Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones), Colin Firth (Mark Darcy), Hugh Grant (Daniel Cleaver), Gemma Jones (Bridget’s Mum), Jim Broadbent (Bridget’s Dad)
It’s rough being a singleton in your thirties. Dinners with smug marrieds, holiday parties with relatives who want to know how your “love life” is faring, drunken karaoke at the office—just a year in the life of Bridget Jones. Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996) was first a novel, written in diary form, in which the title character documents her weight, number of cigarettes smoked, and alcohol units imbibed all while searching for love. This was one instance (a rare one) where I read the book before seeing the film. When Renée Zellweger secured the coveted role, Bridget Jones fans worldwide wondered if an American could do Bridget justice. Before the film was released, much was made of the 25 pounds Renée put on for the role. In my opinion, Zellweger never looked better!
I saw the film on opening night in a packed theater—and I loved it. Renée exceeded my expectations. She was not only pitch perfect with her accent, but was absolutely adorable. Colin Firth as Mark Darcy is a stroke of genius—it was also a nod to his iconic performance as Mr. Darcy in the BBC television mini-series of Pride and Prejudice (1995). Bridget Jones’s Diary is in part inspired by Pride and Prejudice, and Colin Firth’s performance as Mr. Darcy is mentioned in the novel Bridget Jones’s Diary. And then there’s Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver—in my opinion the role he was born to play. Grant, a romantic comedy staple of the nineties, typically played the reserved handsome goody two shoes Mr. Right—but in Jones’s he appears to relish the opportunity to play a devilish cad.
Author Helen Fielding did write a sequel: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2001), and the film adaptation was released a few years later. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) is not nearly as good as Bridget Jones’s Diary, but if you’re a completest like me you will want to see it. Currently IMDB is showing an upcoming Bridget Jones’s Baby without a release date—but I know whenever it comes out I will be in line to see it. Bridget is one of my all-time favorite single girl heroines—she’s not perfect, but I love her just the way she is!
If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Jerry Maguire (1996)