Monday, February 7, 2022

Movie Quote of the Day (‘Four Weddings and a Funeral,’ As a Bachelor’s Indiscretion Gets a Thorough Airing From the Ladies)

Vomiting Veronica [played by Emily Morgan] [to her husband about going to India with Charles]: “Charles was vile. He insisted on cracking jokes all the time I was ill.”

Charles [played by Hugh Grant, pictured]: “I was only trying to cheer you up, V.”

Naughty Nicki [played by Amanda Mealing]: “Oh, you're that Veronica!”

Veronica: “Which Veronica? Charlie?”

Charles [trying to change the subject]: “Remember Bombay?”

Nicki: “When Charles and I were going out, he told me he had this interesting journey around India with Vomiting Veronica. I think that was it.”

Charles [embarrassed]: “I don't remember ever mentioning it…. Maybe I did.”

Mocking Martha [played by Melissa Knatchbull]: “Oh, come on, Charles! I don't think I've ever been out with anyone less discreet.”

Charles: “Well, I think that's probably a little bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?”

Nicki: “It is not!”

Martha: “I remember you going on about this one girl—Helena, wasn't it? Whose mother made a pass at you.”

Veronica: “I remember this! You couldn't work it out whether it would be impolite not to accept her advances!”

[laughs]

Nicki: “That's right! Mrs. Piggy! Helena was Miss Piggy! So her mother was Mrs. Piggy!”

[all laugh]

Charles: “I - I think perhaps, it was a— it was a...”

Miss Piggy [played by Polly Kemp] [who's been with them the whole time, not laughing]: “We've both lost a lot of weight since then!”— Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), screenplay by Richard Curtis, directed by Mike Newell

This weekend, I watched this rom-com for the first time since its original release. The passage of the years has more than justified its Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay.

What struck me the most was the way that so many supporting characters—including those here—had their moments to shine without the viewer losing track of the main plot thread, or simply feel overwhelmed—as occurred when Curtis, without the sure-handed Newell in charge, had a chance to direct his own screenplay nearly a decade later in Love, Actually.

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