Watching Love Actually each December is up there with the most sacred of Christmas traditions.
In fact – we’re pretty sure it harks back to Bethlehem, when the wise men popped their frankincense down for an hour or so before Jesus was born to watch it.
(We weren’t there, but we’repretty surethat’s exactly how it went down – if you believe it happened at all, of course).
These days, it puts us in the festive spirit almost as much as Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ blasting through the office on repeat.
…But there’s one scene that, despite the fact we’ve watched it many times over, never fails to grind our gears.
It makes usmad.
Mad at one man in particular:
The late Alan Rickman’s character Harry, who strikes up an emotional affair with his flirty colleague Mia while married to Emma Thompson’s character Karen, isnot our friend.
But it’s the heartbreaking scene in which Karen discovers the affair which makes us despise him most.
It sees Harry gift his wife a Joni Mitchell CD, her favourite artist, and not the gold necklace she had found in his coat pocket; a gift he had instead bought for Mia.
Yes –she got a CD, and Mia got a shiny and very expensive necklace.
If you didn’t shed a tear during this scene, you’re a monster:
Shame on you, Harry.
Well. There’s a tweet circulating the internet this week that hasLove Actuallyand Jodi Mitchell fans at war, surrounding a potential plot hole in this very scene.
A war no one, not even the Octopus that correctly predicted the Soccer World Cup results in previous years, could have seen coming.
Ahh, the internet. It never ceases to amaze us.
It all started with this tweet exposing said plot hole:
the worst part of Love Actually is when he gives Emma Thompson who has clearly been a fan of Joni Mitchell for at least 20 years Both Sides Now as if she would not already own that record
— salt (@heyspacebones) December 17, 2018
The tweet has gone viral, becausehow have we not thought of this before.
We feel disappointed with ourselves.
But while our minds were certifiably blown, some Twitter users and die-hard Joni fans have suggested that Karen mightnothave had that specific album, because it is a collection of orchestral versions of some of Joni’s greatest hits, released in 2000, three years before the film came out.
And now the Joni Mitchell fans (who mostly seem to hate the film) are arguing with the people who have faith in the plot hole (some of which also hate the film).
It’s all… very confusing, and we don’t actually understand what either side is really fighting for ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Thank you for being the only other person I’ve found with this argument. It’s like getting Off The Wall for a Michael Jackson fan. She shoulda left him for that alone!
— Michelle Audrey (@michelleaudrey_) December 18, 2018
I mean, I hate that film as much as anyone, but the album he gives her is one of orchestral versions of her back catalog that came out in 2000.
— Çurly Joe (@roughlyaverage) December 18, 2018
Exactly. Both Sides Now also fits the movie and the scene perfectly. Huge fan, saw her live in 3 diff decades, and it’s my favorite version of the song.
— sam spade (@debitdoctor) December 19, 2018
Tbf, it is an acoustic version, not the standard one. Admittedly, the whole thing is complete tosh. And yet that’s why I like romcoms – inside the toxic outer shell, they’re expressions of a belief in utopian states, defying all the laws of likelihood. Hope.
— John Goodby (@johnnygoodeb) December 18, 2018
Do your research. Mitchell originally recorded the song in ’68. The album he gives her is a re-recording by Mitchell from 2000. Once you reach a certain age and have kids to take care of you don’t go “ooooh, I’m going to the record store!!!”
— Karloff, Chaney & Lugosi, LLC (@RxGlBr) December 19, 2018
You’re so wrong it’s literally painful. That CD was a fairly recent release, but even if it was old she wouldn’t have it. People of her/my generation bought albums on vinyl or tape, and then slowly bought some (but not all) on CD after CDs became a thing.
— Priscilla Nurse (@priscilla_nurse) December 19, 2018
It’s so stupid like “haha no omg I’ve never heard Blue or Both Sides Now what a great gift” as if you can be a lifelong fan of Joni without hearing or owning her two most famous albums I’m only in my twenties and I own them both ???????????????????? also love actually is a bad movie
— calamity janet (@nuttyescapist) December 18, 2018
One even consulted their mother, which seems pretty concrete to us:
— ???? olive the other reindeer ???? (@middlestriddle) December 18, 2018
Look, whether Karen wanted the CD or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Harry sucks and we willneverbe over it.
Also, Bridget Jones is a waayyyy better Christmas film.
Just sayin’.
Bella Fowler
News Writer
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