With no official word on the American star’s return, Laura Linney’s sudden confirmation that she will take part in the Love, Actually reunion is true magic.
How do I love Love, Actually? Let me count the ways. The joy of Christmas is encapsulated in almost every scene, and it is the perfect holiday movie to watch when you’re almost sick of the saccharine season, but not quite. The pain of Christmas is also represented in several of the many interwoven storylines, and is equal parts lovely and heartbreaking. Colin Firth wearing many turtlenecks is so endearing, it hurts my soul.
But perhaps most importantly, Laura Linney, American star of film, television, and theatre, and overall brilliant grown-up woman plays perhaps the most tragic but ALSO most human character in the whole damn wonderful film. And, because we still sometimes get to have nice things in this dark, dark world, Laura Linney will be appearing in the Love, Actually reunion special for NBC’s Red Nose Day.
After weeks of reports on the mini-sequel and nary a mention of Linney, I (and I’m assuming the entirety of the sentient human race) was thrown into a tizzy. How could we continue this story without including its lovely little American heart? WHY, after the lack of a conclusion for her character in the original film, can we not have some closure now?!
And, as I say about ANY piece of Linney-less art, WHAT KIND OF A FILM IS THIS IF IT DOESN’T FEATURE A LAURA LINNEY CHARACTER WHO EXCUSES HERSELF INTO A HALLWAY DURING A VERY EXCITING DATE TO DO A SECRET HAPPY DANCE?!?!?!?
Image via Giphy
Well, as it turns out, the answer is: no film at all. Linney confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that, though she hasn’t yet filmed her appearance, she will in fact be joining the ol’ gang for the special.
"“I’d done something for the last Red Nose Day, so I’d kept in touch with [Love Actually director] Richard Curtis. And then he sent me an e-mail, explaining this short film reunion. I said yes, obviously. How could I say no? And right away we were figuring out our schedules.”"
Next: Love Actually IS All Around (And Back On Our Screens)
So there we have it, entirety of the sentient human race. We get Laura Linney’s sad, scared, selfless Sarah back for the sequel. And maybe, just maybe, this time, she won’t answer her cell phone.