There are moments in the middle of this comedy that bring the audience to that kind of hushed silence you get when truths are told. Friday night, I was back in New York, and I went to see my friend Alex Edelmans off-Broadway show Just For Us. Its a fantastic, hilarious, deeply personal show, so wonderful, and I strongly recommend that all of you in the New York area go see it immediately. She acknowledges his unspoken adoration and is grateful that it remains unspoken.
Cookies help us deliver our Services. Have you got a copy of Winnie the Pooh?, Martin, Hugh Grant says to his assistant. And Im getting that familiar feeling that Im missing something. "[Richard Curtis] wrote this other film and it was based on something that actually happened to a friend of his, who was a very kind of unfamous bloke living in Notting Hill, who happened to fall in love with an extremely, extremely world-famous person who I'm not allowed to mention, and she with him," he explained. Grants character lives in his former marital home with a rodent-like half-breed called Spike (Twin Towns Ifans on top, scene-stealing form). Of course she does. How about the latest John Grisham thriller?, No, Hugh Grant says. The moment we see Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant together on the screen, we want to see them snogging.
We talked about how much fun it is to be surprised by a show. Maybe, in some ways, I really am letting the world pass me by. Is Curtis alluding to a real event in someone's life?". Theres a funny scene near the beginning of the movie Notting Hill. Hugh Grants character, who owns a travel book shop in London*, brings Julia Roberts she has a different name in the movie but shes basically Julia Roberts to his little sisters birthday dinner, which is being held at a friends house. Grant mentioned Curtis' mysterious friend again in an interview with E! The birthday party is the films laugh highlight, as Williams friends struggle to retain their cool in the presence of a star and then scream like rabid groupies the second she leaves the house. Curtis himself has never spoken publicly about his friend, nor identified the celebrity in question. When the show ended, Justine talked a bit about how much she loved it. 0 subscriptions will be displayed on your profile (edit). These friends and others, like a restaurant owner, represent a salt-of-the-earth alternative to Annas show-biz satellites. It's a beloved film that sparks emotion and feels genuine despite its unlikely premise. * Shes the wife of the guy who played Cameron in Ferris Bueller. Shes awesome, one of my favorite characters, and oh, by the way one of the most striking characters on the show, long blond hair, beautiful, impossible really to NOT recognize her. He tries to keep his cool, although hes as agog as if she were, well, Julia Roberts. On one occasion, she didnt recognize me, she actually had a choice to sit next to me on a bus or someone else and she thought, no way am I sitting next to that guy and chose to sit next to the other person, so, totally get it. However, the Daily Mail ran a story in March 2021 alleging that the friend is a man named William Sieghart and the famous person was actress Uma Thurman. She then introduced me to the two friends she came with, a man and a woman with Australian accents and they too were lovely, and they left, and then, in another quirky brush with fame, Alex introduced me to Larry Lucchino, former president of the Red Sox, Padres and Orioles. In the scene, when Honey first sees Anna, she reacts, "Oh holy f***! This is funny to start with because, seriously, who would not recognize Julia Roberts?
Ill see you Tuesday.. She then introduced me to the two friends she came with, a man and a woman with Australian accents and they too were lovely, and they left, and then, in another quirky brush with fame, Alex introduced me to Larry Lucchino, former president of the Red Sox, Padres and Orioles. And I realized that the baseball playoffs were about to start. She enjoyed the way he handles a would-be shoplifter, and their eyes as they say meet. I totally would not have recognized Julia Roberts. This isnt just true of celebrities. But, he has talked about the ways in which his own life acted as inspiration for the film. And only then did I realize that he was my optometrist. The best way to support us here is by taking out a paid subscription. 
And I knew that I was supposed to know him, that I had talked to him before, but I had no idea why, and so I probed him with various embarrassing questions as I tried to put it together. So, is "Notting Hill" based on a true story? Instead, he talks about what a rough life acting must be, how the wages are a scandal, and how he had done a bit of acting himself back in his university days. It includes a delightful array of one-liners, quirky sidekicks, and a central couple who fall in and out of love with alarming speed. Brightcast is a digital publishing company dedicated to creating an enjoyable content experience for users. 
One comes when Roberts looks into the camera and predicts Annas future: One day my looks will go, and Ill be a sad middle-aged woman who looks like someone who was famous for a while. To be beautiful and famous is, as the movie argues, to risk losing ordinary human happiness. Even as the show went on and Alex was typically awesome I could not help but think about two things: One, how much I was looking forward to telling my wife and Succession binge-watching partner Margo about how I sat next to Willa and totally did not recognize her. Meanwhile, Grant has fallen in love on screen for films such as 1994's "Four Weddings and a Funeral," 2002's "About a Boy," and 2003's "Love Actually." Some of the details do seem very credible.
What do you think?". After all, they live in two different worlds. There are few things she seems to enjoy more than me making a fool out of myself. Anyway, I was sitting and waiting for the show to begin when a lovely woman sat down next to me. 
*Tommy was in New York because he had just finished attending the Westminster Dog Show his new book coming next year will be about the dog show world and our incredible connection to dogs. By the end, as much as were aware of the ancient story machinery groaning away below deck, were smiling. A couple of other friends try to stay cool about things but are barely holding it together. And I looked at Sarah again and it was then, and only then, that I realized that Sarah was the award-winning Sarah Snook, who brilliantly plays Shiv Roy maybe the most compelling and important character on the entire show. Roberts, meanwhile, is so radiant as the film star trying desperately to convince her new beau shes just a girl standing in front of a girl asking her to love him. Its as if this was the role she was born to play. Some years ago again, this is absolutely true I was playing in a pickup basketball game for a couple of hours with some people I didnt know, and I was guarding one guy in particular, and when the game ended he said, OK! Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in. As mentioned before, screenwriter Richard Curtis has never publicly acknowledged that "Notting Hill" is based on what happened to his friend. She struck up a conversation and asked if Id seen Alexs show, and I told her how great it is, and she said she was really excited because she knew nothing about it. Like the star. 
Like, and I believe I told this story before, I was at Bruce Springsteens Broadway show a few years ago when a man came up to me and started talking. Shes Willa. Its weird that I had never met Larry before, but I had not, and when he found out that I had written The Baseball 100, well, its fair to say that he had just a few disagreements to talk about, which was great fun. Then I asked what brought her and her friends to the show, and she said it was because she had met Alex at the SAG Awards. Still, it doesnt detract from the feel good element of the movie, and the scintillating chemistry between Roberts and Grant. Anna wanders into Williams bookstore one day. When he finds out that shes actually in the movies, he (so wonderfully) says: Oh splendid!
For your security, we need to re-authenticate you. If Curtis sharply funny script has a flaw, it comes in trying to make a serious point about media intrusion and the boundaries of privacy. The second thing I thought was that I probably should be more present in the world. We talk for a little longer about what a terrific and interesting guy Alex is, and she mentions something else about how she was at the SAG Awards because of the show, and Im still nodding and completely not picking up on any of this. Theres a great finish to the Bernie scene in Notting Hill. As Julia Roberts leaves the party, Bernie shouts out: Love your work!. Now, Im beginning to get a queasy feeling. He stated, "There was one who has never heard of anybody famous and then other one was Helen Fielding, who wrote 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and knew everybody. You know how there are just those people who immediately seem nice? Anna is seen not simply as a desirable woman, but as a complicated one.
Brightcast prides itself on finding high-quality contributors who are as passionate about the content as the fans reading it. Roberts has the likes of 1990's "Pretty Woman," 1997's "My Best Friend's Wedding," and 1999's "Runaway Bride" under her belt. I genuinely believe, and I've believed for some time now, that we could be best friends. No, Hugh Grants character says. There are so many humiliating moments to come. Speaking with Variety in 2019, Curtis revealed that imagining how his friends might react to him bringing a celebrity to their weekly dinners was a starting point for his writing the film. There was something warm and familiar about her. And that was me telling Justine how much I love her work after we had been talking for 10 minutes and I TOTALLY did not recognize her. Ill keep that one to myself. Actors Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant have both starred in some iconic romantic comedies. McKees sharp, touching performance stands in contrast to the more obvious hilarity offered by Hugh Bonneville as Bernie (a financial type who is clueless about Annas identity) and especially by Ifans. And just then Justine came back in: This time I recognized her straightaway, and she reintroduced me to her friends, and I remembered their names, Sarah and Dave, and I thought to myself: Yes, it has begun. On two occasions I didnt recognize my wife. But, like I say, Justine is just one of those people who radiates warmth. I love your work! I said to Sarah as she and the group left the theater. But its funnier in our house. I am simply not a visual person, and so I end up trying to figure out who Im talking with through context. And in 1999, the two rom-com stars came together for "Notting Hill," directed by the late Roger Michell and written by Richard Curtis. Her life doesnt make it easy for her to be happy. Notting Hill reassembles three of the key players from Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994): Grant, screenwriter Richard Curtis and producer Duncan Kenworthy. We know they are designed to be together but were always quicker to figure it out than the characters themselves. And I vowed to myself to at least try and be better about that. And I thought about who the Yankees were playing. People do get offended when you dont recognize them particularly if they were in your wedding party. I knew she would get a huge kick out of that. In a time of digital glitz and superhero films, Notting Hill reminds us of the simple pleasures weve been missing. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly.
Thats the first hint. But of course, they must meet again. But it gets funnier as he asks Julia Roberts what she does and even when she says that shes an actress, he STILL doesnt get that shes Julia Roberts. Bella is a former flame of Williams who is now sadly confined to a wheelchair. The birthday party she attends with William could arguably be the first normal evening shes had in years. At one point, he said he was in town for the game, and I thought: OK, he is in sports of some kind.. Its weird that I had never met Larry before, but I had not, and when he found out that I had written. Its actually the second time Ive seen it. The two friends who were hosting the party would have no idea who she was, and Helen would just be screaming with excitement and definitely try to make Madonna her best friend. Maybe the reason I dont recognize celebrities or long-lost friends or United States Presidents is that Im too much in my own head, that I do not actively try to notice things. There are other moments when they are basically just a boy and a girl, hand in hand, wandering at night through London. You cant preorder it quite yet because, you know, he hasnt written it, but you will want to start putting your money away immediately to buy numerous copies. Fifteen million dollars, Julia Roberts says, and he STILL doesnt quite get it until Julia Roberts goes to the bathroom and the other friends freak out a bit. And theres no way to really explain it to people. "Notting Hill" follows William Thacker (Grant), who owns a bookstore in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London, as he meets and falls in love with a famous actress, Anna Scott (Roberts), after she comes into his shop. Notting Hill, while falling just short of the Four Weddings benchmark, still makes for solid, crowd-pleasing entertainment. Things get even funnier when Anna moves into Williams turf. It's a question that viewers may have had themselves while watching, as Anna and William's story feels piercingly real.
And hey, When the show ended, Justine talked a bit about how much she loved it. Well done! And then he asks her what she made in her last movie. Her character, Anna, is one of the most famous movie stars in the world.
*Do you have any books by Dickens? the customer asks. And then her real life kicks in, complete with a movie star boyfriend (Alec Baldwin) who thinks William is a room service attendant. Anna is disarmed, grateful; She offers a spontaneous kiss and, later, an invitation for a drink at her hotel. I used to imagine what would it be like if I drove down [to their house] with Madonna how would the dinner party go? She wanted to see it completely clueless about it. Online, revealing, "This is a story [Curtis] won't admit to, but he's told me in a drunken moment. And she easily and naturally moved on from the whole not being recognized by someone who says he loves "Succession, thing and we just talked about a surprising amount of stuff baseball, restaurants in Charleston, the NBA playoffs, the joys and pitfalls of living in New York and then Alex came out and the show began. I am not exaggerating that gene that allows others to recognize people, whatever that is, I just dont have it. And I realized that it was the As. Free and paid versions are available. ", This idea of Curtis' eventually evolved into the scene in "Notting Hill," in which William brings Anna to meet his friends Max (Tim McInnerny), Bella (Gina McKee), Bernie (Hugh Bonneville) and his sister Honey (Emma Chambers). However, a romantic comedy like Notting Hill is about delaying the inevitable. A friend of his, an ordinary, normal guy, was in Harrods one day and met a very famous woman, and ended up taking her back to his flat in Notting Hilland all kinds of nonsense ensued.
This scene allows Curtis to take a series of wicked jabs at the publicity machine that helps Anna command $15 million a film. The Daily Mail didn't cite any sources and merely wrote "evidence now suggests" so this element should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. It was a low point, I admit. She was at the SAG Awards. All in all, rom-com fans would definitely agree that "Notting Hill" is up there with the best of the genre whether or not it's based on a real-life romance. But he's so scared of people finding out who this very famous person was that he won't tell anyone that story.". And Bernie played by the Lord Grantham guy from Downton Abbey does not recognize her. Grant has matured from a bumbling, pompous buffoon into the kind of leading man you actually end up rooting for. In the wrong setting, I would absolutely fail to recognize my favorite college professor, my next-door neighbor, or either of my two brothers. Because Im Bernie. And finally I said, like a Bernie, Im sorry, but what show are you talking about?. I am now living my more observant life., And Alex came over to give Sarah and big hug and said, I just love you so much on Succession.. 
Were a travel bookshop. We only sell travel books., Right, the guy says. Anyway, back to the movie Hugh Grants character brings JULIA ROBERTS to the party, and each friend reacts to this rather stunning development differently. William arrives during a press junket for Annas new film and pretends to be a journalist from an obscure magazine entitled Horse and Hound. *I thought the name was Willow but thats a whole other thing. She accepts an invitation to accompany William to a birthday party for his ditzy sister Honey (the late Emma Chambers) at the home of their friends Max (Tim McInnerny) and Bella (Gina McKee). Probably not the lowest, though. And I thought, Maybe this guy works for the As. This is all taking an awful lot of time, and I am babbling away, stalling to figure out who Im talking with, and Im sure I said at least 10 utterly humiliating things before FINALLY figuring out that I was talking with David Forst, the general manager of the Oakland As, who I had not only talked with on multiple occasions but had talked to about our mutual appreciation of Bruce Springsteen. Its the perfect romantic comedy story line. is a reader-supported venture. The next time they meet, William accidentally spills orange juice all over her which prompts her to go to his house to change. The hotel scene is a gem. By lovely I mean she just exuded niceness. The movie is bright, the dialogue has wit and intelligence, and Roberts and Grant are very easy to like. Thats a novel, too, isnt it?, Right, the guy says. His character, William, runs a modest little travel book shop in London. Its one of the best scenes in the film. This is a funny scene. His sister loses her mind as shes long dreamed of being Julia Roberts best friend. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Although theres enough electricity between them to make their hair stand on end, she leaves.
Please. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10987137/Brad-Pitt-details-struggle-rare-face-blindness-condition-prosopagnosia.html. And this is bad because as the years go on, my recognition skills only diminish. This complete inability to recognize people has caused me many embarrassing headaches through the years. In a 2018 video interview with Vanity Fair, in which he discussed his most famous roles, Hugh Grant blatantly said that "Notting Hill" is based on a true story. And its not like Justine thats the actress name is one of those people who looks different in real life. , well, its fair to say that he had just a few disagreements to talk about, which was great fun. And I scanned my mind for what sports were going in town. Your customer!, This is one of my familys favorite scenes in any movie ever, and we never once pass a John Grisham book without saying to each other, How about the latest John Grisham thriller?. She often talks about how I need to take her along everywhere because otherwise I walk around like Mr. Magoo and miss everything.
But my friend Tommy Tomlinson was in New York* at the same time, and Tommy also knows Alex, so we went together. Because I love Succession. I didnt think I would it doesnt exactly seem like my kind of show because there are really no characters to root for but I absolutely love it and have seen every episode multiple times. Oh, wow, I love Succession, I say, but I continue to look at her blankly, and she looks at me with a kind but odd expression and says, I play Willa on the show.. And they used to meet up, whenever she came to London their affair would reactivate itselfand that was the genesis of his script.