Telling Off the Prez: “Love Actually” Still Sings

Richard M. Langworth — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:17:31 +0000

“‘Plumpy’ still loves Love Actually…”

…says “Peterborough” (Christopher Hope) on a perennial favorite film this time of year, 2003’s Love Actually (Daily Telegraph, December 9th):

Actress Martine McCutcheon has stood up for Richard Curtis’ 20-year-old festive film Love Actually, which has been under fire from woke warriors. McCutcheon—who plays a No 10 tea lady who gets together with the PM, played by Hugh Grant—told BBC Radio Solent that the film “is really, really lovely.” Critics have said McCutcheon was fat-shamed because her character in the film is described as “chubby” and is nicknamed “Plumpy.”

But McCutcheon said: “I absolutely love Love Actually, because it is funny as well. It has got this snowball phenomenon that just keeps going on year after year and it just reminds people of you. People remember you and you get to do all these different and amazing projects.”

Many American friends of Britain (and I trust vice-versa) think the “Special Relationship,” invented by Winston Churchill, tends nowadays to work in only one direction. Love Actually suggests this. Hugh Grant as Prime Minister delivers an unexpected message to a U.S. President.

Seriously stellar cast

Love Actually is a rom-com about ten different romances going on simultaneously in London at Christmas. The cast is remarkable: Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”), Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, the mute comic), Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman (Sybil Trelawney and Severus Snape from Harry Potter). And Liam Neeson, who for once isn’t slaying the Ungodly but trying to be a good step-dad to his ten- year-old son. (The boy is in love with an American of the same age.)

Quite a cast—not the least Martin Freeman and Joanna Page, who meet as body doubles for movie sex scenes. John says (while naked and simulating sex): “it is nice to have someone I can just chat to.” They fall for each other and she takes him home and invites him in. He says, “Are you sure this is all right? I’ve never done this before.”

PM and President

In the midst of all this the Prime Minister receives a visit from the President of the United States (Billy Bob Thornton). The Prez is a really snarky piece of work. On the side, he tries to seduce Natalie (Martine), of Downing Street staff. During their plenary meeting, he tells Hugh he has an agenda he plans to follow, whatever Britain thinks. take it or leave it.

At the press conference the President mouths the usual platitudes about the Special Relationship and Hugh tells him off in public. Naturally, Churchill gets a mention. This is a terrific scene for those who think the “special relationship” tends sometimes to be a one-way street. You can watch it on YouTube.

Also, the PM gets the girl. When she sends him a Christmas card professing her love, he calls for his chauffeur and heads for her street in Wandsworth (“the dodgy end”). There he goes door to door asking if Natalie lives there. The reactions of the residents are priceless. A woman says, “Are you who I think you are?” Hugh replies: “Yes I am. Sorry for all the cock-ups, not my fault, my cabinets are absolute crap. We’ll try to do better next year.”

He finds Natalie going out to a kids’ Christmas play. He takes her whole family to it in his Jaguar with its police escort, then hides with Natalie backstage. Unfortunately the curtain pulls back at the end and they’re caught. “Too late, just smile and wave.”

By the way, a tip of the hat to former Prime Minister David Cameron, who said similar things, though not with Hugh Grant’s panache. (Some Britons who watch the film, perhaps not so jokingly, like to propose Grant for PM. His character displays none of the gratuitous pomposity and virtue signaling of the current crop of politicians. And not just the British ones.)

British Election for Dummies: Churchillian Reflections from Afar

Richard M. Langworth — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 17:38:24 +0000

…In which an ignorant Yank with a slight remembrance of history ponders the implications. (Friends in Hertfordshire write: “What an election. Let’s hope now we can move on and sort this country out and become Great Britain again.“) Electoral map image reproduced under the Creative Commons -Share Alike 4.0 International license. For a detailed map with results by name or constituency, see Bloomberg News.

Piers Morgan on ardent anti-Brexit actor Hugh Grant:

“Hugh’s sorry now. Corbyn’s celebrity fans weep into their almond milk lattes.”

Note: Even Grant approved Johnson’s campaign ad, spun off of Hugh’s charming film “Love Actually.” This must be the best political ad of the year.

Election Impressions…

The first thought that occurs is that a nation whose politicians assured us was fatally divided was not so divided after all. Not at least in the way it voted. The notion of a big rural-urban divide is also suspect, given the vast Tory vote in urban Midlands.

Election polls predicted a Conservative plurality between 45 to 86 over all other parties combined. They ended up with 80. The media predicted as low as a bare majority or a hung Parliament. Some hoped this would allow Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to call in enough chips from the splinter parties to form a coalition. That was the nightmare scenario that caused voters to give Labour its worst beating since 1935. (More about 1935 later.)*

Colo[u]rful Candidates

My favorite Victorian, Jacob Rees-Mogg, was said to be in danger in North East Somerset after an ill-judged remark about the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster. He netted 28,360 votes, 3000 more than Labour and the Liberal Democrats combined. I hope Prime Minister Johnson feels strong enough to leave JRM Leader of the House of Commons, a dab of colo[u]r amidst the sea of grey.

British politics is such fun! In Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington, “Nick the Brick” of the Monster Raving Loony Party got 236 votes. In Uxbridge, Boris Johnson congratulated the MRLP’s Lord Buckethead, who got 125. Alas Ed Balls (Lab.) and Mark Reckless (UKIP) were not running. The formidable grey wolf Dennis Skinner, “Beast of Bolsover,” lost his seat just short of 50 years on the job. We are really going to miss Dennis at his worst, er, best.

Election Anomalies

Labour nearly vanished in Scotland, and ominous patches of Tory blue appeared in the Midlands and Wales, where in some places they hadn’t elected a Conservative for 100 years.

Nigel Farage‘s Brexit Party‘s early bid for seats evaporated as voters came to accept Boris’ proposed EU deal might be as good as it gets, despite much to be negotiated later, like fisheries. But the Brexit Party had enough residual hardline votes to cost Labour wins in some once-safe constituencies. Farage’s decision not to contest Tory constituencies, says The Guardian, was a “monumental” contribution to Johnson’s sweep.

Northern Ireland is an indeterminate soup and the DUP unionists lost their leverage. (In the previous Parliament their coalition with the Tories sustained Johnson’s government.) The Scottish National Party didn’t take the 50+ seats predicted but got 48 and dominate Scotland. Voting SNP is a tribal thing in Scotland. It will be so until Scots realize it costs them influence. Mr. Johnson’s opportunity is to convince Scots that getting out of the European Union is better than getting out of the UK. Tall order. A trade deal would help. At least they don’t have to “go to the back of the queue,” per Mr. Obama.

Brexit Implications

Great Britain’s departure from the European Union by the end of January is now virtually certain. But a mandate this big causes the EU to tread more lightly in negotiating Britain’s departure. No longer can they count on a fractured, pro-Remain Parliament to cause a prime minister to come a-begging.

Conversely, the landslide vote gives Johnson a better chance to bargain with the fail-safe spectre of a no-deal Brexit. Oooo, scary! That should help him end up with more of what Britain wants and less of what Brussels wants.

* Now about 1935….

In 1935 the Conservatives took 387 seats, comparable to today’s 365. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin rightly fancied this a mandate. But he wrongly thought he could waffle and bumble and not pay much attention to the people’s business. In the next election—despite the most charismatic prime minister since Disraeli—Labour won 393 seats and the Tories took their worst drubbing in 40 years.

That charismatic prime minister was Winston Churchill, who said, “Trust the people.” He also said:

Hugh Grant Archives - Richard M. Langworth