I first saw Love Actually with J when it initially came out. And then I saw it again with Lisa. And then every subsequent Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'd watch it another three to five times, sometimes deliberately, other times just barely knowing it was playing in the background. It's the quintessential holiday movie, the go-to that will make you cry and laugh and nostalgic all at once.
Anyway, whenever I think of Love Actually, I think of the Marc + Juliette (+ Peter) story. Because it's so sweet in its angst. Although, I wish she hadn't kissed him. That part rang a little false to me. Even if it was to cap off the end of his love story with her. She shouldn't have kissed him.
Regardless, I love the scene where she comes over asking for the wedding tape, and then as the video plays, she slowly realizes that he's been mean towards her and avoiding her because he's actually madly in love with her. So he leaves, because what else can he do in all the awkwardness of that moment? And then he does the swirly do-I-go-back-or-do-I-leave dance 3.5 times outside his entrance, before eventually pulling his sweater zipper up, and deciding to go on his way, as the beginning strains of Dido's song starts to play.
"It's a self-preservation thing, you see."
Sigh, it still breaks my heart, every single time.
[Click here to play scene. Really, it's so so amazing, you must watch it.]
Again, sigh. So good. Such perfect editing with the music and the pulling of the heartstrings and the gorgeousness of London in the background.
I am convinced all the half zipper sweaters that became so popular made their comeback because of this scene. Heck, Lisa and I bought J one of those sweaters for Christmas '03. And he would do the manly zipper pull-up every now and then for us. Sadly, it was always for laughs, as it never quite had the same sexy resonance as it did in the movie.
This post has no point. Except I saw a promo for The Walking Dead and the lead of that show plays Marc in Love Actually, which reminded me of this scene. And that reminded me of all those times J did the stupid zipper pull for our amusement. Man, I miss Lisa and J. I miss spending the holidays with them, doing silly things of absolutely no importance, just hanging out and enjoying each others' company.
I miss them, and I wish we weren't so far-flung across the country.
