Most people would agree “Love Actually” is top-tier when it comes to Christmas films.
A series of interlinking stories about love at Christmas time, it’s everywhere this time of year.
While everyone has their favorite stories and characters, it’s undeniable that Emma Thompson gives the best performance as Karen, an overworked mother trying to keep the magic of Christmas alive while her husband, Harry (portrayed by Alan Rickman), possibly has an affair.
One of the film’s most famous scenes shows Karen listening to a Joni Mitchell record gifted to her by Harry while allowing a few tears to escape before she goes back into “mom mode.”
The scene is particularly devastating because she’d been expecting to receive a necklace, which she’d found stowed in Harry’s coat pocket.
During the scene, we find out he’s given it to his potential mistress, Mia, who is also his secretary.
While the full extent of Mia and Harry’s relationship is never confirmed beyond some very overt flirting, the betrayal is real for Karen.
And now, fans have spotted another heartbreaking detail about the scene.
“The way she matched her earrings to the necklace. The way she holds it together for the kids. The way she pats down the bed. I stand with Emma Thompson,” one TikTok user commented on a video of the scene.
“WAIT. What do you mean she matched her earrings?! How have I NEVER noticed that???” one replied.
“I’ve always said the earrings, lipstick and cardigan all ready to match it is the saddest part of all,” a third person wrote.
Sure enough, if you look closely, you can see they’re right.
The necklace featured a gold heart pendant with a red-colored stone, likely a ruby.
Thompson’s character wears deep-red earrings, a red cardigan, and red lipstick, ready to match the necklace she believed would be hers.
The costuming details add an extra dimension to her excitement about the gift, following on from conversations we see between the couple, where she jokes about Harry always buying her a scarf.
While the end of the film shows Harry and Karen reunite at the airport, with the kids in tow, the nature of their relationship isn’t really revealed.
However, Thompson has discussed her own thoughts.
The famous role got brought up on an episode of The Graham Norton Show, where Thompson appeared alongside Timothee Chalamet.
“I was rewatching it last night, and that’s a sort of complicated ethical storyline,” Chalamet commented.
“Because you guys resolve the dispute quite easily.”
“Do you think? I don’t think so,” Thompson responded.
“I think that when he gets off that plane — Alan Rickman, God rest him, playing my husband — I think you just don’t know,” she explained.
“You know it’ll never be the same again, that’s the thing.”
