Overthinking it - Richard Curtis

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Have just finished watching About Time, had never seen it before.

No spoilers but the take-away message at the end was that we should 'enjoy every moment of this wonderful, amazing life'.

I'm aware I'm overthinking this but... for many this life isn't wonderful and amazing, is it?

For many it's hard, living below the poverty line, living in a war zone, living under oppressive administrations or having to fight for basic rights.

I'm not quite sure what point I'm making but surely a lot of this message is just not applicable for a shattering amount of people and is a bit ridiculous. That annoys me a bit.

(Again, not sure what point I'm making...)

Isn’t it that the people in the movie should enjoy their fabulous life?

Every day is special. Much of it is outlook. I have had times where I couldn't afford food or heat. But I would still notice smiles, blue skies, birds singing , sun on my face , water shimmering in the moonlight

Take time to notice the little stiff because that's actually the big stuff that matters

Just caught the last half hour of it having seen it once before ages ago. Tbh it just annoys the hell out of me as it's so bloody formulaic. It seems in all Richard Curtis films there has to be

• "kooky" sister/friend who has to be saved from themselves
• family member or close friend who is not very bright - nice but dim type
• scene where man watches love interest try on multiple outfits (don't know why this bugs me but I find it slightly creepy)
• reference to women's weight eg in this instance she was talking about having another baby and said "but I got really fat, like properly fat" - women put on weight when pregnant Richard so fuck off with that patriarchal shite please!! (See also sizeable arse comment in Love Actually).

Sorry for that rant but on your point about enjoying this amazing life - yes I agree that for many people it's not actually that amazing. It is totally viewing everything from a bubble of privilege. Although I can also appreciate that trying to find joy doesn't solely rely on material things.

Btw I am aware that films don't have to reflect life etc but it still bugs me and I am now annoyed with myself for that I having spent far too long thinking about it 😁

Movies aren't life, are we really meant to take away deep and meaningful messages from them?

After escaping an aggressive controlling man who I gave almost 20 years of my life to, I can say that yes life is now amazing. Still very early days and me and the kids are going to be short of money, but we are free. Like properly free. We don't have to ask if we want to do something, simple things like turn the TV channel over. We can breathe. We can like what we want to like, say what we want to say, without fear.
I am enjoying being alive for the first time, in so long.

I think that film makes more sense when you know RC’s sister died by suicide - it’s just a message about valuing what you have while you have it.

I reckon the kooky characters in his films eg Alice in Notting Hill are loosely based on his sister.

and the protagonists are loosely based on himself. And the settings loosely based on his own life settings.

So yes formulaic because he writes from what he knows - as does every writer.

@Littlemountainhum - oh I wasn't aware of that, how sad 😥. Of course writers use their own life experience but I just find his films always include the same tropes. I still watch them though 😁 and am a raging hypocrite on that score. Must admit they are always nice to look at in terms of locations.

I think that's the point of the film? Even if life is crap, keep going and there's always some good in it "gold in them hills" and all that. Although it's been a long time since I've watched it mind!

I hate toxic positivity, it comes from a place of privilege.

It's always so annoying with these sorts of films how (for example) they have idyllic lives in beautiful flats in Maida Vale when they apparently work as a publisher's assistant. When I moved to London in 2004 I lived in a damp basement flat in Lewisham and I had a reasonably well paid job! And of course the house in Cornwall is a multi million job overlooking the sea, that's his humble Cornish roots - and they kept saying he was a lawyer but why not say he was a barrister? Was it so American audiences would understand? But after that rant - yes i sort of get you OP 😂

@Littlemountainhum That sheds light on a lot of the themes, I had no idea; incredibly sad.

@TheVolturi I'm so glad you're free, you deserve all of the happiness in the world.

@Chikapu Your reply made me realise something strange about myself - I sort of did think we are meant to take a deep meaning away from a film. I have no idea where that belief comes from but somewhat explains my dislike of films in general; I tend to avoid all films at all costs and have done from childhood. A psychotherapist could probably have a field day with this! 😂

I think the film is really about dads. I wept and wept - my father died about 6 years ago

I sort of did think we are meant to take a deep meaning away from a film.
I don't think that that idea is strange. I've just read a book and am annoyed that there is no 'take away'. I've invested effort for no reason, what a waste of my time! Grr

Richard Curtis produces stuff that is full of smug stereotypes and bland niceness. You are allowed to be cross at him.

Oh. I've now read drwitch's post and feel bad.

@SimonandGarfunkel I agree about the sexist non-stop comments about weight, I watched Love Actually this Christmas with one of my teens and there were five or six references to being chubby/fat/putting on weight, not just the sizeable arse comment. I was cringing as my dd has an eating disorder and it was totally unnecessary.

@drwitch me too, and it made me go to that beach and I said goodbye. It helped me.

I genuinely believe RC has a good heart, but his films are just awful.

Have you not noticed that Richard Curtis only makes films about very wealthy, privileged people? Did you SEE the family house in that film?!

I unapologetically love that film. And my dad is far from perfect! I don't have a fabulous cornish mansion either. You are over thinking.
Do you live in poverty or a war zone? People are allowed to be happy.

Critics at the time gave the film a negative reception saying things along the line of what SimonandGarfunkel and mother of houseplants have said. At the time it seemed like Richard Curtis bashing.

However, I also love the film. Better than Love Actually or Notting Hill imo.

I liked it, but I have two nice red haired, rather gangly twenty something sons so always get attached to similar characters!

Toxic positivity? 😬 Do we just put toxic in front of everything now? 🙄

Don’t like it? Don’t watch it 🤷‍♀️. Surely a lot of films are supposed to be escapism?

Can't stand it, so smug, awful film!

My main take is the father/son relationship. I look at my own husband and son and will be watching the dynamic change as we get older. Just as in Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin being forever 4 years old playing in the wood, I will look back at my 11 year old son and his relations with his age appropriate father. Son is now 11 years old anymore BTW!

But RV is sexist, misogynistic, patriarchical and there was no reason for him to humiliate Bridget Jones in the way he did in the second film. Thank goodness Emma Thompson and Shazza retook control for the third season.

I happen to like About Time, especially the Bill Nighy bits. Nevertheless it’s pretty obvious that Richard Curtis makes films about UMC people like himself and his friends and has made a very successful career out of selling a certain view of Britishness both back to us and to an international audience.

I wouldn’t say AT has a particularly strong message. Not all narratives are fables and there isn’t always a moral.