I realize I’m going to lose a lot of credibility points on this one, but f–k it!  Yes, this is hopelessly contrived.  Yes, it inspired a horrendously insipid genre of all-star casts falling in love around the holidays.  But this is one of my all-time favorite films and one that always brings a smile to my face.  This is probably my biggest guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel that guilty about it.  There’s terrific acting (especially by Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, and Laura Linney), a smart script, and is one of those movies that genuinely tries to make you feel good … and succeeds.   Next to “A Christmas Story” and “Bad Santa,” this is my all-time favorite Christmas film.

For penance, I tried finding a link to the parody that “30 Rock” did for their own version of “Love Actually”:  “Martin Luther King Day” … but alas, this no longer available in good quality on the net.