 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Love Actually
- Review Date: May 18, 2004
- R
- Genre: Romance
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Romantic and entertaining -- for older teens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the movie's R rating comes from some very strong language, sexual references and sexual situations, including prostitutes and adultery, and humorous nudity. A character's history of sex, drugs, and rock and roll is played for humor. There are some tense and sad scenes. Some audience members may object to the portrayal of the American President (Billy Bob Thornton) as a crude bully. One of the movie's many strengths is its matter-of-fact portrayal of loving inter-racial friendship and romance.
What's the story?
The interwoven stories of LOVE ACTUALLY all take place in the weeks before Christmas. They include a Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who is drawn to the outspoken girl who delivers his tea, an 11-year old (Thomas Sangster) who wants to attract the attention of the coolest girl in school, a man in love with his best friend's new bride, a waiter who is sure that all his dreams of romance will come true if he goes to America, a thoroughly married man (Alan Rickman) whose flirtatious secretary is making him wonder how thoroughly married he is, a rock star (Bill Nighy) angling for a comeback with a cheesy Christmas single, a heartbroken writer (Colin Firth) who can't stop thinking about the woman who cleans his house, even though they don't understand each other's languages, and a couple who meet at work as movie stand-ins assigned to increasingly (and hilariously) more intimate poses.
Is it any good?
Love Actually is as stuffed with goodies as the Christmas stockings for those at the very top of Santa's "nice" list -- and it is just as entertaining, too. Richard Curtis, who wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill for the first time directs his own screenplay with heart and style. It helps, of course, that he has a dream cast, including newcomer Sangster, a real-life cousin of Hugh Grant and already a first-rate actor and a knock-out screen presence. Each of the actors creates complete, endearing, vivid, and vulnerable characters that we will remember long after we have forgotten most "stars" who spend two full hours onscreen in the latest multiplex fodder.
This is a movie about taking big chances (both hopeful and hopeless), about making big gestures to show our love, and about big, big feelings that may make us crazy and miserable but remind us that we are alive and why we are alive. In addition, any movie that manages to include a child dressed as a Nativity lobster, a Bay City Rollers song played at a funeral, love-emergency lessons in both drums and Portuguese, and Hugh Grant dancing through the halls of 10 Downing Street to the Pointer Sisters is worth seeing at least twice.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how the characters handle their feelings of loss, longing, and fear.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Teen, 16 years old
December 15, 2009
AGE
Great movie, but more for young adults...
Love this movie! It is one of my all-time favorites. Just be wary of the sexual situation scenes and the swearing. It is a perfect movie for Christmas (or anytime!), especially for families with older teens. It's just a feel-good movie.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Parent of 2 year old
February 13, 2010
AGE
perfect but not for little ones
its amazing but not for kids
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Wonderful...
I love this movie--it always warms my heart. Yes, there is plenty here that could be offensive, but it IS rated R, and it is NOT a children's movie! The love and heartbreak in this movie reflects the situations that people often find themselves in. Well, with the exception of the couple that meets because they are stand-ins for porn actors. There is nothing that I don't love about this movie!
Was this review useful?
|
|
Adult
July 18, 2009
AGE
Not appropriate for any age group.
Hated it!!! The language and sexual content was so offensive that we left the cinema after the first 20 minutes of the film.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Teen, 13 years old
January 4, 2010
AGE
Perfect for the family just fast forward through the bad parts
Its a movie about love and my dad fast fowarded through the dirty parts so I didnt see them. We usually get netflix in the mail but that day we didnt so we watched this and it's touching just be sure to fast forward through the dirty parts and everything should be ok!!!
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 12 years old
October 18, 2009
AGE
Little iffy for young teens, but awesome movie
A fantastic movie. Some scenes are VERY inappropriate, but just skip past them for kids, they aren't important. Also, the bad language can be ignored. Happy messages about love and kindness. Verging on corny, but it is a chick-flick so...what do expect? If you're older than 14 this is a great movie to see.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Parent of 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 16 year old
July 25, 2009
AGE
Wonderful! Great for older teens, not for younger teens/tweens.
Both my 16y/o and my 12y/o saw it, but it was far too mature for my 12y/o. There is a great deal of sex/sexual situations in the movie, as two characters are stand-ins for a very sexual movie, and it took a great deal of explaining to my second daughter.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Parent of 9, 11, and 17 year old
December 12, 2009
AGE
Charming holiday fun for adults
A charming, if shallow, holiday film that would be perfect but for the porn film vignettes (which are very funny, but make the film inappropriate for teens.)
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Parent of 6 and 12 year old
October 3, 2009
AGE
Great movie for adults, but please note that THIS MOVIE IS RATED R and it deserves this rating. It's a sweet, heartwarming movie, but with definite adult themes and plenty of explicit sexual situations. If this offends you, don't see this movie. And definitely do not let your children watch this movie! (But we loved it!)
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 12 years old
April 20, 2011
AGE
love it
This one of my very favorite movies, everything about it shined and I love the fact that it was about love....in general...love between families and love between couples and love between father and son and just love. I especially liked Thomas Sangster because he was adorable and his accent was so sweet....I loved Colin Firth, and I loved Johanna's singing "All I Want For Christmas..." Her voice is just amazing. I was wowed.Super funny, and yeah sure there was langage, but come on, get real, any ten year old curses already anyway, so quite honestly, it's not gonna scar them for life. And yeah, there was sex, but if you don't like it skip over it. Great movie for 11-up, and to watch with your friends at a Christmas sleepover.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Richard Curtis |
| Cast: | Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson |
| Genre: | Romance |
| Run time: | 135 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 7, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | April 27, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | sexuality, nudity and language |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
