Sentimental Garbage Love Actually (ranked) with Monica Heisey
Dec 14, 2023
Monica Heisey, writer of Really Good Actually and creator of Sky's Smothered, joins the hosts to rank every relationship in Love Actually. They discuss criticism and celebration of rom-coms, controversy surrounding the movie, wardrobe design in rom coms, critique of story structure, problematic aspects of the film, weight-related themes, analyzing scenes, and Monica's book and TV show.
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Sex Scenes Can Undercut Romcom Tone
- Sex-focused mini-storylines rank lower because Love Actually viewers prioritize romance and flirting.
- Tonal mismatch (porn-y bits vs. romantic tone) weakens those threads.
Balance Drama With Lightness
- Dramatic, downbeat threads need moments of sparkle to belong in a romcom.
- Laura Linney's storyline feels too relentlessly bleak without tonal balance.
Trim To Keep Emotional Focus
- Consider making the Colin Firth plot a fantasy of heartbreak rather than a full romance.
- Trim proposals and language lessons to keep it emotionally focused and believable.