As the winter season approaches, and Christmas draws near, the 2003 romantic comedy “Love Actually” becomes a staple on many people’s television screens.

However, nearly two decades after its release, the film has faced criticism for its lack of diversity and outdated storylines.

Richard Curtis, the writer and director of the movie, recently acknowledged the shortcomings, stating, “There were things you’d change, but thank God society is changing. So, my film is bound, in some moments, to feel out of date.”

Curtis made these remarks in a documentary on ABC News titled “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later.”

The film features multiple storylines that follow various romantic relationships, but it has been criticized for its lack of diversity, with most of the leading cast being white and all the relationships depicted being heterosexual.

Curtis expressed discomfort with the lack of diversity in the film, saying, “The lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid.” He also pointed out that there are three plots that feature bosses and their employees.

The movie boasts an impressive cast, including Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Despite its shortcomings, “Love Actually” remains a beloved holiday classic, with many fans continuing to watch it every year.

Bill Nighy, who starred in the film, said in the ABC News documentary, “It’s amazing the way it’s entered the language.”

He recalled people approaching him, saying, “It got me through my chemotherapy,” or “it got me through my divorce,” or “I watch it whenever I’m alone.” He added, “And people do, and people have ‘Love Actually’ parties.”

Emma Thompson, who also starred in the film, explained why she thinks “Love Actually” has remained popular, saying, “Because I think that we forget, time and time again we forget, that love is all that matters.”

Richard Curtis has written several other successful romantic comedies, including “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill,” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

Notably, “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” released in 1994, featured a same-sex relationship between Matthew, played by John Hannah, and Gareth, played by Simon Callow.

In a 2008 article for the Guardian, Callow wrote, “It almost defies belief, but in the months after the release of the film, I received a number of letters from apparently intelligent, articulate members of the public saying that they had never realised, until seeing the film, that gay people had emotions like normal people.”