TAGGED AS: Christmas, christmas movies, movies, Rom-Com, romantic comedy
(Photo by © Universal / courtesy Everett Collection)
It’s become something of a yearly ritual among certain cynical types to bash Richard Curtis’s wildly popular rom-com Love Actually, the granddaddy of the “Tons of Interconnected People Falling In Love” genre. It’s schmaltzy, they complain, and Andrew Lincoln’s sign-communicating would-be lover is actually a stalker. And what’s with all the fat-shaming!?
And yet… Love Actually remains, as we stated above, wildly popular – a modern Christmas classic full of moments many won’t forget (the Joni Mitchell scene breaks us every time); which airs on a loop most Decembers; has been adapted into a stage show; and, in 2017, spawned a popular reunion for Britain’s Red Nose Day. So can it really be that bad, actually?
That’s what we’re asking in the latest episode of our podcast Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast from Rotten Tomatoes). And in the spirit of this sprawling film with its mammoth cast, we’re going all out with not one but two guests joining regular hosts Jacqueline Coley and Mark Ellis: film critic Scott Mantz and our producer Lucy Bruckner.
Will they decide Love Actually is perfect… to them? Or will it all end in tears… in the bedroom… where the kids won’t see them break? Tune in to find out.
Listen Now: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | Google Podcasts | Radio Public | Deezer | iHeart | Art19
Check in every Thursday for a new episode of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast From Rotten Tomatoes). Each week, hosts Jacqueline and Mark and guests go deep and settle the score on some of the most beloved – and despised – movies and TV shows ever made, directly taking on the statement we hear from so many fans: “Rotten Tomatoes is wrong.”
If you have a suggestion for a movie or show you think we should do an episode on, let us know in the comments, or email us at rtiswrong@rottentomatoes.com.
Meet the hosts
Jacqueline Coley is an editor at Rotten Tomatoes, with a focus on awards and indie coverage but with a passion for everything, from the MCU to musicals and period pieces. Coley is a regular moderator at conventions and other events, can be seen on Access Hollywood and other shows, and will not stand Constantine slander of any kind. Follow Jacqueline on Twitter: @THATjacqueline.
Mark Ellis is a comedian and contributing editor for Rotten Tomatoes. He currently hosts the Rotten Tomatoes series Versus, among others, and can be seen co-hosting the sports entertainment phenomenon Movie Trivia Schmoedown. His favorite Star Wars movie is Jedi (guess which one!), his favorite person is actually a dog (his beloved stepdaughter Mollie), and – thanks to this podcast – he’s about to watch Burlesque for the first time in his life. Follow Mark on Twitter: @markellislive.
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
