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
Produced by Fiona Neilson
Written by Richard Curtis
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 date
 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 March 24, 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 May 25, 2017.[3]

Story

The film is set in March 2017, 13 years after the events of the original film.

Juliet (Keira Knightley) is watching television with her husband Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). When the doorbell rings and she opens the door, Juliet finds Mark (Andrew Lincoln), 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 now wife, who is none other than Kate Moss (played by herself), whom he jokingly said he was going to marry 13 years prior. Mark's final card proposes to now see what happened to the rest of their friends.

David (Hugh Grant), 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 (Martine McCutcheon) 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 or 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.

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 (Colin Firth) and his wife Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) recall their first days together, Aurélia says that even though life makes it impossible to be completely happy, love sometimes makes you feel like you are. She then reveals to a delighted Jamie that she is pregnant with their fourth child.

Sitting on a bench, Daniel (Liam Neeson) receives a surprise visit from his stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster), 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 (Olivia Olson), 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

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 March 24, 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, Rodrigo Santoro, Gregor Fisher, and the late Alan Rickman.[4]

US Version

An additional sequence with Laura Linney and Patrick Dempsey was shot after the UK airing, for the US broadcast on May 25, 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

  1. 1 2 Craig Elvy (1927-07-01). "Love Actually Red Nose Day Sequel Poster". Screenrant.com. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
  2. ↑ "Red-nose-day-love-actually-sequel-what-happened-to-every-character-in-the-comic-relief-special" https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/red-nose-day-love-actually-sequel-what-happened-to-every-character-in-the-comic-relief-special-a3499016.html
  3. 1 2 Erin Nyren (2017-05-05). "Patrick Dempsey to Join Red Nose Day Reunion of 'Love Actually'". Variety. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
  4. ↑ Cheeda, Saim (10 March 2017). "First Love Actually 2 Photos Finally Answer One Big Question". Movie Web.
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