The 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill is one of the highest-grossing British movies of all time. Considering how, in recent times, such numbers are usually achieved by superhero movies, it is quite a feat that a romantic comedy was able to make waves around the world. Written by Richard Curtis of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame, Notting Hill was a simple love story between the two characters played by Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
Even though the movie is now 20 years old, Notting Hill is now entertaining a whole new generation of movie watchers with its warmth. Here are some of the reasons why Notting Hill still holds up in 2020.
The premise of Notting Hill is very basic. It is quite simple and uncomplicated. Anna Scott, a Hollywood star, falls in love with the small book store owner, William Thacker. There is instant chemistry between the characters and the movie places them at the center of the narrative.
Not much else happens, small inconveniences and problems that are overcome, finally leading to them getting together. Notting Hill is still a great rom-com because it's a very simplified version of reality. Being able to extract so much emotion from such a simple story is what Notting Hill succeeds at.
The world was simpler back in 1999. Internet, social media and all these things that are so vital to relationships today were simply not how things were back then. To go back into the past, into a time when these things didn't matter, is a beautiful form of escapism that many viewers take delight in.
Notting Hill has the ability to make its viewers nostalgic about a time that is well past and gone, a simpler time when the world doesn't appear to be as sharp and cold as it is now.
Many viewers find it difficult to consume older shows or movies because of their deeply problematic nature. The world has moved forward by leaps and bounds and it becomes uncomfortable and impossible to sit back and enjoy older things that are representative of the culture of the times. With Notting Hill, these issues are very minimal.
The movie has aged quite well. Of course, it is not the epitome of political correctness or feminism, but it is still not as terribly crude as it could be. Viewers can still watch the movie in 2020 without too many outrageously uncomfortable situations.
The rom-coms of today are quite complicated and messy. They reflect today's world that is also quite complicated and messy. But Notting Hill is from an era that doesn't seem to be touched by these things. The movie is so hopeful and wildly optimistic that it feels unlike most movies or shows that viewers watch today.
It is a movie that chooses to gloss over the ugly, and instead focus on the most positive, optimistic and hopeful aspects of love.
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are brilliant and prolific actors who are world-renowned celebrities, as well. They have won many awards and received a lot of acclaim for their performances in various films and shows.
When watching Notting Hill, it's clear why they became as successful as they did and it also makes sense that Julia Roberts was one the biggest stars of the 90s who, in Notting Hill, also plays such a famous character, humanizing celebrities in the most sensitive and empathetic manner.
A good soundtrack is essential to the enjoyment of a good rom-com. And it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that it is quite impossible to rid your head of these old-timey songs that wash over you with the beauty and innocence of the times.
Special mention needs to be made for one song in particular - Elvis Costello's cover of "She." The song was able to capture the very essence of the film, the intense yet adorably simple love story between these two characters.
What happens when an incredibly famous person shows up to your dinner party? That is what this particular scene from Notting Hill tries to show and it is everything you'd expect it to be. It's comical, it's hilarious, it's joyful, it's confusing, it's messy, it's sad and quite out of the ordinary while also being quite ordinary.
The dinner party from Notting Hill is one of the funniest yet sweetest moments from the movie. Anna Scott gets a taste of what it is like to be normal, and viewers get a taste of what it would be like to have a celebrity at your dinner table.
A good rom-com is bound to have many cliched moments, but it is about how well you can incorporate the same tired old cliches into a movie, without making it feel tired or old that shows the quality of the film. Notting Hill is filled with things that viewers associate with a rom-com, including the dramatic getting together at the end.
William makes his way to the press conference Anna is giving and asks for a second chance, which she gives of course. The room is filled with press and the scene is quite over-the-top and dramatic. Notting Hill is able to give its viewers the cathartic experience that comes with such scenes.
This dialogue delivered by Julia Roberts has gone down in pop culture history as one of the most romantic lines in a film. The beauty of this line is the utter simplicity of it - it strips down all of the pretensions and says it as it is.
Anna wasn't only a celebrity, she was just a girl who was in love with a boy. This proclamation of love is heartwarming to watch. Even if one hasn't seen Notting Hill, this quote is quite popular and it captures what this movie really is, at its heart.
The boy and the girl get together and they have their happily ever after. Notting Hill takes this a step further and gives its viewers a peek into their lives post the dramatic getting together. This final montage has a sequence of shots from their life. The final shot of the film has the couple on a park bench comfortably together.
It is yet another iconic image from this rom-com. While many rom-coms end at the moment the couple gets together, by giving its viewers these few additional moments, Notting Hill proves how truly satisfactory a rom-com can be.
