Heartbreaking lesbian love scene was deleted from Christmas classic Love Actually
If you haven't watched Love Actually yet this Christmas, then what are you doing??
Hugh Grant is the prime minister, Liam Neeson is sneaking kids through airport security, and Bill Nighy is trying to get his cruddy single to Christmas No 1.
Plus, nothing really says Christmas like holding back tears while Emma Thompson finds out Alan Rickman is cheating on her with his secretary.
But, if you thought that was the saddest storyline in the Richard Curtis rom-com, you've got another thing coming. You can watch him talk about it here:
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You see, there was originally supposed to be another, particularly heartbreaking relationship in Love Actually, starring Anne Reid and Frances de la Tour that ended up on the cutting room floor.
The lesbian romance was slightly linked to Emma Thompson's storyline, since Reid was due to play the headmistress at her children's school - you know, the one that throws a nativity play including lobsters, an octopus and a Spider-Man king.
At first, the headmistress would come across as strict and stern as the kids got ready for their school concert, but it would later be revealed that her partner Geraldine (played by de la Tour) is terminally ill.
The couple had a number of scenes interwoven into the film, but it came to a devastating end just before Christmas when it is revealed that Geraldine had died.
De La Tour has since spoken about her cut storyline - the only LGBT story in the film - admitting she thought it was 'odd' that it has been cut.
"We had a lovely scene," she told The Independent earlier this year.
"And I think it was the only gay scene. It’s odd that they cut it. Maybe it was too dark to bring into it. Because it ended up being quite a light and fluffy film, didn’t it?
"At least [Richard Curtis] wrote to me and said, ‘We’re terribly sorry but it’s got to be cut'."
Curtis himself has also spoken about the heartbreaking story that was ultimately cut from the film.
In the Love Actually DVD bonus footage, he explains: "The idea was meant to be that you just casually meet this very stern headmistress.
"But later on in the film we suddenly fell in with her and you realise that, no matter how unlikely it seems, any character you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love."
As a result, every love story in the film is a heterosexual one - at least, I think it is.
Sometimes Bill Nighy's Billy Mack does make me wonder...
Topics: TV and Film, Christmas
Ali Condon