Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I watch Love Actually. (Which, as of late, has been more often.)
The 2003 film interweaves relationship tales including a washed up singer making a pop comeback, a young boy's first love, and a prime minister who falls for a household employee — and all of them together make for a two-hour experience that's packed with humor, heart, and holiday spirit. The film's star power — Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, and Alan Rickman — doesn't hurt either.
This year, much of the original cast reunited for a brief 12-minute sequel, produced in conjunction with Comic Relief's charitable Red Nose Day. The campaign, which originally launched in the U.K. in 1988 and spread to the U.S. in 2015, raises money to help children in struggling communities.
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The short film, appropriately titled Red Nose Day Actually given its origins, has already aired in the U.K., where Red Nose Day was on March 24. It will premiere in the U.S. this Thursday, May 25, for our own version of the campaign. You can watch it during NBC's Red Nose Day fundraiser, from 10 to 11 p.m.. You can also watch online by logging in with your provider credentials.
If you don't have satellite or cable access, opt for a subscription to YouTube TV, Hulu Live, or Sling TV (Sling Orange is your best option at $20 per month).
May we all bless the Love Actually screenwriters who decided that Hugh Grant should reprise his dancing skills, this time getting jiggy to "Hotline Bling." Should his moves inspire you to donate to the cause, you can do so online.