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Spoiler Alert: The Real Story Behind the Ending of ‘Notting Hill’

You’ve probably seen the classic romantic comedy film Notting Hill. It is a great film with a great cast, storyline, and memorable moments.

It’s the charming story of a shy Englishman who falls in love with a Hollywood actress who chances into his bookshop. The actress is played by Julia Roberts and the bookshop owner was played by Hugh Grant – who was at his prime as a heartthrob.

The ending of the film does leave us puzzled. We wonder if Will and Anna are going to remain together forever.

Let’s have a deeper look.

Contents hide

1 The Ending of Notting Hill

1.1 The Dinner

1.2 The Awe of Hugh Grant

1.3 The Bookshop

1.4 The Verdict?

2 An Unlikely Romance

The Ending of Notting Hill

Like any great romantic comedy, the couple gets together and lives happily ever after. We do wonder about whether or not this relationship will last. After all, the backgrounds of the two characters are so different.

We cannot know unless a sequel comes along. Richard Curtis, the screenwriter, has considered the possibility – though director Roger Michell is unsure if it will work.

But let’s have a look at the film and try to figure this out.

The Dinner

The famous dinner scene shows the Hollywood actress Anna enjoying dinner with Will and his ‘normal’ friends. While Richard Curtis struggled with writing this scene, Julia Roberts felt it was a very likely scenario.

She felt that the way it played out – and it is one of the best parts of the movie – was realistic.

Perhaps this is one indication that Anna and Will can live a normal life together.

In fact, there is a real-life parallel to Julia Roberts’ life. She has been married to a photographer, Danny Moder, who is not a celebrity, for almost 20 years.

The Awe of Hugh Grant

While we admire Prince William and Kate Middleton, the combination of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant became iconic.

While Roberts was a huge star – much like her character, Hugh Grant was still relatively unknown, like his character. However, Roberts automatically fell in love with Grant’s charm and knew he would be a perfect choice.

She enjoyed working with him and their chemistry as actors show up on the screen. It would not be inevitable that we see a sequel where we can imagine the two of them still together. Luckily, neither of the stars is hated.

The Bookshop

The bookshop in Notting Hill still stands to this day. Whether the bookshop would survive the relationship has left fans of the film puzzled. But the fact that it stands there in reality, does open the possibility that Will and Anna are still together.

The bookshop is still frequented by many fans of the film. It remains an iconic image of a classic romantic comedy.

The Verdict?

The film Notting Hill was inspired by Tom Waits’ rendition of Downtown Train. Perhaps more listening to this song or another great song will inspire Richard Curtis to write a great sequel.

We don’t know for sure how Will and Anna have turned out. But we can be sure that their love can last.