Mindy Kaling’s new Hulu series may not be a direct adaptation of the 1994 movie it’s named for, but the show’s DNA is rooted in the tradition of romantic comedies from the minds of people like Richard Curtis, who has created some of our favorite love stories. Kaling is a self-proclaimed rom-com obsessive, so when writing a series set in London, it would be insane for her not to include some easter eggs referencing some of the best romantic comedies to from across the pond. Here are the most memorable moments from the first four episodes that pay tribute to all the romance that came before.
1.
I feel it in my fingers…
Universal Pictures / Via giphy.com
Why am I even surprised that the first thing this series gives us is a Love Actually reference? It’s the essential London-set rom-com written by Richard Curtis, who also penned the original Four Weddings and a Funeral. The first song we hear is “Love is all Around” by The Troggs, which is the same song that Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) re-records with a Christmas twist in Love Actually’s opening scene.
2.
Notting Hill
Universal Pictures / Via giphy.com
Just four minutes into the pilot episode, we’re introduced to two of the main characters walking on the street of a picturesque London neighborhood. An information sign in the background confirms that they are in none other than Notting Hill, an area synonymous with romance ever since Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts fell in love there in yet another Richard Curtis flick.
3.
Cue more rom-com tunes!
Fox Searchlight
This show is hitting us hard with some music cue nostalgia! Later in the pilot, “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates comes on. The song was most memorably used in 500 Days of Summer, yet another romantic comedy obsessed with the genre.
4.
That costume party…
The pilot’s pivotal scene is a costume party for Ainsley’s birthday where the theme is, you guessed it! Rom coms. We have some fun choices from the four main friends, dressing up as characters from Love and Basketball, Princess Bride, and Say Anything. That beautiful blue dress from Crazy Rich Asians even makes it into the mix, which, worn by the poshest couple in the group, simultaneously welcomes that movie into the rom-com cannon and seems like a joke about cultural appropriation. The background of this scene is scattered with Cher Horowitzes and even the La La Land couple makes an appearance.
Bonus: did you notice Craig’s costume?
Miramax
Zara came to the party as Ella Enchanted, which instantly put her in my favor, but what put her boyfriend Craig even higher up on my list was his choice to go not as the swoon-inducing Prince Char, but the delightfully evil villain of the film, Sir Edgar. Learning what everyone chose to dress up as was a great way to introduce us to these characters, and that joke takes the cake.
5.
That’s 2 points for “Love Actually”.
Universal Pictures
When Maya arrives at Heathrow Airport off the heels of her break up, Ainsley is there to greet her with a stack of cards that she flips to reveal loving messages to her grieving friend. When Mark (Andrew Lincoln) does this to profess his love to Juliet (Kiera Knightly) towards the end of Love Actually, it famously lands as unsettling and vaguely creepy, seeing as her husband (and his best friend) is in the next room. Needless to say, I’m happy this stunt was reclaimed for good.
6.
Ok, enough with the “Love Actually” already!
Universal Pictures / Via giphy.com
One of Love Actually’s first scenes, the best man at a wedding surprises the bride and groom with a live rendition of “All You Need is Love,” by the church gospel choir. What would Four Wedding and a Funeral’s first wedding scene be without the same gag, when bridesmaid Gemma starts belting out “For Once In My Life” and brings in a gospel choir to back her up. They really can’t let this movie go! But to be fair, neither can we.
7.
A nod to the OG rom-com queen, Jane Austen.
“The English don’t really do theme parties, unless the theme is simmering class conflict in which that’s every party.” This quip introduces us to Gemma, setting her up as our prim, proper, and passive aggressive model for all things British for the diverse American friends this show centers around. Her concern with keeping up appearances, attempts to control the dynamics between her friends, and apparent affinity for writing letters in script with a fountain pen makes her seem like she’s straight out of a Jane Austen novel. Switch Gemma for Emma and it’s clear that her antics are definitely a nod to the classic stories that provide the formula for most of our favorite rom coms.
8.
The one, the only, Andie MacDowell!
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
We saw this easter egg coming when the show’s trailer dropped, but it’s still so exciting to see the Four Wedding and a Funeral’s original romantic lead share the screen with the show’s new cast.
9.
That funeral scene
The most moving scene of the 1994 original film is Gareth’s funeral, in which his lover, Matthew, recites the poem “Funeral Blues” written by W.H. Auden. The overly traditional funeral that Gemma’s in-laws insist on arranging for her late husband opens with the reading of another poem. It’s a much drier one supposedly written by a poet the family is descended from, which is why after this slight reference it’s a relief that Gemma interrupts the ceremony with something a little more modern.
10.
A kiss in the rain
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment / Via giphy.com
Is it classic or overused? Does it matter if it makes us swoon every damn time? A climactic smooch appears in the original Four Weddings, but that’s not the only movie that thinks getting soaked for a kiss is an endlessly romantic gesture. From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to The Notebook to Pride & Prejudice…the list goes on.