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185-594: Love Actually is a 2003 Christmas romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis . The Christmas film features an ensemble cast , composed predominantly of British actors, many of whom had worked with Curtis in previous projects. An international co-production of the United Kingdom , United States , and France , it was mostly filmed on-location in London . The film delves into different aspects of love as shown through 10 separate stories involving

370-399: A Celt , how you smell each other out, because my mother's family is Welsh. There's not a lot of English blood in me." His father was Catholic and his mother was a Methodist . He had two brothers named David and Michael and a sister named Sheila. Rickman was born with a tight jaw, contributing to the deep tone of voice and languid delivery for which he would become famous. He said that

555-658: A Festival in the Lutheran Churches , a solemnity in the Roman Catholic Church , and a Principal Feast of the Anglican Communion . Other Christian denominations do not rank their feast days but nevertheless place importance on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, as with other Christian feasts like Easter, Ascension Day, and Pentecost. As such, for Christians, attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service plays an important part in

740-484: A GCSE in drama, he was singled out by the BBC for his "excellent diction and articulation". Rickman is featured in several musical works, including a song composed by Adam Leonard entitled "Not Alan Rickman". Credited as 'A Strolling Player' in the sleeve notes, the actor played a "Master of Ceremonies" part, announcing the various instruments at the end of the first part of Mike Oldfield 's Tubular Bells II (1992) on

925-593: A Labour Party councillor on Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council (1986–2006) and an economics lecturer at Kingston University in London. In 2015, Rickman confirmed that they had married in a private ceremony in New York City in 2012. Rickman was the godfather of fellow actor Tom Burke . Rickman's brother Michael is a Conservative Party district councillor in Leicestershire. Rickman

1110-463: A Nativity play ; an exchange of Christmas cards ; attending church services ; a special meal ; and displaying various Christmas decorations , including Christmas trees , Christmas lights , nativity scenes , garlands , wreaths , mistletoe , and holly . Additionally, several related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus , Father Christmas , Saint Nicholas , and Christkind , are associated with bringing gifts to children during

1295-739: A dresser for Nigel Hawthorne and Ralph Richardson . After graduating from RADA, Rickman worked extensively with British repertory and experimental theatre groups in productions including Chekhov 's The Seagull and Snoo Wilson 's The Grass Widow at the Royal Court Theatre , and appeared three times at the Edinburgh International Festival . He performed with the Court Drama Group in 1978, gaining roles in Romeo and Juliet and A View from

1480-542: A religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world . It is a feast central to Christianity . In the liturgical year , preparation for Christmas begins on the First Sunday of Advent (the fourth Sunday before), and it is followed by Christmastide , which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night . Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries ,

1665-478: A weighted average , assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice called it "love British style, handicapped slightly by corny circumstance and populated by colorful neurotics". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half out of four stars, describing it as "a belly-flop into

1850-467: A Christian context. The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday's inception, ranging from a sometimes raucous, drunken, carnival -like state in the Middle Ages , to a tamer family-oriented and children-centered theme introduced in a 19th-century transformation. The celebration of Christmas was banned on more than one occasion within certain groups, such as

2035-414: A Christmas angel, but this was dropped from the final script. A month later, all the characters are seen at Heathrow Airport . Billy's Christmas single has spurred a comeback. Juliet, Peter, and Mark meet Jamie and his bride, Aurélia. Karen and the kids greet Harry, but Karen's stilted reaction suggests they are struggling to move past his affair. Sam greets Joanna, who has returned from America, and Daniel

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2220-553: A Christmas version of the Troggs ' 1967 song " Love Is All Around ", titling it "Christmas Is All Around". Although believing the record is terrible, Mack promotes the release in the hope it will become the Christmas number one single , which it does. He foregoes a victory party hosted by Elton John to celebrate Christmas with Joe, getting drunk and watching porn . Juliet and Peter's wedding ( Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor )

2405-529: A Supporting Role nomination and his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. The following year he portrayed Éamon de Valera in the Neil Jordan period drama, Michael Collins starring Liam Neeson , Julia Roberts , and Stephen Rea . Rickman earned his fourth BAFTA Award nomination. In 1996, Rickman starred as the "mad monk" Rasputin in the HBO television biopic Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny ,

2590-534: A US activist who advocated for Palestinian rights and was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza , he was motivated to produce My Name Is Rachel Corrie ; the film was well-received and popular in London. Throughout 2005, Rickman received treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer , culminating in a prostatectomy in January 2006. The operation coincided with the casting for Harry Potter and

2775-468: A budget of $ 40   million. The film received mixed reviews and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy . A made-for-television short film sequel, Red Nose Day Actually , aired in two different versions on BBC One and NBC in 2017, as part of the fundraising event Red Nose Day 2017 . A voice-over opens the film, commenting that whenever

2960-611: A critical success. Rickman was able to break out of the mould of the movie villain, with critic Roger Ebert noting, "The man is Rickman, who you will look at on the screen, and know you have seen somewhere, and rattle your memory all during the movie without making the connection that he was the villain in Die Hard ." Rickman also starred in Stephen Poliakoff 's Close My Eyes (1991) with Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves . Jonathan Rosenbaum of The Chicago Reader praised

3145-530: A customary holiday since time immemorial , it was not until 1871 that it was designated a bank holiday in Scotland. Following the Restoration of Charles II, Poor Robin's Almanack contained the lines: "Now thanks to God for Charles return, / Whose absence made old Christmas mourn. / For then we scarcely did it know, / Whether it Christmas were or no." The diary of James Woodforde, from the latter half of

3330-599: A distance in order to ease the pressure of war for the day) to friendly socializing, gift giving and even sport between enemies. These incidents became a well known and semi-mythologised part of popular memory. They have been described as a symbol of common humanity even in the darkest of situations and used to demonstrate to children the ideals of Christmas. Under the state atheism of the Soviet Union, after its foundation in 1917, Christmas celebrations—along with other Christian holidays—were prohibited in public. During

3515-491: A family-centered festival of generosity, linking "worship and feasting, within a context of social reconciliation." Superimposing his humanitarian vision of the holiday, in what has been termed "Carol Philosophy", Dickens influenced many aspects of Christmas that are celebrated today in Western culture, such as family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games, and a festive generosity of spirit. A prominent phrase from

3700-403: A fellow British cultural figure who died at the same age as Rickman four days earlier; like Rickman, Bowie died of cancer and kept his cancer diagnosis from the public. Tributes from Rickman's co-stars and contemporaries appeared on social media following the announcement. Since his cancer was not publicly known, some—like Ralph Fiennes , who "cannot believe he is gone", and Jason Isaacs , who

3885-414: A film about love and what love sort of means" he had the idea of creating an ensemble film. The film initially did not have any sort of Christmas theme, although Curtis's penchant for such films eventually caused him to write it as one. Curtis's original concept for the film included fourteen different scenarios, but four of them were cut (two having been filmed). The scene in which Colin attempts to chat up

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4070-461: A hidden stiletto blade". Emma Thompson remembered "the intransigence which made him the great artist he was—his ineffable and cynical wit, the clarity with which he saw most things, including me   ... I learned a lot from him." Colin Firth told The Hollywood Reporter that, as an actor, Rickman had been a mentor. John McTiernan , director of Die Hard , said Rickman was the antithesis of

4255-462: A list of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Two researchers, a linguist and a sound engineer, found "the perfect [male] voice" to be a combination of Rickman's and Jeremy Irons ' voices based on a sample of 50 voices. The BBC states that Rickman's " sonorous , languid voice was his calling card—making even throwaway lines of dialogue sound thought-out and authoritative." In their vocal range exercises in studying for

4440-813: A major point of tension between the Anglican party and the Puritan party." The Catholic Church also responded, promoting the festival in a more religiously oriented form. King Charles I of England directed his noblemen and gentry to return to their landed estates in midwinter to keep up their old-style Christmas generosity. Following the Parliamentarian victory over Charles I during the English Civil War , England's Puritan rulers banned Christmas in 1647. Protests followed as pro-Christmas rioting broke out in several cities and for weeks Canterbury

4625-779: A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company , performing in modern and classical theatre productions. He played the Vicomte de Valmont in the RSC stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985, and after the production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, he was nominated for a Tony Award . Rickman made his film debut as the German criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988). He won

4810-422: A more traditional Christmas display. The concentric assortment of leaves, usually from an evergreen , make up Christmas wreaths. Candles in each window are meant to demonstrate that Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate light of the world. Christmas lights and banners may be hung along streets, music played by speakers, and Christmas trees placed in prominent places. It is common in many parts of

4995-722: A play be acted on Christmas night and that the court indulge in games. It was during the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe that many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl , and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. Following the Protestant Reformation , many of the new denominations, including the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church , continued to celebrate Christmas. In 1629,

5180-632: A production directed by Rickman, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London and was later revived in October 2005. The West End production saw Rickman win the Theatregoers' Choice Awards for Best Director. The play was to be transferred to the New York Theatre Workshop the following year, but when it was postponed indefinitely over the possibility of boycotts and protests from those who saw it as "anti-Israeli agit-prop ",

5365-737: A protest against the holiday. Instead, the importance of the holiday and all its trappings, such as the Christmas tree and gift-giving, was transferred to the New Year. It was not until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the persecution ended and Orthodox Christmas became a state holiday again for the first time in Russia after seven decades. European History Professor Joseph Perry wrote that likewise, in Nazi Germany , "because Nazi ideologues saw organized religion as an enemy of

5550-548: A psychiatric hospital, aborting their tryst. On Christmas Eve, they are both working late. Karl tries to find words but just wishes her a merry Christmas and leaves. In tears, Sarah calls Michael and visits him to give him a Christmas gift. After unsuccessfully attempting to woo various British women, including Mia and Nancy (Juliet and Peter's wedding caterer; Julia Davis ), Colin Frissell from Basildon ( Kris Marshall ) informs his friend Tony ( Abdul Salis ) that he plans to go to

5735-448: A range of characters that would defy media perceptions. Rickman soon started to play leading roles such as Man, in the enigmatic film Closet Land (1991) alongside Madeleine Stowe ; and he also was the romantic role of Jamie in the independent romance film Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991) which earned him another BAFTA Award nomination. The film, directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Rickman and Juliet Stevenson , proved to be

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5920-773: A remake of the 1966 film . In 2013, he played Hilly Kristal , the founder of the East Village punk-rock club CBGB , in the CBGB film with Rupert Grint . In 2014, he directed and starred as King Louis XIV in the costume drama film A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet , Matthias Schoenaerts , Jennifer Ehle , and Stanley Tucci . The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . The film received mixed reviews with its critics' consensus reading, "Stylish and well-acted without ever living up to its dramatic potential, A Little Chaos

6105-407: A role for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie , a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film . Rickman directed The Winter Guest at London's Almeida Theatre in 1995 and the film version of

6290-489: A sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast." This was done in order to solve the "administrative problem for the Roman Empire as it tried to coordinate the solar Julian calendar with the lunar calendars of its provinces in the east." The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day in 800. King Edmund

6475-880: A sensation when it was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848. A modified version of this image was published in Godey's Lady's Book , Philadelphia in 1850. By the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had become common in America. In America, interest in Christmas had been revived in the 1820s by several short stories by Washington Irving which appear in his The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. and "Old Christmas". Irving's stories depicted harmonious warm-hearted English Christmas festivities he experienced while staying in Aston Hall , Birmingham, England, that had largely been abandoned, and he used

6660-532: A variety of individuals, many of whom are interlinked as the plot progresses. The story begins five weeks before Christmas and is played out in a weekly countdown until the holiday, followed by an epilogue that takes place in the New Year. The film was released in the US on 14 November 2003 and a week later in the UK during its theatrical run. Love Actually was a box-office success, grossing $ 250.2   million worldwide on

6845-412: A vocal coach told him he had a "spastic soft palate". When Rickman was eight years old his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings mostly alone. According to biographer Maureen Paton, the family was "rehoused by the council and moved to an Acton estate to the west of Wormwood Scrubs Prison , where his mother struggled to bring up four children on her own by working for

7030-475: A wonderful man." Emma Watson wrote, "I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I'll really miss our conversations." Daniel Radcliffe appreciated his loyalty and support: "I'm pretty sure he came and saw everything I ever did on stage both in Britain and America. He didn't have to do that." Evanna Lynch said it was scary to bump into Rickman in character as Snape, but "he

7215-467: A worldwide total of $ 244.9   million, against a budget of $ 40   million. It spent its first five weeks in the Top 10 at the U.S. box office. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 64% of 227 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "A sugary tale overstuffed with too many stories. Still, the cast charms." Metacritic , which uses

7400-453: Is a new junior member of the household staff at 10 Downing Street . During a meeting with the US president ( Billy Bob Thornton ), they pass Natalie, and the president makes inappropriate comments to David about her. Later, David walks in on Natalie who is serving tea and biscuits to the president, and finds him kissing her. Natalie seems embarrassed, and the president has a sly grin on his face. At

7585-561: Is a sentence in the Chronograph of 354 . Liturgical historians generally agree that this part of the text was written in Rome in AD 336. Though Christmas did not appear on the lists of festivals given by the early Christian writers Irenaeus and Tertullian , the early Church Fathers John Chrysostom , Augustine of Hippo , and Jerome attested to December 25 as the date of Christmas toward

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7770-638: Is a shortened form of 'Christ's Mass '. The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. Crīst ( genitive Crīstes ) is from the Greek Χριστός ( Khrīstos , 'Christ'), a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ ‎ ( Māšîaḥ , ' Messiah '), meaning 'anointed'; and mæsse is from the Latin missa , the celebration of the Eucharist . The form Christenmas

7955-465: Is almost caught by his wife purchasing an expensive necklace with a gold heart pendant from the jewelry department when the salesman, Rufus ( Rowan Atkinson ), takes an inordinate amount of time to wrap it. Later, Karen finds the necklace in Harry's coat pocket and assumes it is for her. Opening a similarly shaped box on Christmas Eve, she is heartbroken to find it is a Joni Mitchell CD, realises he bought

8140-531: Is another abbreviation of the Greek word). The holiday has had various other English names throughout its history. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the feast as "midwinter", or, more rarely, as Nātiuiteð (from the Latin nātīvitās below). Nativity , meaning 'birth', is from the Latin nātīvitās . In Old English , Gēola (' Yule ') referred to the period corresponding to December and January, which

8325-578: Is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians , as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season surrounding it. The traditional Christmas narrative recounted in the New Testament , known as the Nativity of Jesus , says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem , in accordance with messianic prophecies . When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city,

8510-529: Is considered by some as Christianisation of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice , which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship ; according to eighth-century biographer Æddi Stephanus , Saint Boniface (634–709), who was a missionary in Germany, took an ax to an oak tree dedicated to Thor and pointed out a fir tree , which he stated

8695-405: Is friends with Jamie and Sarah. Harry is married to Karen, who is friends with Daniel, and her brother is David, who works with Natalie. Harry and Karen's children (and thus David's niece and nephew), Natalie's siblings (and thus Mia's neighbours), and Carol's son are all schoolmates of Sam and Joanna. Daniel proclaims that his late wife was the only one for him unless he met Claudia Schiffer . Carol

8880-415: Is inside watching television, Mark shows a message of his love to Juliet through a series of cue cards. As he walks away down the street, Juliet runs after him, gives him a quick kiss, and returns inside. Mark walks away, uttering "Enough", to imply he can be content as friends. Writer Jamie ( Colin Firth ) is pushed by his girlfriend to attend Juliet and Peter's wedding alone as she is ill. He returns before

9065-479: Is joined by his new girlfriend, Carol, and her son. Newlyweds John and Judy, heading off to their honeymoon, run into Tony who is awaiting Colin's return from America. Colin returns with Harriet and her sister Carla, who meets Tony for the first time but greets him with a hug and a kiss on the lips. Natalie welcomes David back from his flight in view of the press, showing their relationship is now public. These scenes dissolve into footage of actual arrivals at Heathrow, as

9250-434: Is on their way to a multi-school Christmas play , and he offers to drive them so he can talk to her. As Natalie sneaks him into the school, he runs into his heartbroken sister, Karen, who believes he is there for his niece and nephew. As David and Natalie try to keep from being seen and watch from backstage, they finally kiss. Everyone sees them kissing as the curtain rises. Daniel ( Liam Neeson ), Karen's close friend, mourns

9435-518: Is played by Schiffer. Initially, Curtis started writing with two distinct and separate films in mind, each featuring expanded versions of what would eventually become storylines in Love Actually : those featuring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. He changed tack and became frustrated with the process. Partly inspired by the films of Robert Altman as well as films such as Pulp Fiction , and inspired by Curtis having become "more interested in writing

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9620-512: Is shouldered by the impressive efforts of a talented cast." The following year he starred in Gavin Hood 's Eye in the Sky (2015) starring Helen Mirren , Aaron Paul , and Barkhad Abdi . This would be Rickman's final onscreen performance. The film debuted at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim, receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, based on 175 critics, with

9805-552: Is the mother of Sam's schoolmate, and there is a mutual spark. Sarah ( Laura Linney ) first appears at Juliet and Peter's wedding, sitting next to her friend Jamie. An American working at Harry's graphic design company, she is in love with the creative director, Karl ( Rodrigo Santoro ). Prompted by Harry, they finally connect at the Christmas party, and Karl drives her home. Sarah invites Karl in and they immediately pull off their clothes and begin to get intimate when Michael (Michael Fitzgerald), her mentally ill brother, telephones from

9990-456: Is videotaped by the best man , Mark ( Andrew Lincoln ), where a surprise band plays the Beatles ' " All You Need Is Love " as they walk out of the church. Although the couple believes Mark dislikes Juliet, he is actually in love with her. When he evades her requests to see the video he shot at the wedding, she shows up at his flat. Juliet insists she wants them to be friends, but when she views

10175-729: The Harry Potter series (2001–2011). He also appeared in numerous films including Die Hard (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves , Truly, Madly, Deeply (both 1991), An Awfully Big Adventure , Sense and Sensibility (both 1995), Michael Collins (1996), Dogma , Galaxy Quest (both 1999), Love Actually (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Eye in

10360-607: The BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). He earned critical acclaim for Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991), An Awfully Big Adventure , Sense and Sensibility (both 1995), and Michael Collins (1996). He went on to play Severus Snape in all eight films of the Harry Potter series, beginning with Harry Potter and

10545-714: The Direct Grant system , where he became involved in drama. Rickman went on to attend Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1965 to 1968. He then attended the Royal College of Art from 1968 to 1970. His training allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the Royal College of Art's in-house magazine, ARK , and the Notting Hill Herald , which he considered a more stable occupation than acting; he later said that drama school "wasn't considered

10730-512: The HBO film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), which won him a Primetime Emmy Award , Golden Globe Award , and Screen Actors Guild Award and played Alfred Blalock in the HBO film Something the Lord Made (2004). In 2009, The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Rickman died of pancreatic cancer on 14 January 2016, at

10915-674: The London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year . In 1995, he was cast as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility , Ang Lee 's film adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel . The film also starred Emma Thompson , Hugh Grant , and Kate Winslet . Thompson noted that Rickman could express the "extraordinary sweetness [of] his nature," as he had played "Machiavellian types so effectively" in other films. For his performance, Rickman earned his third BAFTA Award for Best Actor in

11100-430: The OXO Tower , London City Hall , Poplar Road in Herne Hill , Elliott School in Pullman Gardens, Putney , Heathrow Airport and the Marseille Airport . Scenes set in 10 Downing Street were filmed at Shepperton Studios . Following Tony Blair 's resignation as Prime Minister, pundits and speculators commented on a potential anti-American shift in Gordon Brown 's cabinet as a " Love Actually moment", referring to

11285-506: The Post Office ". Margaret Rickman married again in 1960, but divorced Rickman's stepfather after three years. Rickman met his longtime partner Rima Horton at the age of 19; he stated that his first crush was at 10 years old on a girl named Amanda at his school's sports day. As a child, he excelled at calligraphy and watercolour painting. Rickman was educated at West Acton First School followed by Derwentwater Primary School in Acton, and then Latymer Upper School in London through

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11470-489: The Puritans and Jehovah's Witnesses (who do not celebrate birthdays in general), due to concerns that it was too unbiblical. Prior to and through the early Christian centuries, winter festivals were the most popular of the year in many European pagan cultures. Reasons included the fact that less agricultural work needed to be done during the winter, as well as an expectation of better weather as spring approached. Celtic winter herbs such as mistletoe and ivy , and

11655-473: The Saturn Awards and the Scream Awards . In November 2011, Rickman opened in Seminar , a new play by Theresa Rebeck , at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway. Rickman, who left the production in April, won the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Play and was nominated for a Drama League Award for Outstanding Distinguished Performance. Rickman starred with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz in Gambit (2012) by Michael Hoffman ,

11840-632: The Star of Bethlehem ; in that country it is known in Spanish as the Flower of the Holy Night . Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe , red amaryllis , and Christmas cactus . Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with garlands and evergreen foliage. The display of Christmas villages has also become a tradition in many homes this season. The outside of houses may be decorated with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs , snowmen , and other Christmas figures. Mistletoe features prominently in European myth and folklore (for example,

12025-445: The Top Soundtracks chart. The UK and US versions of the actual film contain two instances of alternative music. In the UK cut, the montage leading up to and continuing through the first part of the office party is set to the song " Too Lost in You ", by the British group Sugababes . In the US version of the film, this song is replaced with " The Trouble with Love Is ", performed by the American singer Kelly Clarkson . Subsequently, in

12210-418: The Virgin Mary . In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to be counted for a census, and Jesus is born there and placed in a manger . Angels proclaim him a savior for all people, and three shepherds come to adore him. In the Gospel of Matthew, by contrast, three magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the king of the Jews . King Herod orders

12395-484: The Yule log , Yule boar , and the Yule goat . Often leading a ghostly procession through the sky (the Wild Hunt ), the long-bearded god Odin is referred to as "the Yule one" and "Yule father" in Old Norse texts, while other gods are referred to as "Yule beings". On the other hand, as there are no reliable existing references to a Christmas log prior to the 16th century, the burning of the Christmas block may have been an early modern invention by Christians unrelated to

12580-440: The backing singers at the school Christmas pageant. Helder Costa plays Mr Barros, Aurelia's father. He is a veteran actor in Portuguese cinema. Thompson used the experience of her own marriage breaking up for the role of Karen. Joe Alwyn auditioned for the role of Sam; Alwyn read scenes with Grant and Curtis. Curtis cast his mother-in-law, actress Jill Freud, as the Prime Minister's cleaner. Curtis cast his daughter Scarlett in

12765-477: The massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later returns to Nazareth. In the 2nd century, the "earliest church records" indicate that "Christians were remembering and celebrating the birth of the Lord", an "observance [that] sprang up organically from the authentic devotion of ordinary believers"; although "they did not agree upon a set date". The earliest evidence of Christ's birth being marked on December 25

12950-438: The refugee crisis for Save the Children and Refugee Council . According to his diaries, Rickman declined a CBE in 2008. Rickman was political until his last days. His last onscreen performance was with Helen Mirren in the drama Eye in the Sky , which he had described as "a film about the moral responsibilities governments face regarding the use of drones." In 2003, after reading published emails by Rachel Corrie ,

13135-399: The sex scenes for a film for which Tony is a production assistant. John tells Judy, "It's lovely to find someone I can actually chat to." While they are perfectly comfortable being naked and simulating sex on-set, they are shy and tentative off-set. They carefully pursue a relationship, attending the Christmas pageant (involving David and Natalie, Harry and Karen's children, Daniel and Sam) at

13320-472: The short film was broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2017. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray in November 2009. The film was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on 21 November 2023 for the film's 20th anniversary, featuring a 4K restoration. Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ , observed primarily on December 25 as

13505-714: The three kings cake was renamed the "equality cake" under anticlerical government policies . In the early 19th century, Christmas festivities and services became widespread with the rise of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England that emphasized the centrality of Christmas in Christianity and charity to the poor, along with Washington Irving , Charles Dickens , and other authors emphasizing family, children, kind-heartedness, gift-giving, and Santa Claus (for Irving), or Father Christmas (for Dickens). In

13690-534: The "father of the American Christmas card". On June 28, 1870, Christmas was formally declared a United States federal holiday . During the First World War and particularly (but not exclusively) in 1914, a series of informal truces took place for Christmas between opposing armies. The truces, which were organised spontaneously by fighting men, ranged from promises not to shoot (shouted at

13875-648: The 18th century, details the observance of Christmas and celebrations associated with the season over a number of years. As in England, Puritans in Colonial America staunchly opposed the observation of Christmas. The Pilgrims of New England pointedly spent their first December 25 in the New World working normally. Puritans such as Cotton Mather condemned Christmas both because scripture did not mention its observance and because Christmas celebrations of

14060-590: The 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the League of Militant Atheists encouraged school pupils to campaign against Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, as well as other Christian holidays, including Easter; the League established an antireligious holiday to be the 31st of each month as a replacement. At the height of this persecution, in 1929, on Christmas Day, children in Moscow were encouraged to spit on crucifixes as

14245-662: The Anglican poet John Milton penned On the Morning of Christ's Nativity , a poem that has since been read by many during Christmastide. Donald Heinz, a professor at California State University, Chico , states that Martin Luther "inaugurated a period in which Germany would produce a unique culture of Christmas, much copied in North America." Among the congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church , Christmas

14430-774: The Australian Elliott Marston opposite Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under (1990). The following year, Rickman was cast as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Kevin Reynolds 's film adaptation of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). In the film, Rickman acted opposite Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman . Entertainment Weekly proclaimed that while Robin Hood "left critics and movie goers underwhelmed, Rickman's gleefully wicked villain became

14615-598: The Bridge , among other plays. While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he was cast as Jaques in As You Like It , contributing an essay about his process to the RSC's book Players of Shakespeare 2 . He appeared in the 1981 BBC adaptation of Émile Zola 's novel Thérèse Raquin , opposite Kate Nelligan and Brian Cox . He made a brief appearance in one episode of the BBC adaptation of John le Carré 's Smiley's People (1982). His breakthrough role

14800-482: The British producers denounced the decision as censorship, and withdrew the show. Rickman called it "censorship born out of fear". Harold Pinter , Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Kushner among others, criticised the decision to indefinitely delay the show. The one-woman play finally opened off-Broadway on 15 October 2006 for an initial run of 48 performances. Despite the adverse reaction from pro-Israel groups, overall,

14985-687: The Christian world, dependent on local tradition and available resources, and can vary from simple representations of the crib to far more elaborate sets – renowned manger scene traditions include the colourful Kraków szopka in Poland, which imitate Kraków 's historical buildings as settings, the elaborate Italian presepi ( Neapolitan , Genoese and Bolognese ), or the Provençal crèches in southern France, using hand-painted terracotta figurines called santons . In certain parts of

15170-417: The Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. Over the past few centuries, Christmas has had a steadily growing economic effect in many regions of the world. The English word Christmas

15355-476: The Christmas tree, many individuals place a star at the top of the tree symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem , a fact recorded by The School Journal in 1897. Professor David Albert Jones of Oxford University writes that in the 19th century, it became popular for people to also use an angel to top the Christmas tree in order to symbolize the angels mentioned in the accounts of the Nativity of Jesus . Additionally, in

15540-524: The Lord Made (2004). In 2005, he lent his voice to Marvin the Paranoid Android in science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) starring Martin Freeman , Sam Rockwell , and Zooey Deschanel . In early 2005, My Name is Rachel Corrie , a play composed from Rachel Corrie 's journals and emails from Gaza and compiled by Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner , in

15725-583: The Martyr was anointed on Christmas in 855 and King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day 1066. By the High Middle Ages , the holiday had become so prominent that chroniclers routinely noted where various magnates celebrated Christmas. King Richard II of England hosted a Christmas feast in 1377 at which 28 oxen and 300 sheep were eaten. The Yule boar was a common feature of medieval Christmas feasts. Caroling also became popular, and

15910-521: The Order of the Phoenix , and he deliberated over whether to return to the series, but decided in favour, stating: "The argument that wins is the one that says: 'See it through. It's your story.'" In August 2015, Rickman had a minor stroke , which led to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer . He revealed that he had terminal cancer to only his closest confidants. On 14 January 2016, he died in London at

16095-551: The Philosopher's Stone (2001) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). His other notable film roles include those in Quigley Down Under (1990), Dogma , Galaxy Quest (both 1999), Love Actually (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), its 2016 sequel , and Eye in

16280-503: The Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged the observance of Christmas, and though James VI commanded its celebration in 1618, attendance at church was scant. The Parliament of Scotland officially abolished the observance of Christmas in 1640, claiming that the church had been "purged of all superstitious observation of days". Whereas in England, Wales and Ireland Christmas Day is a common law holiday, having been

16465-690: The Roman date of the spring equinox. Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar , which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, part of the Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar , which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into

16650-478: The Sky (2015). He received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award , a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award in addition to nominations for two Drama Desk Awards , a Drama League Award , a Laurence Olivier Award , and two Tony Awards . Soon after his death, his fans created a memorial underneath the " Platform 9¾ " sign at London King's Cross railway station . His death has been compared to that of David Bowie ,

16835-449: The Sky (2015). He directed the films The Winter Guest (1997) and A Little Chaos (2014). Rickman made his television debut playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1978) as part of the BBC 's Shakespeare series . His breakthrough role was Obadiah Slope in the BBC adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles (1982). He later starred in television films, portraying Grigori Rasputin in

17020-553: The Trimmings (2000), a BBC One Christmas special with Victoria Wood , playing an aged colonel in the battle of Waterloo who is forced to break off his engagement to Honeysuckle Weeks ' character. During his career, Rickman played comedic roles, including as Sir Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus in the cult classic sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest (1999) with Tim Allen , Sigourney Weaver , Sam Rockwell , and Tony Shalhoub . Rockwell said that Rickman "was very instrumental in making sure

17205-490: The U.S., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow detected "a transition state about Christmas here in New England" in 1856. "The old puritan feeling prevents it from being a cheerful, hearty holiday; though every year makes it more so." In Reading, Pennsylvania , a newspaper remarked in 1861, "Even our presbyterian friends who have hitherto steadfastly ignored Christmas—threw open their church doors and assembled in force to celebrate

17390-611: The UK version's end credit roll, the second song is a cover of " Jump (For My Love) " performed by Girls Aloud ; in the US version, this song is replaced with "Too Lost in You". Several songs were heard in the film but did not appear on either soundtrack: Love Actually grossed $ 59.7   million in the United States and Canada, $ 62.7   million in the United Kingdom, and $ 122.6   million in other territories, for

17575-639: The US, convinced that his Britishness will be an asset. Landing in Milwaukee , Colin hails a taxi and asks the driver to take him to the nearest bar. There, he immediately meets Stacey ( Ivana Miličević ), Jeannie ( January Jones ), and Carol-Anne ( Elisha Cuthbert ), three stunningly attractive women who instantly fall for his Estuary English accent, inviting him to stay at their home, where they are joined by their "sexiest" roommate Harriet ( Shannon Elizabeth ). John ( Martin Freeman ) and Judy ( Joanna Page ) are professional stand-ins for films. They meet doing

17760-576: The United States after the American Revolution , when it was considered an English custom. George Washington attacked Hessian (German) mercenaries on the day after Christmas during the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Christmas being much more popular in Germany than in America at this time. With the atheistic Cult of Reason in power during the era of Revolutionary France , Christian Christmas religious services were banned and

17945-532: The age of 69. Alan Rickman was born on 21 February 1946 in the Acton district of London, to housewife Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett) and factory worker, house painter and decorator, and former Second World War aircraft fitter Bernard William Rickman. His mother was Welsh, and his paternal grandmother was Irish. Rickman would later say in April 2015, "I was talking to Sharleen Spiteri about being

18130-606: The age of 69. His remains were cremated on 3 February 2016 in the West London Crematorium in Kensal Green . His ashes were given to his wife, Rima Horton. His final two films, Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass , were dedicated to his memory, as was The Limehouse Golem , which would have been his next project. Rickman gained acclaim for his portrayal of Severus Snape in

18315-422: The airport before she returns to the US. Sam slips through airport security and catches up with her. She acknowledges him by name, which surprises him. Sam returns to Daniel to tell him, and Joanna follows him, surprising him again, and kisses him on the cheek. A subplot in this storyline involves Daniel stating a few times his wish to date Claudia Schiffer . Eventually, Daniel meets Carol (portrayed by Schiffer) who

18500-469: The anniversary of the Savior's birth." The First Congregational Church of Rockford, Illinois , "although of genuine Puritan stock", was 'preparing for a grand Christmas jubilee', a news correspondent reported in 1864. By 1860, fourteen states including several from New England had adopted Christmas as a legal holiday. In 1875, Louis Prang introduced the Christmas card to Americans. He has been called

18685-492: The antagonist Hans Gruber in the action thriller Die Hard in what was his first feature film. His portrayal, starring opposite Bruce Willis , earned him critical acclaim and a spot on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list as the 46th-best villain in film history. Rickman later revealed that he almost did not take the role, for he did not think Die Hard was the kind of film he wanted to make. In 1990, he played

18870-510: The card scene "a bit weird". Ant & Dec played themselves in the film with Nighy's character referring to Dec as "Ant or Dec". This refers to the common mistaking of one for the other, owing to their constant joint professional presence as a comedy and presenting duo. The veteran actress Jeanne Moreau is seen briefly, entering a taxi at the Marseille Airport. The soul singer Ruby Turner appears as Anderson's mother, one of

19055-533: The character of "King Philip" in the 2002 King of the Hill episode, "Joust Like a Woman". In 2003, Rickman starred in the ensemble Christmas-themed romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) as Harry, the foolish husband of Emma Thompson 's character. The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis , has been called "a modern classic" by The Independent . Rickman was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for his work as Dr. Alfred Blalock in HBO 's Something

19240-732: The character's motivations were not clear early on. In 2002, Rickman performed onstage in Noël Coward 's romantic comedy Private Lives . After its successful run at the Albery Theatre in the West End, it transferred to Broadway and ended in September 2002; he reunited with his Les Liaisons Dangereuses co-star Lindsay Duncan and director Howard Davies in the Olivier and Tony Award -winning production. Rickman also voiced

19425-425: The consensus being, "As taut as it is timely, Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted – and unusually cerebral – spin on the modern wartime political thriller." Critic Stephen Holden of The New York Times in particular praised his role, writing: "General Benson is Mr. Rickman's final screen performance, and it is a great one, suffused with a dyspeptic world-weary understanding of war and human nature". Rickman

19610-564: The context of a Christian celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree, being evergreen in colour, is symbolic of Christ, who offers eternal life; the candles or lights on the tree represent the Light of the World —Jesus—born in Bethlehem. Christian services for family use and public worship have been published for the blessing of a Christmas tree, after it has been erected. The Christmas tree

19795-538: The crowd erupts in applause. Harry ( Alan Rickman ) is the managing director of a design agency. Mia ( Heike Makatsch ) is his secretary. Harry is happily married to Karen ( Emma Thompson ), a stay-at-home mother. They have two children, Bernard and Daisy ( Lulu Popplewell ). Mia behaves in an overtly sexual way with him at the office and asks him for a Christmas present. At the company Christmas party held at Mark's gallery, they dance closely. While Christmas shopping, Harry calls Mia and asks what she wants for Christmas. He

19980-715: The cultural aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Christmas trees. A similar example is in Turkey , being Muslim-majority and with a small number of Christians, where Christmas trees and decorations tend to line public streets during the festival. Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus's birth, with some claiming that certain elements are Christianized and have origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity ; other scholars reject these claims and affirm that Christmas customs largely developed in

20165-402: The cultural conflict between the holiday's spiritual significance and its associated commercialism that some see as corrupting the holiday. In her 1850 book The First Christmas in New England , Harriet Beecher Stowe includes a character who complains that the true meaning of Christmas was lost in a shopping spree. While the celebration of Christmas was not yet customary in some regions in

20350-700: The custom of kissing under a mistletoe, are common in modern Christmas celebrations in the English-speaking countries. The pre-Christian Germanic peoples —including the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse—celebrated a winter festival called Yule , held in the late December to early January period, yielding modern English yule , today used as a synonym for Christmas . In Germanic language-speaking areas, numerous elements of modern Christmas folk custom and iconography may have originated from Yule, including

20535-523: The day often involved boisterous behavior. Many non-Puritans in New England deplored the loss of the holidays enjoyed by the laboring classes in England. Christmas observance was outlawed in Boston in 1659. The ban on Christmas observance was revoked in 1681 by English governor Edmund Andros , but it was not until the mid-19th century that celebrating Christmas became fashionable in the Boston region. At

20720-409: The early-19th century, writers imagined Tudor -period Christmas as a time of heartfelt celebration. In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote the novel A Christmas Carol , which helped revive the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal merriment. Its instant popularity played a major role in portraying Christmas as a holiday emphasizing family, goodwill, and compassion. Dickens sought to construct Christmas as

20905-566: The egotistical, Nobel Prize-winning father in the black comedy Nobel Son (2007). Rickman starred in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock as a Paris-based wine expert named Steven Spurrier, who heads to Napa Valley California in search of worthy wines to bring back to France for the competition that year (based on a true story). In 2009, Rickman was awarded the James Joyce Award by University College Dublin 's Literary and Historical Society . In October and November 2010, Rickman starred in

21090-516: The end of the fourth century. December 25 was the traditional date of the winter solstice in the Roman Empire, where most Christians lived, and the Roman festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of Sol Invictus , the 'Invincible Sun') had been held on this date since 274 AD. In the East , the birth of Jesus was celebrated in connection with the Epiphany on January 6. This holiday

21275-605: The eponymous role in Henrik Ibsen 's John Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre , Dublin alongside Lindsay Duncan and Fiona Shaw . The Irish Independent called Rickman's performance breathtaking. He reprised the role in a production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music . In 2010, he starred in the BBC television production The Song of Lunch alongside Emma Thompson . That same year he provided

21460-585: The feast of St. Martin of Tours ), now known as Advent. In Italy, former Saturnalian traditions were attached to Advent. Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days. In 567, the Council of Tours put in place the season of Christmastide , proclaiming "the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as

21645-460: The female caterer at the wedding appeared in drafts of the screenplay for Four Weddings and a Funeral , but was cut from the final version. The music video for Billy Mack's song, "Christmas Is All Around", is a tribute to Robert Palmer 's 1986 video, " Addicted to Love ". Curtis has spoken negatively about the editing process for the film, which he labelled in 2014 as a "catastrophe" and "the only nightmare scenario that I've been caught in". The film

21830-627: The film and all three lead performances, calling them "edgy, powerful, and wholly convincing, with Rickman a particular standout." All three of Rickman's performances in Close My Eyes , Truly Madly Deeply and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves would win him the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor , and the same performances along with his work in Quigley Down Under would also win him

22015-708: The film was made on location in London, including Trafalgar Square , the central court of Somerset House in the Strand , Grosvenor Chapel on South Audley Street near Hyde Park , St Paul's Church, Clapham , the Millennium Bridge , Selfridges department store on Oxford Street , Lambeth Bridge , the Tate Modern in the former Bankside Power Station , Canary Wharf , Marble Arch , St. Luke's Mews off All Saint's Road in Notting Hill , Chelsea Bridge ,

22200-479: The film. Some publications in later years have labelled it as one of the worst Christmas films ever made . The screenplay by Richard Curtis was published by Michael Joseph Ltd. in the United Kingdom and by St. Martin's Griffin in the US. In 2017, Richard Curtis wrote a script for Red Nose Day that reunited a dozen characters and picked up their storylines fourteen years later. Filming began in February 2017, and

22385-420: The film; she was given the choice of being an angel or a lobster, and played the part of Lobster number 2 in the nativity play, on the condition that she meets Keira Knightley. Curtis originally had two actors in mind for the part of Mack, but he could not decide and then told casting director Mary Selway to find someone who would do the part well but whom he would never think to cast; she suggested Nighy. Most of

22570-589: The fire, card playing, dances with "plow-boys" and "maidservants", old Father Christmas and carol singing. During the ban, semi-clandestine religious services marking Christ's birth continued to be held, and people sang carols in secret. It was restored as a legal holiday in England with the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 when Puritan legislation was declared null and void, with Christmas again freely celebrated in England. Many Calvinist clergymen disapproved of Christmas celebration. As such, in Scotland,

22755-604: The first commercial Christmas card was produced by Sir Henry Cole . The revival of the Christmas Carol began with William Sandys 's Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833), with the first appearance in print of " The First Noel ", " I Saw Three Ships ", " Hark the Herald Angels Sing " and " God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen ", popularized in Dickens's A Christmas Carol . In Britain, the Christmas tree

22940-446: The following joint press conference , David is uncharacteristically assertive while taking a stand against the president's intimidation techniques. Feeling uncomfortable around Natalie, David has her moved to another position. He is spurred to action on Christmas Eve when he finds a Christmas card from her in his red box , declaring that she is his and only his. He finds her after a door-to-door search of her street. Her entire family

23125-566: The following century. The Georgian Iadgari demonstrates that Christmas was celebrated in Jerusalem by the sixth century . In the Early Middle Ages , Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in western Christianity focused on the visit of the magi . However, the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the "forty days of St. Martin" (which began on November 11,

23310-434: The independent film Snow Cake (2006) with Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss , and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (also 2006), directed by Tom Tykwer . He appeared as Judge Turpin in the critically acclaimed Tim Burton film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) alongside Johnny Depp , and his Harry Potter co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Timothy Spall . The same year he also played

23495-429: The inn had no room, and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds , who then spread the word. There are different hypotheses regarding the date of Jesus's birth . In the early fourth century, the church fixed the date as December 25, the date of the winter solstice in the Roman calendar. It is nine months after Annunciation on March 25, also

23680-614: The legend of Baldr ); it is an evergreen parasitic plant that grows on trees, especially apple and poplar, and turns golden when it is dried. It is customary to hang a sprig of mistletoe in the house at Christmas, and anyone standing underneath it may be kissed. Mistletoe has sticky white berries, one of which was traditionally removed whenever someone was kissed under it. This is probably a fertility ritual. The mistletoe berry juice resembles semen. Other traditional decorations include bells , candles , candy canes , stockings , wreaths , and angels . The wreaths and candles in each window are

23865-440: The length of an Oscar-trawling epic" and added, "It is more like a record label's greatest-hits compilation or a very special sitcom clip-reel show than an actual movie." In Rolling Stone , Peter Travers rated it two stars out of a possible four, saying "there are laughs laced with feeling here, but the deft screenwriter Richard Curtis dilutes the impact by tossing in more and more stories." Christopher Orr of The Atlantic

24050-472: The local school with John's brother. They get engaged by the end of the film. Rufus ( Rowan Atkinson ) is the jewellery salesman whose meticulous gift-wrapping nearly results in Karen seeing Harry buying a necklace for Mia. In another scene, his distraction of airport staff enables Sam to sneak past them to talk to Joanna. In the director and cast commentary, it is revealed that Rufus was originally supposed to be

24235-424: The most lasting impression", while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine called Rickman "sublime at giving us a glimpse at last into the secret nurturing heart that   ... Snape masks with a sneer." Media coverage characterised Rickman's performance as worthy of nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . His last appearance as Snape saw him receive award nominations in 2011, including at

24420-491: The narrator gets gloomy about the state of the world, he thinks of the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport , and the pure and uncomplicated love of lovers, friends and families welcoming their loved ones. He also points out that the messages from the 9/11 victims were messages of love and not hate. The story then switches among the interconnecting "love stories" of many people: With his long-time manager Joe ( Gregor Fisher ), rock and roll legend Billy Mack ( Bill Nighy ) records

24605-431: The necklace for someone else, and cries in their bedroom alone. She keeps a happy face so as not to ruin her family's holiday. She confronts Harry and asks what he would do if he were her. She feels he has made a mockery of their marriage and of her. Harry comes clean and admits that he has been foolish. David ( Hugh Grant ), Karen's brother and the recently elected Prime Minister , is single. Natalie ( Martine McCutcheon )

24790-412: The observance of Christmas, claiming it undermined Islam . In 2023, public Christmas celebrations were cancelled in Bethlehem , the city synonymous with the birth of Jesus. Palestinian leaders of various Christian denominations cited the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in their unanimous decision to cancel celebrations. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around

24975-408: The other characters in the closing Heathrow scene. John and Judy work with Tony, who is best friends with Colin, who works for a catering company that services the office where Sarah, Karl, Mia, and Harry work. Mia is friends with Mark, who runs the art gallery where the Christmas office party takes place. Mia also lives next door to Natalie. Mark is in love with Juliet and friends with Peter. The couple

25160-452: The pagan practice. Among countries with a strong Christian tradition , a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures. For example, in eastern Europe Christmas celebrations incorporated pre-Christian traditions such as the Koleda , which shares parallels with the Christmas carol . Christmas Day (inclusive of its vigil , Christmas Eve), is

25345-418: The pieces used to make the representation are considered a valuable family heirloom . The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green, and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifixion ; green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter; and gold is the first color associated with Christmas, as one of

25530-412: The play was very popular, especially in London. "I never imagined that the play would create such acute controversy," Rickman said. He added, "Many Jews supported it. The New York producer was Jewish and we held a discussion after every performance. Both Israelis and Palestinians participated in the discussions and there was no shouting in the theatre. People simply listened to each other." He starred in

25715-468: The recent death of his wife, Joanna, as he tries to care for his stepson Sam ( Thomas Sangster ). Sam has fallen for an American classmate, also named Joanna ( Olivia Olson ), and after talking with his stepfather, decides to learn the drums to accompany her in the big finale for their school's Christmas pageant at Karen and Harry's children's school. Sam feels he has missed his chance to impress her, but Daniel convinces him to try to tell Joanna how he feels at

25900-743: The reception to check on her, discovering she is having sex with his brother. Crushed, Jamie withdraws to his French cottage, where he meets Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia ( Lúcia Moniz ), who does not speak English. Despite not sharing a common language, a mutual attraction grows. Jamie returns to the United Kingdom, realises he is in love with Aurélia and begins learning Portuguese. He returns to France to find her and ends up walking through town with her father and sister, gathering additional people as they walk to her waitressing job. In basic, and often grammatically incorrect, Portuguese, he declares his love for her and proposes. She says yes in broken English, showing she too had been studying English "just in cases", as

26085-634: The recognition of the Christmas season . Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance. A 2010 survey by LifeWay Christian Resources found that six in ten Americans attend church services during this time. In the United Kingdom, the Church of England reported an estimated attendance of 2.5   million people at Christmas services in 2015. Nativity scenes are known from 10th-century Rome. They were popularised by Saint Francis of Assisi from 1223, quickly spreading across Europe. Different types of decorations developed across

26270-600: The same play, released in 1997, starring Emma Thompson and her real-life mother Phyllida Law . Rickman's stage performances in the 1990s include Antony and Cleopatra in 1998 as Mark Antony , with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra , in the Royal National Theatre 's production at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran from October to December 1998. Rickman appeared in Victoria Wood with All

26455-444: The same time, Christian residents of Virginia and New York observed the holiday freely. Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, predominantly Moravian settlers of Bethlehem , Nazareth , and Lititz in Pennsylvania and the Wachovia settlements in North Carolina, were enthusiastic celebrators of Christmas. The Moravians in Bethlehem had the first Christmas trees in America as well as the first Nativity Scenes. Christmas fell out of favor in

26640-402: The scene in question, the swaggering president bullies the prime minister and then sexually harasses a member of the household staff. In September 2013, David Cameron made a speech in reply to Russia's comment that Britain was a small insignificant country, which drew comparisons with Hugh Grant's speech during the film. One storyline consisting of two scenes, featuring the only gay love story,

26825-429: The scene in which Hugh Grant's character stands up to the US president. In 2009, during President Barack Obama 's first visit to the UK, Chris Matthews referred to the president in Love Actually as an example of George W. Bush and other former presidents' bullying of European allies. Commenting on this, Mediaite 's Jon Bershad described the U.S. president character as a "sleazy Bill Clinton/George W. Bush hybrid". In

27010-441: The score and "Sometimes" by Gabrielle and reordered the tracklist. It also replaced the Girls Aloud cover of " Jump (For My Love) " with the original by The Pointer Sisters , and replaced Maroon 5 's "Sweetest Goodbye" with a medley of "Sweetest Goodbye" with " Sunday Morning ". The film's original score was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Craig Armstrong . It was commercially unreleased until 19 November 2021, when it

27195-406: The screen is divided into an increasing number of smaller segments to form a photographic mosaic of a heart. All the stories are linked in some way; while Mack and his manager do not connect with the other characters physically, Billy appears frequently on characters' radios and TVs, his music video twice providing an important plot device for Sam's pursuit of Joanna, and they also cross paths with

27380-399: The script hit the dramatic notes, and everything had a strong logic and reason behind it". He also played the angel Metatron , the voice of God, in Kevin Smith 's Dogma (also 1999). In 2001, he first appeared as Severus Snape , the potions master, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . His portrayal of the role throughout the Harry Potter series (2001–2011) was dark, but

27565-456: The sea of romantic comedy ... The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: ... It feels a little like a gourmet meal that turns into a hot-dog eating contest." Nev Pierce of the BBC awarded it four of a possible five stars and called it a "vibrant romantic comedy ... Warm, bittersweet and hilarious, this is lovely, actually. Prepare to be smitten." In his review in The New York Times , journalist A. O. Scott called it "a romantic comedy swollen to

27750-414: The sensible thing to do at 18". Following graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that he was going to pursue acting professionally. He wrote to request an audition with RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), which he attended from 1972 until 1974. While there, he supported himself by working as

27935-431: The summer's most talked-about performance". For his performance he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . Upon winning the award Rickman stated, "This will be a healthy reminder to me that subtlety isn't everything". Despite gaining acclaim within the media for his ability to portray villainous roles in films Rickman took issue with being typecast as a villain. During this decade he would portray

28120-420: The tale, "Merry Christmas" , was popularized following the appearance of the story. This coincided with the appearance of the Oxford Movement and the growth of Anglo-Catholicism , which led a revival in traditional rituals and religious observances. The term Scrooge became a synonym for miser , with the phrase "Bah! Humbug!" becoming emblematic of a dismissive attitude of the festive spirit. In 1843,

28305-463: The three gifts of the Magi , symbolizing royalty. The Christmas tree was first used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strassburg in 1539, under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer , Martin Bucer . In the United States, these "German Lutherans brought the decorated Christmas tree with them; the Moravians put lighted candles on those trees." When decorating

28490-418: The totalitarian state, propagandists sought to deemphasize—or eliminate altogether—the Christian aspects of the holiday" and that "Propagandists tirelessly promoted numerous Nazified Christmas songs, which replaced Christian themes with the regime's racial ideologies." As Christmas celebrations began to spread globally even outside traditional Christian cultures , several Muslim-majority countries began to ban

28675-411: The track "The Bell". Rickman was one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the album When Love Speaks (2002), and also featured prominently in a music video by Scottish rock band Texas entitled " In Demand ", which premiered on MTV Europe in August 2000. In 1965, when he was 19, Rickman met 18-year-old Rima Horton , who became his partner in the early 1970s and would later be

28860-453: The tract Vindication of Christmas (1652) of Old English Christmas traditions, that he had transcribed into his journal as a format for his stories. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (popularly known by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas ). The poem helped popularize the tradition of exchanging gifts, and seasonal Christmas shopping began to assume economic importance. This also started

29045-437: The villainous roles for which he was most famous on screen. Sir Ian McKellen wrote, "behind [Rickman's] mournful face, which was just as beautiful when wracked with mirth, there was a super-active spirit, questing and achieving, a super-hero, unassuming but deadly effective." Writer/director Kevin Smith told a tearful 10-minute story about Rickman on his Hollywood Babble On podcast. Rickman's family offered their thanks "for

29230-407: The voice of Absolem the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland (2010). Rickman again appeared as Severus Snape in the final instalment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Throughout the series, his portrayal of Snape garnered widespread critical acclaim. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said Rickman "as always, makes

29415-401: The wedding video Mark recorded, she sees many extreme close-ups of herself and a few of Peter's face. She realises Mark's true feelings towards her. After an uncomfortable silence, Mark blurts out that he acts coldly toward her out of "self-preservation". On Christmas Eve, Juliet answers the doorbell to find Mark carrying a boombox playing a Christmas carol and large cue cards . While Peter

29600-425: The whole damn show. Every sneer, every eye-roll, every flourish of splenetic exasperation is a joy to behold. Whether he's cancelling Christmas or cutting your heart out with a spoon, Rickman's crowd-pleasing pantomime villainy is downright heroic. — Empire on Rickman, ranking his portrayals of the Sheriff of Nottingham (number 14) and Hans Gruber (number 4) on their list of the greatest villains. Rickman

29785-403: The world for town squares and consumer shopping areas to sponsor and display decorations. Rolls of brightly colored paper with secular or religious Christmas motifs are manufactured to wrap gifts. In some countries, Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down on Twelfth Night . The tradition of the Nativity scene comes from Italy. One of the earliest representation in art of the nativity

29970-489: The world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity rather than knowing Jesus's exact birth date is considered to be the primary purpose of celebrating Christmas. The customs associated with Christmas in various countries have a mix of pre-Christian , Christian, and secular themes and origins. Popular holiday traditions include gift giving ; completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath ; Christmas music and caroling ; watching Christmas movies ; viewing

30155-411: The world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of

30340-442: The world, notably Sicily , living nativity scenes following the tradition of Saint Francis are a popular alternative to static crèches. The first commercially produced decorations appeared in Germany in the 1860s, inspired by paper chains made by children. In countries where a representation of the Nativity scene is very popular, people are encouraged to compete and create the most original or realistic ones. Within some families,

30525-406: Was "sidestepped by the awful news"—expressed their surprise. Sir Michael Gambon told BBC Radio 4 he was a "great friend" and "a real man of the theatre and the stage". At a West End performance of the play that made him a star ( Les Liaisons Dangereuses ), he was remembered as "a great man of the British theatre". Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling called Rickman "a magnificent actor and

30710-420: Was a more fitting object of reverence because it pointed to heaven and it had a triangular shape, which he said was symbolic of the Trinity . The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835 and represents an importation from the German language. Since the 16th century, the poinsettia , a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of

30895-488: Was also used during some periods, but is now considered archaic and dialectal. The term derives from Middle English Cristenmasse , meaning 'Christian mass'. Xmas is an abbreviation of Christmas found particularly in print, based on the initial letter chi (Χ) in the Greek [Χριστός] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |literal= ( help ) , although some style guides discourage its use. This abbreviation has precedent in Middle English Χρ̄es masse (where Χρ̄

31080-444: Was an active patron of the research foundation Saving Faces and honorary president of the International Performers' Aid Trust, a charity that works to fight poverty amongst performing artists all over the world. When discussing politics, Rickman said he "was born a card-carrying member of the Labour Party". His last recorded work prior to his death was for a short video to help Oxford University students raise funds and awareness of

31265-445: Was celebrated as one of the principal evangelical feasts . However, in 17th century England, some groups such as the Puritans strongly condemned the celebration of Christmas, considering it a Catholic invention and the "trappings of popery " or the "rags of the Beast ". In contrast, the established Anglican Church "pressed for a more elaborate observance of feasts, penitential seasons, and saints' days. The calendar reform became

31450-418: Was chosen by Empire as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (No. 34) in 1995, and ranked No. 59 in Empire 's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in October 1997. In 2009 and 2010, he was ranked once again as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars by Empire , both times placing No. 8 out of the 50 actors chosen. He was elected to the council of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1993; he

31635-484: Was controlled by the rioters, who decorated doorways with holly and shouted royalist slogans. Football, among the sports the Puritans banned on a Sunday, was also used as a rebellious force: when Puritans outlawed Christmas in England in December 1647 the crowd brought out footballs as a symbol of festive misrule. The book, The Vindication of Christmas (London, 1652), argued against the Puritans, and makes note of Old English Christmas traditions, dinner, roast apples on

31820-420: Was cut and not included. In the first scene, Anne Reid , as the headmistress of Karen's children's school, is revealed going home to her terminally ill partner, Geraldine, played by Frances de la Tour . In the second scene, while speaking at the Christmas concert, Karen acknowledges Geraldine's recent death. Curtis said he regretted losing this storyline. The US edition of the soundtrack removed two pieces of

32005-561: Was eventually equated with Christian Christmas. 'Noel' (also 'Nowel' or 'Nowell', as in " The First Nowell ") entered English in the late 14th century and is from the Old French noël or naël , itself ultimately from the Latin nātālis (diēs) meaning 'birth (day)'. Koleda is the traditional Slavic name for Christmas and the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, to Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to pre-Christian times. The gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem to

32190-428: Was found in the early Christian Roman catacomb of Saint Valentine . It dates to about AD 380. Another, of similar date, is beneath the pulpit in Sant'Ambrogio, Milan . Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became

32375-411: Was given the male lead, the Vicomte de Valmont, in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Christopher Hampton 's adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses , directed by Howard Davies . After the RSC production transferred to the West End in 1986 and Broadway in 1987, Rickman received both a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance. In 1988, Rickman played

32560-483: Was in The Barchester Chronicles (1982), the BBC's adaptation of Trollope 's first two Barchester novels, as the Reverend Obadiah Slope. It shouldn't be a surprise that Alan Rickman is the only actor to make it onto this Greatest Villains list twice—he does bad deeds with such gusto. Legend has it he kept refusing the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham until it was agreed he could do whatever he liked with it—which, to Kevin Costner's rumoured chagrin, included stealing

32745-440: Was introduced in the early 19th century by the German-born Queen Charlotte . In 1832, the future Queen Victoria wrote about her delight at having a Christmas tree, hung with lights , ornaments , and presents placed round it. After her marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert , by 1841 the custom became more widespread throughout Britain. An image of the British royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle created

32930-666: Was negative toward the work and described it as the least romantic movie of all time, considering its ultimate message to be "It's probably best if you give up on love altogether and get on with the rest of your life." Since its initial release some publications have come to regard Love Actually as a cult film as it is habitually watched by many people as a holiday staple . Despite this, the film continues to be highly divisive amongst critics and audiences. Publications such as CNN , The Atlantic and The Telegraph have written positively about Love Actually whilst others such as The Independent , Cosmopolitan and The Guardian have panned

33115-416: Was not primarily about Christ's birth, but rather his baptism . Christmas was promoted in the East as part of the revival of Orthodox Christianity that followed the death of the pro- Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. The feast was introduced in Constantinople in 379, in Antioch by John Chrysostom towards the end of the fourth century, probably in 388, and in Alexandria in

33300-450: Was originally performed by a group of dancers who sang. The group was composed of a lead singer and a ring of dancers that provided the chorus. Various writers of the time condemned caroling as lewd, indicating that the unruly traditions of Saturnalia and Yule may have continued in this form. " Misrule "—drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling—was also an important aspect of the festival. In England, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day, and there

33485-408: Was released digitally by Universal Pictures ' Back Lot Music, and on CD by La-La Land Records. Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. The soundtrack album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart , and by Christmas 2018 it had spent 348 weeks on the Chart. It reached the top forty on the US Billboard 200 in 2004 and ranked second on

33670-422: Was rushed in order to be ready for the 2003 Christmas season which he likened to " three-dimensional chess ". For the scene in which Rowan Atkinson's character Rufus annoys Harry, Alan Rickman's reaction was reportedly genuine, having been "driven insane" by the time constraints. Hugh Grant disliked filming the dance scene as he called it "excruciating" and "absolute hell". In a 2023 interview, Curtis would later call

33855-541: Was so kind and generous in the moments he wasn't Snaping about." Rupert Grint said, "even though he has gone I will always hear his voice." Johnny Depp , who co-starred with Rickman in two Tim Burton films , commented, "That voice, that persona. There's hardly anyone unique anymore. He was unique." Kate Winslet , who gave a tearful tribute at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards , remembered Rickman as warm and generous, adding, "And that voice! Oh, that voice." Dame Helen Mirren said his voice "could suggest honey or

34040-512: Was special Christmas ale. Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival that incorporated ivy , holly , and other evergreens. Christmas gift-giving during the Middle Ages was usually between people with legal relationships, such as tenant and landlord. The annual indulgence in eating, dancing, singing, sporting, and card playing escalated in England, and by the 17th century the Christmas season featured lavish dinners, elaborate masques, and pageants. In 1607, King James I insisted that

34225-454: Was subsequently RADA's vice-chairman and a member of its artistic advisory and training committees and development board. Rickman was voted No. 19 in Empire magazine's Greatest Living Movie Stars over the age of 50 and was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actor (Play); in 1987 for Les Liaisons Dangereuses and in 2002 for a revival of Noël Coward 's Private Lives . The Guardian named Rickman as an "honourable mention" in

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