It is 1999. A floppy-haired Brit with a stuttering charm meets the most famous woman in the world in a travel bookshop. She buys a book about Turkey. He spills orange juice on her. It’s the kind of premise that sounds like it was cooked up by an AI in a lab—or at least by someone who had seen Roman Holiday one too many times—but somehow, Notting Hill became a cultural juggernaut.
Honestly, the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movie shouldn't have been this successful. On paper, it’s a bit of a "terrible lie," as Hugh Grant himself later joked. It’s a fairy tale for lonely men and a high-fashion fantasy for everyone else. Yet, over twenty-five years later, we are still talking about it. We still quote the "just a girl" line. We still visit that blue door in West London.
What most people get wrong about this movie is that they think it’s just a sweet romance. It’s actually kinda cynical. It’s about the crushing weight of fame and how it turns people into "pieces of work," as some critics at the time pointed out. Julia Roberts wasn’t just playing herself; she was playing a version of herself that she apparently loathed at times.
The Secret Origin of the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant Movie
Richard Curtis, the king of the British rom-com, didn’t find inspiration at a red carpet premiere. He got the idea while lying awake in bed. He wondered: what would happen if I turned up to my friend’s house for dinner with the most famous person on the planet?
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He imagined the awkwardness. The silence. The way his friends—who are normal, slightly messy people—would react. That’s why the dinner party scene at Max and Bella’s house feels so real. It’s the heart of the movie. You have these middle-class Londoners trying to act cool while a Hollywood goddess sits at their table eating mediocre brownies.
Why Julia Roberts almost said no
Roberts was actually "unimpressed" when she first heard the pitch. A movie about a movie star? It sounded boring. It felt meta in a way that wasn't particularly appealing. But when she read the script, the rhythm of the dialogue hooked her. Still, she found the character of Anna Scott incredibly uncomfortable to play.
She once told British Vogue that playing a movie actress was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. "I didn't even know how to play that person," she said. It’s ironic, right? The world’s biggest star struggling to play a star.
- The Outfit Choice: That famous outfit she wears in the final "I'm just a girl" scene? It wasn't from the wardrobe department. Julia hated the clothes they picked for her. She sent her driver back to her flat to grab her own stuff: flip-flops, a blue velvet skirt, and a cardigan. That’s her real-life closet you’re looking at.
- The Line She Hated: Roberts also reportedly hated the line where she quotes Rita Hayworth: "They go to bed with Gilda, they wake up with me." She thought it was "nails on a chalkboard."
Hugh Grant and the Art of the "Floppy" Performance
Hugh Grant was the only choice for William Thacker. Duncan Kenworthy, the producer, basically said Hugh is the only one who can speak Richard Curtis’s lines with the right "inner rhythm."
But Grant wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine on set. He famously complained about Roberts's voice, saying it was "significantly lower" than his. He was nervous, so his voice went up an octave. He also reportedly had a bit of a "thing" about the size of her mouth—a joke he’s repeated in interviews for years. It’s that classic British self-deprecation mixed with a bit of a mean streak that makes his performance work. William Thacker isn't just a "nice guy." He’s a bit of a pushover, a bit of a coward, and deeply lonely.
Spike: The Breakout
We can't talk about the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movie without mentioning Rhys Ifans as Spike. He was the chaotic neutral energy the film needed. Ifans apparently went "method" for the role, which mostly involved not washing and camping in a tent near Shepperton Studios because he couldn't be bothered to commute from London.
His performance balances the sweetness. When the movie gets too sugary, Spike shows up in his underwear to remind you that life is mostly a mess.
What Really Happened with the Filming Locations
If you go to Notting Hill today, it’s a billionaire’s playground. In 1999, it was already getting expensive, but the movie accelerated the gentrification like a rocket.
The "Travel Bookshop" at 142 Portobello Road was actually an antiques arcade during filming. It’s now a gift shop that sells Notting Hill keychains. The real inspiration was The Notting Hill Bookshop on Blenheim Crescent.
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Then there's the blue door. 280 Westbourne Park Road. It was actually Richard Curtis’s house. He sold it after the movie, and the new owners got so sick of tourists scratching their names into the door that they auctioned it off and replaced it with a black one. Eventually, they (or the subsequent owners) painted it blue again because, honestly, you can’t fight the fans.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Connection
The producers wanted to film a massive "fake" premiere in Leicester Square. The police said no. Why? Because the month before, Leonardo DiCaprio had been there for a premiere and the fans had caused such a riot that the cops weren't willing to risk it again for a movie about a movie. They eventually got it done by using some clever health and safety loopholes, but it was a massive headache.
Why We Still Care About Notting Hill
Is it realistic? No.
Is it a "terrible lie"? Maybe.
But it works because it taps into a very specific type of vulnerability. When Anna Scott says she’s just a girl asking a boy to love her, she’s stripping away the millions of dollars and the paparazzi. It’s a moment of radical honesty in a world of artifice.
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The Movie's Legacy
- Box Office: It made over $360 million on a $42 million budget.
- The Soundtrack: Elvis Costello’s cover of "She" became an instant classic, even though it was a last-minute addition to the opening credits.
- The "Sequel": Hugh Grant once pitched a sequel idea where he and Julia get a "hideous divorce" with expensive lawyers and a "tug of love" over the kids.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning a rewatch or a trip to London, here is how to experience the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movie properly:
- Visit the real shop: Skip the gift shop on Portobello and go to The Notting Hill Bookshop on Blenheim Crescent for the actual vibe.
- Look for the bench: The bench from the final scene isn't in Rosmead Gardens anymore. It was actually moved to a park in Perth, Australia, after being bought by a resident there.
- Watch the background: Keep an eye out for the "Horse and Hound" bit. It’s a sharp satire of the junket circuit that Roberts was living through in real time.
- Check out the book: At the very end, William is reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. This was a nod to director Roger Michell’s next planned project (which he eventually had to drop out of due to health issues).
Ultimately, Notting Hill isn't a masterpiece of gritty realism. It's a high-gloss, expertly written comfort watch. It reminds us that even if you're the most famous person in the world, you're still probably a bit of a disaster behind closed doors. And if you're a guy who owns a failing travel bookshop, well, there’s always a chance Julia Roberts might walk through the door.
Probably not, though. But we can dream.