Red Nose Day Actually
| Red Nose Day Actually | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for the American version. (Laura Linney, featured on the poster, is not featured in the original UK broadcast.) | |
| Directed by | Richard Curtis Mat Whitecross |
| Written by | Richard Curtis |
| Produced by | Fiona Neilson |
| Starring | Hugh Grant Liam Neeson Colin Firth Andrew Lincoln Chiwetel Ejiofor Keira Knightley Martine McCutcheon Bill Nighy Thomas Sangster Lúcia Moniz Olivia Olson Marcus Brigstocke Rowan Atkinson |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Marc Richardson |
| Distributed by | BBC Films |
Release dates | March 24, 2017 (UK) May 25, 2017 (US) |
Running time | 15 minutes (UK version), 17 mins (US version) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Red Nose Day Actually is a 2017 British romantic comedy television short film, acting as both a sequel to the 2003 feature film Love Actually, and a part of the fund-raising event Red Nose Day 2017.[1] Love Actually writer and director Richard Curtis returns alongside cast members Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Thomas Sangster, Lúcia Moniz, Olivia Olson, Marcus Brigstocke, and Rowan Atkinson.[2]
The film was first broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2017 as a part of Red Nose Day.
A slightly different version of the film, featuring Laura Linney reprising her role and Patrick Dempsey, was broadcast in the US on 25 May 2017.[3]
Story
The film is set in March 2017, 13 years after the events of the original film.
Juliet is watching television with her husband Peter. When the doorbell rings and she opens the door, Juliet finds Mark, who, similarly to 13 years ago, communicates with her by using cue cards, having her pretend to Peter, this time, that he is a fund raiser for Red Nose Day. They tell each other that they are very happy with their respective lives, and Mark presents his new wife, who is none other than Kate Moss, whom, 13 years prior, he jokingly said he was going to marry. Mark's final card proposes that they see what happened to the rest of their friends.
David, who has lost and recently regained his position as Prime Minister since the first film, dances in his official residence once again, even continuing in great pain after falling down the stairs. His lover and former employee Natalie amicably reprimands him, and offers to make him tea. Later in a public speech, he states that although times are harder for a lot of people now, he still believes that love and the good in people will win in the end.
Billy Mack recently released a charity single, a cover of the ZZ Top song "Gimme All Your Lovin'". As the reporter interviewing him on radio tries to help him raise awareness for Red Nose Day, Billy openly admits to not care about children (except for the ones that buy his discs) and that he only promotes the charity to, in truth, get free publicity for his upcoming autobiography, which he has admittedly neither written nor read. He then reveals with sadness that his manager Joe has died from a heart attack since the first film, before stating that the greatest sex he ever had was with one of the Kardashians, although he cannot remember which one.
Salesman Rufus proposes, among his products, a red nose in honour of Red Nose Day. When a child buys one and agrees to having it gift wrapped, Rufus proceeds with great delight to take an absurdly excessive amount of time doing so, the waiting line soon becoming so long that it blocks car traffic outside.
Meanwhile, on their way to pick up their kids from school, Jamie and his wife Aurélia recall their first days together. Aurélia says in Portuguese that even though life makes it impossible to be completely happy, love sometimes makes you feel like you are. She then reveals to Jamie that she is pregnant with their fourth child, though he misunderstands her and believes she was telling him what was for dinner.
Sitting on a bench, Daniel receives a surprise visit from his stepson Sam, who is now 26 and lives in New York City. When Daniel expresses concern because Sam had not been in touch, he is surprised to see Joanna, Sam's childhood crush 13 years ago who had left for America. She asks for Sam's hand, and Daniel, delighted, jokingly answers that he will think about it.
The film then ends with footage showing various people and actions supported by Comic Relief, and some of the film's cast wearing red noses.
Cast
- Hugh Grant as David
- Liam Neeson as Daniel
- Colin Firth as Jamie
- Andrew Lincoln as Mark
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter
- Keira Knightley as Juliet
- Martine McCutcheon as Natalie
- Bill Nighy as Billy Mack
- Thomas Sangster as Sam
- Lúcia Moniz as Aurélia
- Olivia Olson as Joanna
- Marcus Brigstocke as Mikey
- Rowan Atkinson as Rufus
- Kate Moss as herself
- Victoria Derbyshire as Journalist
- Charlie Stayt as Reporter
- Jo Whiley as herself (voice)
- Laura Linney as Sarah (US release)
- Patrick Dempsey as Sarah’s husband (US release)
Production
Shooting began in February 2017, with the film being announced at the same time.[1] The film was broadcast on BBC One as part of Red Nose Day on 24 March 2017. Among the returning cast are Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln, Thomas Sangster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Marcus Brigstocke and Rowan Atkinson were all confirmed to return. Actors who did not return included Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page,[4] Rodrigo Santoro, Gregor Fisher, and the late Alan Rickman.[5]
US version
An additional sequence with Laura Linney and Patrick Dempsey was shot after the UK airing, for the US broadcast on NBC on 25 May 2017.[3] It features Linney's character, Sarah, answering her cell as if it were her brother calling as in the film, only to reveal the caller is Patrick Dempsey, who remarks that he loves the way she always answers her phone and that she is a wonderful wife, thus giving her character a decidedly happy ending.
The US version also includes alternate versions of the two Rowan Atkinson scenes, set in the US. There are alternate exterior shots of the store he works in, which is now a Walgreens in Midtown Manhattan, replacing the unnamed suburban British store in the original. The US version has Walgreens signage and Red Nose Day banners with the US date, two months later than in the UK, behind Atkinson throughout his scenes. The young actor playing Atkinson's customer speaks slightly different dialogue, with an American accent this time, and Atkinson describes costs in dollars instead of pounds.
The US version also replaces The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" over the opening shots with a cue from Craig Armstrong's score for the original film.
References
- ^ a b Elvy, Craig (10 May 2017). "Love Actually Red Nose Day Sequel Poster". ScreenRant.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ Travis, Ben (24 March 2017). "Red Nose Day Love Actually sequel: what happened to every character in the Comic Relief special". Evening Standard.
- ^ a b Erin Nyren (5 May 2017). "Patrick Dempsey to Join Red Nose Day Reunion of 'Love Actually'". Variety. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ Stern, Marlow (27 May 2017). "'Love Actually 2': Inside the Star-Studded Sequel". Daily Beast.
- ^ Cheeda, Saim (10 March 2017). "First Love Actually 2 Photos Finally Answer One Big Question". Movie Web.