Two decades after its release, the beloved 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually continues to captivate audiences with its intertwining tales of love, which originally also featured a lesbian love story. The deleted scene, featured in the DVD’s bonus footage, reveals a deeper layer to the film.
The poignant moment showcases Anne Reid as the stern headmistress of Karen’s children’s school, returning home to her terminally ill partner, Geraldine, played by Frances de La Tour.
Speaking about the scene, director Richard Curtis reflected on its significance and expressed he was “really sorry” to lose it. The decision, while perhaps necessary for the film’s pacing, overlooked an opportunity to explore the complexities of love that extend beyond the central romantic plots.
“The idea was that you just casually met this very stern headmistress and… 15 minutes later, we suddenly fell in with the headmistress and you realise that, no matter how unlikely it seems, any character that you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love,” he explained.
He has also since acknowledged the scene’s emotional weight, recognising how it adds depth to the narrative and touches on themes of love and loss.
In a September 2022 interview with The Independent, De La Tour shared her disappointment about the scene being cut, emphasising how important it would have been to have a rare moment of lesbian representation in Love Actually.
She noted, “It’s odd that they cut it. Maybe it was too dark for a film that ended up being quite light and fluffy.”
Ultimately, this glimpse into what might have been highlights an important narrative left unexplored in a film often critiqued for its lack of diversity. It invites us to consider how stories like that of Geraldine and the headmistress could have enriched our understanding of love in all its forms.
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