off in Jamie's cabin. They finally talk for the first time, having a cute conversation in two different languages. Knowing they can't understand each other, they each confess their love:

51:30 - 57:15 (5.75 pages) [+]

INT. MARK'S FLAT / EXT. CITY - DAY
Mark answers the door to find Juliet, who's here to see the wedding video he took. He's cold to her, and she finally brings it up:

Juliet finds the tape of her wedding and pops it into the VCR. Watching it, she realizes that during the wedding, Mark was videotaping her the entire time, leaving Peter completely out. And slowly, it dawns on her...

"Mark is in love with me..."

The tape ends, and Juliet asks Mark why he never told her. Embarrassed, he leaves his apartment and walks around the city, thinking.

57:15 - 58:15 (1.00 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
David calls his assistant into his office and, clearly sad about the decision, asks her to transfer Natalie to a different department. She says "yes" and walks out.

Don't be sad, Hugh Grant.

58:15 - 60:15 (2.00 pages) [+]

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - DAY
Daniel stares at a picture of his late wife, trying not to cry. Sam enters and tells Daniel some bad news:

Later, Daniel and Sam watch Titanic on the couch, hoping to make themselves feel better. Daniel pauses the movie and comforts Sam, assuring him everything's going to be okay.

60:15 - 60:45 (0.50 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT
David works in his office, feeling sad.

60:45 - 62:45 (2.00 pages) [+]

EXT. CABIN / EXT. CITY - DAY
Auriela and Jamie pack up Jamie's car. Apparently, Jamie is finished writing his book and will no longer be living at the cabin. They stare at each other, sad.

Later, Jamie drops Auriela off at her neighborhood. They say goodbye to each other in different languages, and in a moment of extreme vulnerability, Auriela leans forward and kisses Jamie. He watches, helpless, as she walks away, then gets back in his car. As he starts to drive off, he makes a wrong turn and gets in a fender-bender.

62:45 - 64:00 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT - DAY
Sam watches Billy on TV, dancing like a fool with dozens of gorgeous women around him. Suddenly, he gets an idea…

Sam bursts into Daniel's room, excited. He tells Daniel the plan:

CUT TO:

Later that night, Daniel walks by Sam's room, exhausted. From inside, we hear Sam hammering furiously at his drum set.

64:00 - 65:30 (1.50 pages) [+]

INT. ART GALLERY - NIGHT

The company Christmas party (25:45 - 26:30). Sarah stands in a corner, looking lonely and tragically pretty. Harry and Karen talk for a moment, then she steps away from him to go socialize. The second she leaves his side…

…Mia shows up. She's wearing a skin-tight devil costume - which is relevant because I say it is - and asks Harry to dance. Reluctantly, he says yes. While they're dancing, she whispers in his ear that she wants to bang him. Across the room, Karen sees it happen, taking a somber sip of her drink.

65:30 - 66:30 (1.00 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
David watches Billy on TV, laughing. Billy looks into the camera and makes a promise:

66:30 - 68:15 (1.75 pages) [+]

The following short scenes are part of one larger scene, which is why they're grouped together.

INT. ART GALLERY - NIGHT
Back at the Christmas party, Karl (the handsome designer Sarah loves) approaches Sarah and asks her to dance. Thrilled, she says yes.

"You smell like muscles."

INT. CAR - LATER
Karl drives Sarah back home. They're both blatantly nervous…

68:15 - 73:45 (5.50 pages) [+]

INT. SARAH'S FLAT - NIGHT
Sarah and Karl kiss at her front door, and she invites him inside. They head upstairs and immediately go to town, ripping off each other's clothes, but just as things start getting hot and heavy…

…the phone rings. Sarah answers: It's her brother, who (we now find out) has a mental disorder. It kills the mood, but Sarah explains that she's the only family he has left. Karl understands, and they start kissing again…

…until the phone rings. This time, Sarah's brother wants her to come stay with him, and she reluctantly agrees. Karl hangs his head, knowing the night is ruined.

73:45 - 74:30 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Karen and Harry unwind at home, getting ready for bed. Casually, Karen confronts Harry about Mia:

74:30 - 75:45 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - NIGHT
Sarah sits with her brother, comforting him. He thinks the nurses at the hospital are trying to kill him; she assures him they're not. He tries to hit her; she blocks his arm. They've obviously been here before. He calms down, and they hold hands.

75:45 - 76:00 (0.25 pages) [+]

INT. Karen AND HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
15-SECOND INSERT: Karen lies awake in bed next to Harry, too worried about his relationship with Mia to sleep.

76:00 - 77:30 (1.50 pages) [+]

INT. DESIGN AGENCY / EXT. CITY - DAY
At work the next day, Harry leaves the office early to go Christmas shopping. On his way out, he passes by Mia:

Harry leaves the office feeling uneasy. But when he gets outside, he takes out his cell phone and calls Mia:

77:30 - 80:45 (3.25 pages) [+]

INT. MALL - DAY
Harry meets up with Karen and they start looking around the mall for Christmas gifts. When Karen steps away, Harry hops over to the jewelry counter (hoping to find a present for Mia). He picks out a necklace, but RUFUS (Rowan Atkinson), the jewelry salesman, takes an uncomfortably long time wrapping it, making Harry increasingly nervous that Karen will come back and catch him. After a comically long time, Karen does come back, causing Harry to abandon the necklace entirely and walk out of the mall with her.

1 WEEK TO CHRISTMAS (≈ 11 PAGES)
80:45 - 83:15 (2.50 pages) [+]

The following short scenes in LONDON are part of one larger scene, which is why they're grouped together.

INT. TONY'S FLAT - NIGHT
Colin arrives at Tony's flat to say goodbye. Tony tries to talk him out of it, but it's no use…Colin's going to America!

INT. FILM SET - NIGHT
Judy and John stand naked in front of the camera, pantomiming a blowjob. While Judy's down there, John nervously asks her if she'd like to go out for a drink sometime. She says yes, and they go back to the blowjob. John is thrilled.

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - NIGHT
Daniel walks by Sam's door, exhausted. From inside we hear Sam's drum playing, which hasn't let up one bit.

INT. KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Harry arrives home and Karen greets him at the door. He hangs his coat on the wall and Karen peeks inside the pockets, finding the necklace he bought for Mia. Naturally, she thinks it's for her, smiling as she tucks it back inside Harry's coat.

INT. CENTRAL LONDON SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE - NIGHT / TRAIN STATION - DAY
Jamie sits in a crowded classroom, struggling to learn Portugese. Later, he walks through a train station with his headphones, still practicing.

INT. KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Karen finds her present under the tree, now wrapped and adorned with a sweet little card from Harry. She smiles excitedly and puts it back with the other presents.

83:15 - 87:30 (4.25 pages) [+]

INT. AIRPORT / EXT. MILWAUKEE / INT. BAR - NIGHT
Colin arrives at his plane gate and bids farewell to Tony, who still thinks he's an idiot. Thrilled, Colin runs through the gate. CUT TO:

Milwaukee. Colin bursts out the doors of the airport and jumps in a cab:

CUT TO the bar: Colin sits down to order a drink, and right away starts getting hit on by three gorgeous women. Obviously, they're turned on by his British accent. After a little conversation, they invite him back to their house to have an orgy with them. Colin can't believe his luck.

87:30 - 91:00 (3.50 pages) [+]

INT. KAREN & HARRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Karen, Harry, and the kids open presents around the Christmas tree. Excited to see her new necklace, Karen grabs her present and opens it…but to her surprise, it's not a necklace at all. It's a Joni Mitchell CD (which she said she wanted in 44:30 - 45:30), meaning her deepest fear has been confirmed: Harry gave the necklace to Mia. Distraught, she excuses herself to the bedroom and cries, fighting to pull herself together.

91:00 - 91:45 (0.75 pages) [+]

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - NIGHT
Daniel and Sam lie on the couch, talking about Daniel's love life:

CHRISTMAS EVE (≈ 35 PAGES)
91:45 - 93:00 (1.25 pages) [+]

INT. HOTEL PARTY - NIGHT
Billy, Joe, and a crowd of people await the announcement: Who has the #1 Christmas record this year? We open on the announcement being made…

…and Billy Mack is the winner! The crowd goes wild. Joe watches, proud, as Billy gets a call from Elton John inviting him to a Christmas party.

93:00 - 94:00 (1.00 pages) [+]

EXT. CITY - NIGHT
John drops Judy off at her door. He's too nervous to kiss her, but she leans in and goes for it. After she goes inside, John jumps for joy.

"All I want for Christmas…is you."

94:00 - 96:30 (2.50 pages) [+]

The following short scenes in LONDON are part of one larger scene, which is why they're grouped together.

INT. Jamie'S FAMILY'S HOUSE / EXT. CITY - NIGHT
Jamie arrives at his sister's house to have Christmas dinner with the family. But right after he steps through the door, he has an epiphany…and runs outside to hail a cab.

INT. DESIGN AGENCY - NIGHT
Sarah works late at the office. Karl packs up his things and says "Merry Christmas" as he leaves; Sarah watches him off, trying not to cry. She picks up the phone and calls her brother to make sure he's alright.

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT
David sits down to review some paperwork, finding a stack of postcards at the top of the pile:

INT. DANIEL'S FLAT - NIGHT
Daniel asks Sam to come out of his room and eat dinner, but Sam is too busy playing drums to care.

INT. PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - NIGHT
Sarah visits her brother at the hospital, doing everything she can to make sure he has a good Christmas. Appreciative, he leans forward and hugs her.

96:30 - 99:00 (2.50 pages) [+]

INT. PETER & JULIET'S FLAT - NIGHT
Peter and Juliet snuggle on the couch. The doorbell rings and Juliet answers; to her surprise, it's Mark. He asks her to keep quiet, presenting a series of hand-written cards that (to put it simply) serve as his first and final profession of love for her. Sincerely flattered, Juliet gives him a kiss and he walks away, finally able to move on.

99:00 - 101:30 (2.50 pages) [+]

INT. JOE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Joe watches TV in his apartment. The doorbell rings. It's Billy, who apparently left Elton John's Christmas party to come hang out with John. In a moment of bromance, Billy confesses that despite all his complaining, Joe is his best friend. The two hug, trying not to look gay in the process.

101:30 - 108:15 (6.75 pages) [+]

INT. 10 DOWNING STREET / EXT. Natalie'S NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT
David reads through the postcards (from 94:00 - 96:30), and to his surprise, there's a card from Natalie in the stack. Reading it, he realizes she loved him all along, and jumps up to find a secret service car.

The car drives David to Natalie's neighborhood, where he knocks on every door he sees until finally, he reaches Natalie's flat. When the door opens, her entire family is there; it's the night of the school play (from 02:00 - 07:30) and they're getting ready to leave. David offers to give Natalie a ride, dying to tell her how much he loves her.

In the car, David and Natalie talk about what happened with the American President, and David finally tells Natalie how he feels. Natalie invites him to watch the play with her:

108:15 - 114:45 (6.50 pages) [+]

The following scenes in THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM (LONDON) and MARSEILLE, FRANCE run simultaneously, which is why they're grouped together.

THE AUDITORIUM
Natalie runs toward the theater, on a mission.

Meanwhile, John and Judy walk inside, reluctant to explain to their friends how they met.

At the Same time, Daniel and Sam hop out of their car. Sam has drumsticks and he's ready to play.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE
Jamie hurries out of the Marseille airport, flagging down a taxi.

THE AUDITORIUM
Natalie returns to the car, telling David she found a way to sneak him backstage to watch the play. Nervous, David agrees to go with her.

Sneaking inside, David runs into Karen (remember, they're brother and sister). Ecstatic to see each other, they hug it out, and David introduces Karen to Natalie. A bell rings to signify the start of the play (which is hilariously inaccurate, but who cares?). Karen runs off with the kids, leaving David and Natalie to tiptoe backstage. CUT TO…

Much later. The play comes to an end, and everyone applauds. Daniel watches anxiously as the closing number gets started: It's a song, performed by Sam and his band (the lead singer of which is JOANNA, the girl Sam's in love with).

Turns out, the song is surprisingly good. Sam plays the drums like a rockstar while Daniel watches, proud. Backstage, David and Natalie kiss for the first time…just as the song ends and the curtains open up. The whole audience sees it and, after a beat of silence, gives the Prime Minister a rousing ovation.

114:45 - 126:45 (12.0 pages) [+]

The following scenes in LONDON and FRANCE run simultaneously, which is why they're grouped together.

LONDON
The audience spills out the door of the auditorium. As they all leave, Karen finally confronts Harry about the necklace he gave to Mia:

Meanwhile, Daniel congratulates Sam for his amazing performance. He encourages Sam to tell Joanna how he feels, and the two run outside to find Joanna before she goes to the airport. Turns out, they're too late; Joanna gets in her parents' car and disappears. Still hopeful, Daniel and Sam jump into their own car, determined to catch Joanna at the airport.

FRANCE
The taxi drops Jamie off at Aurelia's house, but her father answers the door. Speaking almost fluent Portugese, Jamie asks for Aurelia's hand in marriage, and the father says yes, telling Jamie to follow him to the restaurant where Aurelia works.

LONDON
Sam and Daniel run through the airport, hoping to catch Joanna…

FRANCE
Jamie and Aurelia's father walk toward the restaurant. One by one, the townspeople begin to follow them until a huge crowd has formed...

LONDON
Daniel and Sam get to the security gate, but the guard refuses to let them through. Luckily, Rufus (the jewelry salesman, from 77:30 - 80:45) distracts the guard by losing his ticket, and as a last-ditch effort, Daniel tell Sam to make a break for it. Unsure at first…Sam finally decides to go for it! Chased by airport security, he makes it all the way to Joanna and tells her how he feels. The guards take him away, but Joanna follows, giving him one last kiss on the cheek before she leaves for America.

FRANCE
Followed by a huge crowd of people, Jamie marches into Auriela's restaurant and, in Portugese, asks her to marry him. She says yes…in English! The crowd goes wild as Jamie and Aurelia kiss.

ONE MONTH LATER (≈ 3 PAGES)
126:45 - 130:00 (3.25 pages) [+]

INT. AIRPORT - DAY
One month later, every one of the characters we've seen shows up at the airport to greet each other.

• Billy and Joe fist-bump, their manly way of showing affection.
• Jamie introduces Mark, Peter, and Juliet to Aurelia.
• Harry hugs his kids, and Karen assures him she's doing alright.
• Joanna and Sam greet each other, not knowing what to say (in a cute way). Daniel watches, proud.
• Tony is pleasantly surprised to see John and Judy, who are now engaged.
• Colin walks through the gate with two gorgeous women. And the best part…one of them is for Tony!
• David emerges, and Natalie jumps into his arms.

Analysis
A script like 'Love Actually' can seem daunting to write, being that there are so many characters with so many different motivations and plot arcs to sift through. But after breaking down each story individually, it becomes clear that 'Love Actually' is more or less a series of simple short films interlaced with each other to create a bigger, more epic-feeling narrative that (lucky for us) is nowhere near as complicated as it seems. For the most part, each story exists entirely on its own, connected to the other stories by the simple idea that the characters work together (see Harry and Sarah), or are friends from a long time ago (see Daniel and Karen). Because of this, we're going to look at each plotline as its own little short film, which will hopefully shed some light on how they're all mixed together:

David and Natalie [+]

The story of David and Natalie is pretty straightforward: Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy sees girl with another man, boy hates girl, girl apologizes, boy kisses girl. But what's interesting about Curtis' approach to this storyline (and a bunch of the other ones, for that matter) is that he puts it in an interesting setting; instead of having David be just some regular guy, he makes him the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, creating a credible reason for him to be shy around Natalie (if he hits on her and she doesn't respond, he's obviously in big trouble). Overall, the storyline goes through eight important beats:

• David meets Natalie [+]

David arrives for his first day at work as Prime Minister, where he meets Natalie for the first time. Right away, he's attracted to her. In The Holiday, they refer to this as a "meet cute."
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⇠ BOY MEETS GIRL
• David prepares for the President [+]

David talks with his cabinet about an upcoming meeting with the American President. Basically, the purpose of this conversation is to show David's character flaw: He's too shy and weak. Natalie walks in, and (just like we'd expect) he doesn't know what to say to her.

• David talks to Natalie for the first time [+]

The point of this scene: Natalie is single. David asks her if she has a boyfriend, and she says "no." Now they've talked for the first time and can start getting somewhere in their relationship.
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⇠ BOY LIKES GIRL
• Natalie meets another man [+]

This is a long scene, during which the American President shows up and bullies David. And naturally, David takes the punishment with a smile, because right now he's still a pussy. But then, the President hits on Natalie, causing David to stand up for his country in a rousing public speech. Of course, the real point of this scene is to create a LOW POINT between Natalie and David; now that she's flirted with someone else, David doesn't want to see her again.
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⇠ BOY SEES GIRL WITH ANOTHER MAN
• David dances around the house [+]

What's the point of this scene? Well, to be cute, I guess. Thrilled that he's a national hero, David dances around the house (thinking nobody's watching), and is embarrassed when he realizes his secretary is in the room.

• David fires Natalie [+]

Sad that Natalie hooked up with the American President, David asks his advisor to have her transferred to a different department (meaning, of course, that he'll never see her again).
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⇠ BOY HATES GIRL
• Natalie writes David a letter [+]

On Christmas eve, David finds a postcard from Natalie, in which she confesses her undying love for him. Realizing he was wrong, he calls for his driver and sets out to find Natalie.
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⇠ GIRL APOLOGIZES
• David and Natalie kiss and make up [+]

David drives to Natalie's neighborhood, finds her, tells her how he feels, and they kiss. Most of this happens at the elementary school concert, where a few other storylines are going on as well.
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⇠ BOY KISSES GIRL

Daniel and Sam [+]

Oddly enough, the storyline between Daniel and Sam plays out like a sports film, with Sam being the "team" and Daniel being the "coach." In Act I, everyone is basically sad; Daniel's wife is dead, Sam won't talk to anybody, everything is terrible, etc. But then, Act II starts when Sam tells Daniel the big secret: He's in love, and wants to win Joanna's heart. For the next few scenes, they talk about Joanna, and then…lightbulb! Sam gets an idea: He'll learn to play music, and Joanna will fall in love with him. After that, it's a Rocky-style training montage, during which Sam practices for the "big game" (i.e., the school concert). Finally, the "big game" happens, and Sam performs excellently, but has to chase Joanna through an airport to tell her how he feels (the "game-winning shot"). She kisses him, and he jumps into his coach's arms, victorious. In all, the story goes through ten important beats:

• Daniel's wife dies [+]

Actually, Daniel's wife dies right before the movie starts. But in the first scene of the story, Daniel essentially calls up a friend and says, "I'm sad my wife is dead." So right away, we're introduced to the concept that Daniel's wife has recently died, and he's broken up about it.

• The funeral [+]

Here, we're introduced to Sam, the son of Daniel's late wife. Daniel gives a speech, then the coffin is carried away. Sam watches sadly.
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⇠ THE TEAM NEEDS A NEW COACH
• Daniel asks a friend for advice [+]

Not knowing how to communicate with Sam, Daniel asks a friend for advice. The friend (Karen, from another storyline) tells him everything will be okay.

• Sam tells Daniel he's in love [+]

This is where the story really takes off. In essence, if Act I of this storyline involves Daniel and Sam being sad, then Act II starts here, when Sam tells Daniel he's in love with a girl at school. From here on out, Daniel and Sam will become close through conversations about this girl.
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⇠ COACH TAKES THE JOB
• Sam describes Joanna to Daniel [+]

This scene is comprised of exactly what the title implies. Basically, Daniel sits down with Sam and they talk about Joanna, the girl Sam is in love with.

• Joanna is leaving?! [+]

Suddenly, a kink is thrown in Sam's plan to win Joanna's heart: She's moving to America. Daniel puts on the movie Titanic to make Sam feel better, promising everything will be okay.
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⇠ THE TEAM LOSES AT FIRST
• Sam decides to be a rockstar [+]

One could call this the midpoint of the story. Seeing a music video on TV, Sam is struck with sudden inspiration to win Joanna's heart through music. He runs to Daniel to tell him about the plan.
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⇠ THE TEAM GETS INSPIRED
• Sam practices the drums [+]

From now until the climax, all we see are snippets of Sam playing drums in his room while Daniel covers his ears in pain. Slowly, we assume Sam is becoming better at making music.
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⇠ TRAINING MONTAGE
• Sam plays drums at the concert [+]

Finally, Sam plays drums while Joanna sings at the school Christmas concert. As expected, he nails it. But after it's over, Joanna gets in the car with her parents to go to the airport. Daniel and Sam chase her there, and…
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⇠ THE BIG GAME
• Sam tells Joanna how he feels [+]

Sam runs through the airport, catches Joanna, and tells her how he feels. Joanna gives him a kiss and flies away to America. End of storyline.
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⇠ THE TEAM WINS!

Harry and Karen [+]

This is perhaps the most complicated storyline in the film, if only for the fact that it follows two plotlines instead of one. On one end, we have Harry, whose plotline involves him being seduced by - and eventually giving in to - his hot secretary (Mia) at work. On the other, we have Karen, whose plotline involves becoming suspicious of her husband, finding proof that her suspicions were right, and finally confronting him about it. Together, they have ten important beats, but it's actually a whole lot more simple to look at them individually:

Harry

• Mia hits on Harry (#1) [+]

While getting ready for a meeting at work, Harry and Mia have a strange moment of sexual chemistry, but it only lasts for a moment. Mia leaves, and Harry mentors a co-worker about love ("If you like someone, go for it!" he says).

• Mia hits on Harry (#2) [+]

In the first of two incidences of sexual harassment in the workplace, Mia un-subtly hints to Harry that she wants to kiss him at the company Christmas party.
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⇡ ⇣ Harry IS TEMPTED
• Mia hits on Harry (#3) [+]

Stepping the harassment up a notch, Mia implies to Harry that she wants to bang him at the Christmas party. Knowing he can't respond, Harry bites his fist and walks away.

• The Christmas party [+]

At the company Christmas party, Mia asks Harry to dance. While they're dancing, she whispers into his ear that she wants him. Karen watches from a few yards away, concerned; that night, she tells Harry to keep his behavior in check. NOTE: The this scene is important for two reasons: 1. It's the moment Harry gives into Mia's advances, and 2. It's the moment Karen notices what's going on.
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⇠ Harry GIVES IN
• Harry buys Mia a necklace [+]

Although this scene is over three pages long, everything important about it is explained in the title. Basically, Harry goes through a bunch of trouble to buy Mia a gold necklace for Christmas, when he should be shopping for Karen and his kids.
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⇠ Harry CHEATS
• Karen busts Harry [+]

Finally, Harry gets caught. After the elementary school concert, Karen tells Harry she saw the necklace he bought for Mia, and he knows he's in trouble.
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⇠ Harry GETS CAUGHT

Karen

• Karen is a good mother/friend [+]

The first time we meet Karen, we don't actually know she's married to Harry. First, she congratulates her kids for being cast in the elementary school play. Then, she jumps into another person's storyline to give him friendly advice. Basically, these scenes are just the filmmaker's way of showing that Karen is a good person, which makes it all the more tragic that she's being cheated on.
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⇣ HAPPY MARRIAGE
• "I love Joni Mitchell" [+]

One night, while wrapping Christmas presents for the kids, Karen tells Harry she loves Joni Mitchell music. This is a plant for later in the film, when Harry gives her a Joni Mitchell CD (instead of the gold necklace she thought she was getting).

• The Christmas party [+]

At the company Christmas party, Mia asks Harry to dance. While they're dancing, she whispers into his ear that she wants him. Karen watches from a few yards away, concerned; that night, she tells Harry to keep his behavior in check. NOTE: The this scene is important for two reasons: 1. It's the moment Harry gives into Mia's advances, and 2. It's the moment Karen notices what's going on.
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⇠ Karen GETS SUSPICIOUS
• Karen finds the necklace [+]

Looking in Harry's coat, Karen finds the gold necklace he bought for Mia. Of course, she thinks it's for her, expecting to unwrap it on Christmas Eve.

• "I hate Joni Mitchell" [+]

Karen opens her Christmas present from Harry, and to her surprise, it's not a gold necklace. Rather, it's a Joni Mitchell CD, which she mentioned wanting in an earlier scene. With this, she knows Harry is cheating on her.
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⇠ Karen SEES PROOF
• Karen busts Harry [+]

Finally, Harry gets caught. After the elementary school concert, Karen tells Harry she saw the necklace he bought for Mia, and he knows he's in trouble.
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⇠ Karen CONFRONTS HER HUSBAND

Jamie and Aurelia [+]

Jamie and Aurelia's storyline is pretty similar to David and Natalie's; Boy meets girl, boy talks to girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back. But again, notice how Curtis puts a twist on the story to make it more exciting: Jamie and Aurelia speak two different languages, meaning every scene between the two of them will carry a cutesy air of "if only they could talk to each other!" And - of course - this twist also presents a telltale opportunity for humor, which Curtis takes great care to exploit: If Jamie and Aurelia speak separate languages, they can say the exact same thing to each other without even knowing it. With a formula like that, creating funny scenes becomes more or less a game of "plug, chug, and escalate" (which, as any sketch writer will tell you, can be a very good thing). In total, Jamie and Aurelia go through eight important beats:

• Jamie loves his girlfriend [+]

The first time we see Jamie, he's kissing his girlfriend - who I believe I named "Skanky McSlut" - goodbye. He leaves her home alone while he goes to a wedding, which is a terrible choice, because…

• Jamie catches his girlfriend cheating [+]

Jamie returns from the wedding to find Skanky McSlut cheating on him with his own brother. Ouch.
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⇡ ⇣ BOY IS SAD
• Jamie goes to the woods [+]

Sad from the breakup, Jamie goes to a cabin in the woods, where he plans to write the next great American novel.

• Jamie meets Aurelia [+]

A few days later, Jamie meets Aurelia, his new cleaning lady. They don't speak the Same language, so it's kind of awkward. At the end of the day, Jamie drives Aurelia home.
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⇠ BOY MEETS GIRL
• Jamie and Aurelia talk [+]

This is the scene that kick-starts Jamie and Aurelia's relationship. Until this point, they've said maybe two words to each other…yet somehow they've fallen in love, and after a whole funny scene where they jump in the lake together, they confess their love for one another (in different languages, but still).
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⇠ BOY TALKS TO GIRL
• Jamie and Aurelia separate [+]

Having written his novel, Jamie has no more reason to be in the woods. Which sucks, because he won't get to see Aurelia again. He drives her home for the last time, and she kisses him, thinking it will be her only chance.
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⇠ BOY LOSES GIRL
• Jamie learns Portugese [+]

Next, we go into a montage, during which Jamie spends every waking hour learning to speak Portugese so that he can ask Aurelia to marry him.
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⇠ TRAINING MONTAGE!
• Jamie proposes to Aurelia [+]

On Christmas eve, Jamie flies to France (where Aurelia lives) and asks her to marry him (in Portugese, which he just learned). She says yes, they kiss, and everyone skips off into the sunset holding hands.
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⇠ BOY GETS GIRL

Billy and Joe [+]

A number of people consider this their favorite storyline in the film, me being one of them (what can I say? Bill Nighy is hilarious). What's surprising about it, though, is just how simple it actually is; Billy records a song, does three interviews, and hits #1 on the music charts, all while Joe watches and smiles. Then, the two hug, and their story is complete.

• Billy records a song [+]

This scene is exactly what it sounds like: Billy records his song, "Christmas Is All Around." He keeps messing it up while Joe watches, shaking his head.

• Interview (#1) [+]

The first interview Billy does is a radio interview, during which he admits his new song is terrible. Joe watches, shaking his head.

• Interview (#2) [+]

Next, Billy does a television interview, during which he (again) admits his new song is terrible. Joe watches, shaking his head.

• Interview (#3) [+]

Finally, Billy does a second television interview, during which he promises that if he wins, he will get naked and perform a nationally televised concert.

• Billy tops the music charts [+]

On Christmas Eve, Billy finds out he has the #1 Christmas record. He gets invited to Elton John's Christmas party, and (like always) Joe watches, this time very proud.

• Billy man-hugs Joe [+]

In the middle of the night, Billy arrives at Joe's flat to finally admit that Joe is the only real friend he's ever had. The two friends hug it out, then get drunk and watch porn.

Mark, Juliet, and Peter [+]

Funny that this is one of the most memorable plotlines in the film, despite the fact that it has the fewest number of scenes out of any in the bunch. Like many of the others, it plays out in an extremely straightforward fashion: Mark videotapes the wedding, avoids Juliet (because he loves her), gets caught (i.e., Juliet finds out he loves her), and then confesses his love (finally letting go).

• Mark tapes the wedding [+]

Being the good friend he is, Mark sets up an elaborate surprise for Peter at the wedding. But really, the important thing about this scene is that Mark is taping the wedding, which leads directly into the next three beats of the story.

• Mark avoids Juliet [+]

Juliet contacts Mark and asks if she can see the wedding video he made. He avoids the issue, not wanting to show it to her because if he does, she'll realize he's in love with her.

• Mark's love is revealed [+]

Finally, Juliet comes over to Mark's place and demands to see the wedding video. She watches it, and (as expected) realizes Mark is in love with her.

• Mark confesses his love [+]

The famous Christmas card scene! Basically, on Christmas Eve, Mark confesses his love to Juliet, finally allowing himself to move on.

Colin and Tony [+]

Not to sound like a broken record, but this plotline - like all the others - is fascinatingly funny for how simple it is. Basically, the story of Colin and Tony is a stripped-down version of the classic three-act story: the main character (Colin) is given a problem (he can't get laid)…then, he tries to solve that problem (by deciding to go to America / buying a plane ticket)…and finally, he fixes the problem (by getting laid).

• Colin gets rejected [+]

Colin works at a catering company, where he relentlessly hits on women. Of course, they all reject him, and he's sad because he'll never get laid.

⇠ ACT I: THE PROBLEM
• Colin has an idea [+]

After getting rejected by another woman, Colin gets the idea that American women might find him sexier than British women do. He rushes to his best friend, Tony, to tell him the news…and Tony thinks it's stupid.

• Colin buys a ticket to America [+]

Days later, Colin tells Tony that he spent his very last dime on a ticket to America. Again, Tony thinks it's stupid.

⇠ ACT II: SOLVING THE PROBLEM
• Colin leaves for America [+]

Tony brings Colin to the airport, where they say goodbye and part ways. Colin runs to his plane.

• Colin gets laid [+]

Finally, Colin arrives in America, where he's immediately sucked into an orgy with a gaggle of hot blondes. Everyone orgasms, the end.

⇠ ACT III: PROBLEM SOLVED

Sarah and Karl [+]

The story of Sarah and Karl is great because it has a solid obstacle keeping the main character (Sarah) from achieving her goal. However, we're not actually told what that obstacle is until Sarah achieves the goal, making her a layered character whose motivation can be gradually unraveled as we get to know her. Basically, though, the plot (like all the others) has three distinct parts: Sarah wants something (Karl), gets it, then realizes she can't have it.

• Sarah loves Karl [+]

At work, Sarah's boss asks her how long she's been in love with Karl. She denies it at first, but finally admits it. Sarah's boss encourages her to ask Karl out.

⇠ WANTING THE PRIZE
• Sarah says "hello" to Karl [+]

A few nights later, Sarah and Karl talk for the first time as Karl leaves the office. Sarah pretends everything is normal, but secretly, she wants to tell him how she feels. But before she can think too much about it, her brother calls on the phone...

• Sarah gets Karl, then loses him [+]

At the company Christmas party, Karl asks Sarah to dance. They hit it off, and go home to have sex, but the hook-up is interrupted when Sarah's brother calls on the phone again. The moment ruined, Karl leaves.

⇠ GETTING THE PRIZE
• Sarah visits her brother [+]

Sarah goes to see her brother at the psychiatric hospital, and we see how much they love each other.

• Sarah says "goodbye" to Karl [+]

On Christmas Eve, Sarah works late. She says goodbye to Karl, and goes back to the hospital to spend Christmas with her brother.

⇠ LETTING GO OF THE PRIZE

John and Judy [+]

What's beautiful about John and Judy's story is that it literally couldn't be simpler: The lovers meet, the lovers talk, and the lovers kiss. But what makes this plotline interesting (like David and Natalie's above) is that it's grounded in a cool setting; if John and Judy were just talking about the weather, the film would be boring as hell, so the writer gets creative and has them talk about the weather while humping each other on the set of a porno film. Aside from this, the story is completely straightforward, which is a testament to how one little creative touch can bring whole new life to an otherwise commonplace scene. In terms of plot, here's what we get:

• Boy meets girl [+]

John and Judy meet on the set of a film.

• Boy talks to girl [+]

Later, John and Judy make small talk. John is clearly nervous around her, but she doesn't seem to mind.

• Boy talks to girl some more [+]

Even later, John and Judy make even more small talk.

• Boy asks girl out [+]

Finally, John asks Judy out. Of course, she says yes.

• Boy and girl kiss [+]

John and Judy go out on a date, and at the end of the night, they kiss. John jumps for joy, the end.