The formula for a romantic comedy goes something like this: boy meets girl, boy loves girl, boy then loses girl, and boy wins back girl. “Notting Hill,” which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, does not stray far from this path. Yet, the rom-com starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant elects to take the long road — one with peaks and valleys — before reaching its inevitable conclusion.
Directed by Roger Michell, “Notting Hill” is a rom-com about star-crossed lovers from different worlds. Yet, it’s neither Romeo and Juliet nor someone from the wrong side of the tracks. “Notting Hill” is about a normal guy and a Hollywood star falling in love.
Can an average Joe and A-list celebrity make it work despite their lifestyle differences? Frankly, it’s a dream scenario, something we’ve all thought of at one point or another. As a kid, I always envisioned myself winding up with Amy Jo Johnson’s Pink Ranger from “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” Yet, it could never work because of the age gap and my lack of superhero powers.
To quote Barry Keoghan , “Well, there goes that dream.” Like many romantic comedies, “Notting Hill” begins with a meet-cute between Anna Scott (Roberts), the most famous woman on the planet, and William Thacker (Grant), a recently divorced bookstore owner. The two poke fun at an odd customer, and William does his best to keep it cool, despite nervously blabbering about kebabs and books.
Anna clearly appreciates his attempt to t.