Why would she assume the necklace wasn't still coming? - Love Actually (2003) Discussion

[–] camimac 8 years ago

Once all the gifts were under the tree, she assumed (and I think rightly so) that those were all the gifts that there were. There was only one gift wrapped in the same size box as the necklace. So, she assumed that was what it was, but when she opened it, it was the Joni Mitchell CD. She then jumped to a conclusion (and again rightly so) that Harry (Alan's character) gave the necklace to another woman.

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[–] wstock70 8 years ago

Duh

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[–] HeyTV 8 years ago

Agreed. He could have held it in another room and brought it out in Christmas Day. Maybe it wasn't wrapped yet too. But I think based on what was wrapped under the tree, I would have assumed the same as her that the box sized for the necklace would be the necklace

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[–] OhLookItsXena 8 years ago

As other posters have said, there was a same sized present under the tree he made a deal out of.

Plus, i'd say she had snooped in his pockets after returning from shopping and IIRC she DID FIND a box the same size. SO after finding that, then seeing him trying to be subtle at the jewellery counter earlier, why would she assume he would get her something else?

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[–] SenoritaTorres 8 years ago

I thought this post was going to say 'why would she assume the necklace was for her?'

Was about to say 'you're kidding, right?'

It's because she knew that he was having an affair.

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[–] OhLookItsXena 8 years ago

I think up until that point it was more like she thought there was something that felt a bit off...

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[–] SenoritaTorres 8 years ago

I thought the necklace was absolutely hideous, anyway.

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

true, but However hideous the necklace, i imagine most wives would rather it was being given to them rather than to their husband's bit on the side.

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[–] SenoritaTorres 8 years ago

Oh, definitely. I find it absolutely disgusting that he bought his tart a £270 gold necklace and his wife a bloody CD for gods sake. She's a stronger woman than me, I'd have thrown it at him.

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[–] ricky_says_hi 8 years ago

Karen seemed to have guessed that something was up, judging from the Christmas party scene. She tells Harry "be careful there" later in the night. So when she sees that he got her the CD and the necklace is nowhere to be found, she has some reason to assume it could have been bought for Mia.

But if you think about it, the CD is proof that he does love his wife. He just gets Mia a fancy bauble that means nothing. The CD means that he listens to Karen and knows that it's a gift she would have loved.

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[–] Redart27 8 years ago

^ Karen was too passive. She was being publically humiliated by Harry and Mia's flirtations. They should have had her put a stop to it, cut into that dance, and given Mia a cold, hard stare. All the couples in this film are wimps and suffer from severe cases of reticence.

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[–] SenoritaTorres 8 years ago

Yes, I agree with that. I would not stand by and let some little tart dance with my husband and flirt with him right under my nose.

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[–] beijingpearl2003 8 years ago

All those years married and all he'd ever given her was a scarf--that was the 'usual' gift--she said, even with the CD, it was the FIRST PERSONAL--well thought out gift--he'd ever given her...an that is pretty *beep* sad. I always cry when she first realizes what has happened and stands there in the hall, sobbing....and yet, as a wife, I listen to their conversation and it is apparent that she has ALLOWED him to get by with his half-ass *beep* gifts that could go to any female on the street, ALLOWED him to dance with this tart right in front of her. Yeah, in a perfect world your husband would understand your needs, make you feel good about yourself, choose gifts carefully making them what YOU want, not some crap he puts NO effort into at all. I learned a long time ago that if you want that kind of thing, and you start out with a basically good guy, you have to open your freakin' mouth and tell them what you like, what you want--IN bed and OUT of bed. She was too busy being super mom, too busy disparaging herself, to KNOW who she was, to let him know too. So, sad as the situation is, she has had a hand in letting him neglect her.

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

A fancy bauble that costs 200 quid versus a cd that probably cost £10 at the most? Come now, you can't be so naive that you really think any wife would be delighted to receive a 10 quid cd while her husband's girlfriend got a £200 necklace?

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[–] malmborgimplano-92-599820 8 years ago

He might rationalize it that way. But she knows exactly what it means. It means "you're worth about a pence to the pound compared to my new sidepiece and you don't even know it, you silly old bag." Richard Curtis may think they'll make it up and live happily ever after, but that's not going to happen. She is either going to get tired of living with this selfish, inconsiderate oaf and dump him or he's going to end up with another woman who isn't satisfied with a bangle and wants his whole paycheck.

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[–] Butterfly041532 8 years ago

I thought the necklace was absolutely hideous, anyway.

I did too! I don't know what either the wife or the mistress were so stoked about.

I'm erasing you and I'm happy!

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[–] yijinim 8 years ago

I think perhaps that was the point of the necklace. Karen and Mia were not competing for something pretty; they were wanting something hideous (or something plain and not worth the price in my point of view) under the belief that it was desirable, each because Karen thought it was rightfully hers and Mia thought she wanted it even before she knew what it would be.

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

if it was me, i'd be wondering how often I'd have to wear it not to offend him. but I still would be pissed to find he'd bought an expensive trinket for another woman. Better to get a necklace you don't like, than knowing he was spending all that money on his tart.

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[–] FattyMcButterpants 8 years ago

Rickman's wife was snooping in his pockets prior to Christmas and didn't see the necklace. Why would she assume that she wasn't going to get the gift on Christmas morning?

I've actually made this point a few times over the years on this board, I think it's one of the writing flaws in the movie quite honestly. My point has always been that she completely overreacted at that particular moment of not receiving the necklace, because as you said, it could have totally still been coming to her on Christmas. This was everyone opening one present early, not all of their presents.

So Emma Thompson picks the present she THINKS is the necklace, and is crushed when it isnt. Well duh, maybe you picked the wrong present! Maybe the necklace was a big surprise he was planning to give on Christmas Day. Clearly the necklace box and the CD box were similar size, so it would be easy to make the mistake.

The point is, she had no reason to believe at THAT time the necklace wasnt coming, because she had already seen it! Now, had Christmas Day passed and still no necklace, her reaction would have made more sense. But not on an early present before Christmas. There was still plenty of time for her to get that necklace. I dont think she would just fall to pieces that fast.

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

I would assume that there was only one present for her of the right size to be the necklace. and then he told her he'd bought her a scarf as well, which suggests there is no necklace coming.

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[–] dmfreck 8 years ago

Thanks for saying what I wanted to say better than I did. I think if she'd opened all of her presents on Christmas Day and not received the necklace then that scene / reaction is warranted. It just came too early in the script.

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

there obviously isn't another present of the right size to be the necklace. and it has to be before Christmas so you get the whole drama at the school play thing. Not that they have school plays on Christmas Eve, but realism isn't a feature of tjis film.

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[–] Thomasina 8 years ago

My point has always been that she completely overreacted at that particular moment of not receiving the necklace, because as you said, it could have totally still been coming to her on Christmas. This was everyone opening one present early, not all of their presents.

But she can see all of the other presents under the tree, and none of them are the one she saw when she "snooped." Therefore she knows (or strongly suspects, which emotionally is the same thing) that the necklace has gone to the woman she already suspected wanted to have an affair with her husband.

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[–] whoiamnow 8 years ago

Womanly intuition. Sometimes you just know. I did.

(Go to a review board if you don't want spoilers. This is a DISCUSSION board.)

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[–] sbirdconliff 7 years ago

I agree.

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[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pepetoony (1549) 4 years ago

Also, we're supposed to believe the kids went ahead and opened all of their presents behind her back while she was up in her bedroom crying (rude!) and then had ample time to get ready to leave for the school play? Sure, Jan.

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