Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

After finding love, Bridget Jones questions if she really has everything she's dreamed of having.

Director:

Beeban Kidron

Writers:

Helen Fielding (novel), Andrew Davies (screenplay),

Stars:

Renée Zellweger, Gemma Jones, Colin Firth

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Renée Zellweger	...	Bridget Jones
Gemma Jones	...	Mum
Jim Broadbent	...	Dad
James Faulkner	...	Uncle Geoffrey
Celia Imrie	...	Una Alconbury
Dominic McHale	...	Bernard
Colin Firth	...	Mark Darcy
Donald Douglas	...	Admiral Darcy
Shirley Dixon	...	Mrs. Darcy
Neil Pearson	...	Richard Finch
Rosalind Halstead	...	Receptionist
Luis Soto	...	Mexican Ambassador
Tom Brooke	...	Production Assistant
Hugh Grant	...	Daniel Cleaver
Alba Fleming Furlan	...	Girl in Rome

Storyline

The story picks up four weeks after the first film, and already Bridget Jones is becoming uncomfortable in her relationship with Mark Darcy. Apart from discovering that he's a conservative voter, she has to deal with a new boss, strange contractor, and the worst vacation of her life.

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Plot Keywords:

love | prison | thailand | intern | old flame | 

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Taglines:

Same Bridget. Brand new diary.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official Site (International)

Country:

UK France Germany Ireland USA

Language:

English German Thai

Release Date:

19 November 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bridget Jones: L'âge de raison

Filming Locations:

Aldbury, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$652,772 (Japan) (18 March 2005)

Gross:

$4,258,523 (Japan) (15 April 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Miramax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the book, Bridget Jones is obsessed by the actor Colin Firth from the BBC TV series Pride and Prejudice, and even gets to meet him for an interview. This plot-line is omitted from the film, where Firth actually plays her love interest Mark Darcy. They did, however, film the interview scene with Colin dressed in his street clothes, and Renée Zellweger in character. The scene is included in the DVD extras.

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Goofs

During the skydiving scene when Bridget is under canopy she is seen holding a Metal D Handle in her right hand. Metal D handles are only used for the reserve parachute, the reserve D handle is still clearly in place on her left webbing. The parachute deployed is clearly a main parachute deployed using a BOC hand deploy pilot chute - not a rip cord.

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Quotes

Bridget Jones: He must still love me!

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Connections

Spoofs Bangkok Hilton (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Crazy in Love"
(Carter/Harrison/Knowles/Record)
Performed by Beyoncé Knowles (as Beyoncé)
Courtesy of Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd
Contains a sample of "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)"
Recorded by The Chi-Lites
Courtesy of Brunswick Record Corp

User Reviews

Bridget Jones new diary not much to write about

Oh the expectations are high and the studio is bumping up the release date but what about the film? In the case of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, it was inevitable that the freshness and sheer pleasure of a funny, heartfelt love story of Bridget Jones's Diary, would be a hard act to top much less follow. While entertaining in its own way and filled with enough charm and wit to keep things moving and interesting, it is a step down for the Helen Fielding heroine. No Oscar nominations are forthcoming this time.

Not a couple months have passed as our favorite British journalist (played with gusto by Renee Zellweger) is dating her dream beau, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth returns as a noble steed). Slowly, our Bridget notices a young female clinging to her man on a regular basis, and with life full of its insecurities, doubts and suspicions are thus born. Enter handsome Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant is as dashing as ever) who wants to rekindle an earlier romance with Bridget who wonders if he has mended his philandering ways. That pretty well sums up the main storyline. There are a few other minor story threads such as Bridget's parents getting remarried, but they are few and far between.

Zellweger is always appealing even as an overweight, accident-prone romantic. Fans may be a bit startled to see her appearance after a few years of terrific performances in slimmed down roles. Firth, who was handpicked by author Fielding, duplicates his steady, straightlaced lawyer while Grant spices the sexual scenery with his bad boy ways. You will recognize returning supporting characters from before including James Broadbent as Bridget's dad, a role that is minimal at best.

While the screenplay has some nice bits of dialogue and one-liners, the whole thing just doesn't come together as a satisfying whole. There are no real surprises here in the story even though it contains a couple of mild shocks in plot line. The direction is not as crisp as before-this time Beeban Kidron(Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar) takes the helm in not quite inspired fashion. Where is original director, Sharon Maguire? Maybe frequent scribe Richard Curtis would have been perfect. Just one of his story lines in Love Actually is as good as or better than anything in Edge of Reason.

Perhaps the biggest problem with this film is that it is a chore to find anything truly engaging or to feel any sympathy and concern for Zellweger's character. In addition, there was an absence of really funny situations without seeming to be contrived. Maybe that's being picky, but that's the level of satisfaction Bridget Jones's original incarnation has engendered.