I’m also just a girl
Except that you’re Julia Roberts.
And you have a thousand megawatts smile.
And you are America’s sweetheart.
Do you know what’s more harmful to your soul than doing crystal meth? It’s watching UPSC topper interviews (at least the former would give you a modicum of happiness). Do you know what would bring genuine joy to your soul? It’s watching Hugh Grant stammer as he goes on and on about apricots dipped in honey.
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I finally watched Notting Hill (1999) and I was a bit surprised to learn that Julia Roberts is an American actress and that she is not, in fact, Irish as I had assumed initially (fyi: that was a Southern accent, not an Irish one, that she had in Pretty Woman, 1990). I think it is so befitting that the movie star who would capture the imagination of Americans, rule Hollywood for a decade and revive the rom-com genre in the 90s would be Julia Roberts. A bona-fide movie star. There is something so affable about her, so charming, so winsome and luminous. These are also qualities that I would associate with America of the 90s.
Thanks to this movie for reminding me how fun rom-coms used to be. And now, once again, I am in love with the idea of love. I don’t think I ever was out of love with the concept of love because I firmly believe that it is a beautiful thing, probably one of the few things in this world that makes sense (side effect of having one’s moon in Scorpio?). I don’t necessarily refer to only romantic love, I mean love of any kind– familial, parental, platonic– is beautiful. But then, there is something so uniquely thrilling about watching two pretty people fall in love with each other in pretty places in the movies (this is why movies were invented). I can’t believe it took me so long to watch Notting Hill.
Of course, my favourite part was the scene where Anna says to William, “And don’t forget, I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her” because is there something more embarrassing, more undignified, more vulnerable, more horrifying than asking someone to love you? That Anna lays her heart bare in front of William and he walks right over it was painful to watch. However, I was expecting that he’d break her heart a little bit because she treated him horribly throughout the movie and he was justified in protecting his feelings by rejecting hers. Having said that, given her personality and her backstory, her behaviour was understandable and I liked that, for a change, it was the woman who was unsure about her feelings and was confusing the man with her avoidant attachment style.
How can one not help but feel heartbroken on behalf of her when he rejects her? I love how Julia Roberts says that line, hiding her pain with a gorgeous smile. I think that line is probably one of the most iconic ones in Hollywood cinema, right up there with, “You jump, I jump, remember?”, “You talkin’ to me?”, “Frankly, my dear…”, “I’m gonna make him an offer…” and “All right, Mr DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up”.
Oh Hugh Grant, what a charming leading man! Someone once said to me that rom-coms are fanfics about men and as I was watching this movie I realised that it’s true. I haven’t watched a more perfect romantic hero than William Thacker. Everyone is crazy about Mr Darcy and Mr Knightley when it comes to fictional romantic heroes but these are flawed characters in ways that their flaws hurt the women they love. Okay, maybe not Knightley, but Darcy, yes. On the other hand, William Thacker is perfect.
These blogs are turning into random, poorly-punctuated ramblings, aren’t they? Anyway, this song has been giving me a lot of solace and motivation these days and watch this for an instant dose of joy. Editor’s note: for more fun, read this blog in Julia Roberts’ ‘Pretty Woman’ Southern accent.
