Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) User Reviews

ridiculously hilarious

[colourblinded · 8/10 · 5 April 2001]

Being a long time fan of the BJD books (three years and counting), I had nothing but high hopes for the movie version. I was lucky enough to get into a sneak preview last night, and I was not disappointed. The movie, like the book, has the most hilarious lines and moments, and each of the actors portrayed their characters so well you couldn't imagine anyone else in that part. Renee Zellweger IS Bridget, there is just no arguing it. No other actress could have pulled off what Renee did in this movie. Hugh Grant makes for an excellent Daniel, who is completely two faced and has a smarmy sort of charm that makes you want him just as badly as Bridget does. Colin Firth is a superb Mark Darcy, but that was a given because the character was practically written with him in mind - as all avid BJD readers know, Mark Darcy's character is a play on the Mr. Darcy Firth portrayed in Pride and Prejudice.

Some of the more hardcore fans of the book may be disappointed with all the missing jokes and scenes, but to film the entire book would have left us with a 10 hour movie. The writers did an excellent job distilling the essence of the novel, and the finished product has all the charm and wit of the original. The audience, many of whom I'm sure have never read the book (and many of whom, surprisingly, were male), laughed nonstop throughout the film, and everyone seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. As for those of us who have read it, I do believe that this is one of those rare book-to-movie jobs that was really spot-on, and everything that was noticeably changed in the process only makes the movie better. So go see it, it's hands-down one of the best movies of 2001 so far.

Horror fan watched this chick flick and enjoyed it

[Stevieboy666 · 7/10 · 10 August 2019]

I can remember when this came out and a girl that I was dating at the time suggested I watch it. Me?? A die-hard horror geek!! Nah!! Fast forward 18 years and last night me and my girlfriend sat down together and watched it. And it was really good. Granted, I wouldn't have chosen to watch this by myself, but if you're looking for a charming, date movie then look no further. Predictable and basic but it does have a nice plot none the less, and many times we were laughing out loud. Very well acted and produced. I would, however, like to point out that very few Brits speak posh like they do here, and that snow is quite rare in England at Xmas (unless you're on top of a mountain!) Looking forward to seeing the sequel

Quality!

[darth_sidious · 23 December 2001]

What made this film work? What made this film break the usual British romantic conventional route? One actress! Her name is Renee Zellwegger, seriously, if the actress was British, this film would've been -'been there, done that'. Instead, this clever casting has made Bridget Jones a wonderful little picture.

Renee Zellwegger is an actress who changed to suit the screenplay, now that is ACTING! Her mannerisms, her weight, her enthusiasm and cutesy style are a wonder to behold.

Colin Firth does a great job, he plays his role well, a future James Bond perhaps? Hugh Grant finally gives us something different, he was actually quite funny at times.

Maguire as the director handles the proceedings extremely well, this is her debut and I think she will become quite successful with small films. The Super35 wide-screen frame is used well, bravo! The screenplay is lightweight, but written well, plenty of ad-lib and spontaneity transcend the script.

As a male, sit back and have a laugh. Quality!

One of the most charming romantic comedies in a while

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 14 April 2001]

Bridget Jones's Diary actually gave some laughs, and for that alone gives this film reccomendation, since so few romantic comedies now adays (outside of the classic Woody Allen flick) deliver laughs WITH corny plot twists.

Renee Zellwegger is as charming as she was in Jerry Maguire and Nurse Betty (though Nurse Betty has her best work) as a British woman who has some low self esteem about herself- she drinks, smokes, and eats too much, and has trouble staying away from bad boyfriends. In the movie, it focuses on her relationships with Colin Firfth, a honest British lawyer, and Hugh Grant who is a coniving yet charming scoundrel.

Some of the movie might be a tad too over-conventional for some tastes (at times it was for me), but the film delivers enough surprises and good feelings (lame for me to say that isn't it) that it should make for a good date movie that the guy might not hate with all his being. A-

Disappointing, really...

[Kiwi-7 · 6/10 · 15 August 2001]

I think I must have different contact lenses from the other people who've commented on this film. Either that, or I saw a different film.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

First of all, I have to say that I found this a mildly amusing film with some good moments that made me laugh out loud.

I also have to agree that Renee Zellweger does a fantastic job playing Bridget Jones: she's plain, gawky, funny, warm, sincere, and a real twit all at the same time. That said, I confess it took me a little while to warm to her character, partly because Bridget is such a twit. I mean, she's 32 years old and she doesn't have a clue how to fix a meal for friends? She automatically assumes that first-date sex is inevitable even before a relationship begins (hence the underwear angst)? She cannot string two words together without babbling?

I guess the thing that bothers me the most about this film, though, and people's glowing reactions to it, is wondering what Bridget and Mark are going to talk about from now on. I mean, he's a top barrister with education, money, social standing, and a variety of interests, humanitarian and otherwise. Bridget, on the other hand, seems to have no interests, other than drinking, smoking, feeling sorry for herself, and catching a man. She's not intelligent, well-educated, committed to anything, or even with the prospect of being a viable, supporting housewife. At least with Daniel, cad though he clearly is, [I muse cynically here] she had fun--and so did Daniel. Fun and Darcy don't actually go in the same sentence! In the end, I thought she ended up with the wrong man.

I walked out of the movie theater a bit disappointed. I'd heard lots of good things about this film, and although it has some good moments and some funny lines, and Zellweger's acting is commendable, I thought the film just didn't live up to expectations.

Not a hardcore chick-flick

[MetaLark · 9/10 · 30 October 2001]

Speaking as one familiar with "Pride and Prejudice"--the book and the 1995 miniseries upon which this work is loosely based--I like this spunky little movie exceedingly well, just as it is. Do not be put off by superficial comparisons to "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill," both shallow and pretentious movies memorable only for one fine eulogy and some physically beautiful protagonists. "Bridget Jones's Diary" is more.

Bridget Jones is, as its soundtrack suggests, "Everywoman." Every woman who has ever fumbled for words, fallen on her face, been embarrassed by her mother, chosen her underwear carefully, picked a cad for a boyfriend--whether she's a thirty-something singleton or a sixty-something grandma--can identify with Bridget on some level. You can't help pulling for her. Cheering her on is cheering yourself on.

But this chick-flick is not hardcore; it has a broad sense of humor. Male viewers have been caught in the act--smirking. There is even a fistfight to warm insensitive martial hearts. A couple of famous people make appearances here, too--one with a million-dollar price on his head--Salman Rushdie, who plays himself in a wryly irreverent little sequence.

It's easy to miss the movie's charm on the first screening--some very good lines are swallowed at the ends; the gratuitous profanity, casual sex, prodigious smoking and drinking are turn-offs; the heroine is an awkward, fleshy woman with reprehensible fashion taste, and one may easily posit that she ended up with an unsuitable and unlikely mate.

But I contend, after a second viewing, that this movie is a little gem. There is a wonderful economy in the editing; every scene, every action tends toward only one possible conclusion, a PERFECT conclusion. And the childhood clips in the ending credits give credence to that conclusion and provide support for it--which is that the hero and heroine are made for each other.

I rate it a solid 9 (with a 10 for the BBC/1995 "Pride and Prejudice").

* * * * S P O I L E R S A H E A D * * * *

At first glance, Miss Jones seems stupid and inept and the last woman in the world one would pick for the intelligent and successful Mr. Darcy. But consider this: Darcy already had "a clever wife" before--bliss must needs be sought elsewhere. Besides, Bridget, though somewhat gauche, is not unintelligent, as evidenced by her voiceovers and some of her sallies. But most of all this: Each has something the other needs--he is steady and reliable, she possesses liveliness and warmth. Notice the wistful look on Darcy's face as he watches Bridget and Cleaver cavorting on the river. He WANTS some nonsense and indecorum in his life--needs them; she would be his savior. Imagine Darcy's life if he had settled on the competent but priggish Natasha--both parties would have stagnated. Imagine if Bridget had surrendered to the charms of a Daniel Cleaver--fun for the nonce, but misery for the long haul.

No, this ending is perfect in every way, down to the last delightful epithet uttered by an aroused Darcy. And oh yes, the kiss--very promising indeed; at once tender and ardent, it leaves one with the distinct impression that Darcy will be something more than "helpful in the kitchen."

Star rating: 4 out of 5

[jennifer_litchfield · 7/10 · 27 December 2002]

Bridget Jones's Diary is a surprisingly good movie. Detractors who deride it for its admittedly minimalist plot miss the point - this is a film that shows life without the layers of artificiality favoured by directors (resulting in movies somehow removed from the realm of the everyday in which us mere mortals dwell). Life is frequently aimless and trivial; and therein lies the movie's attraction. Notwithstanding of course that this is a very funny and highly original comedy.

Bridget (played with considerable aplomb by Renee Zellweger) belongs to the ranks of that modern phenomenon - the over-30, unmarried career woman. Just when it seems Bridget may be destined for terminal spinster-hood, two opposing forces enter her life - charming cad Daniel, and uptight (but very sexy) lawyer Mark. Which of the two is her Mr. Right? And why does everyone insist on asking that question detested by all singletons - "How's your love life going?" The movie's conclusion is predictable, and although any other ending would leave the audience feeling cheated, it does seem somewhat tame and ultimately unsatisfying.

The film encourages the viewer both to get involved with Bridget emotionally and to laugh at her at the same time. Perhaps the best joke is the milieu inhabited by her parents - where the mini-gherkin is the height of sophistication, and 60-year-olds throw garden parties with such alarming themes as 'tarts and vicars'. Bridget is certainly no social butterfly, and whilst we cringe at her public embarrassments (notably her TV report involving a fireman's pole and a bottom the size of Brazil), we triumph with her when she manages to turn a bad situation to her advantage. Maybe we can recognise a little bit of Bridget Jones in all of us.

My favorite Romantic Comedy

[Critic2017B · 10/10 · 1 June 2005]

This film I only discovered fairly recently, and just absolutely fell in love with it. It sure seemed familiar and lo and behold then I read about the Pride and Prejudice connection and then it all made complete sense.

This is such a charming, lovely homage to Pride and Prejudice. The three lead characters are just perfect. It is funny, sweet at times, sad at others, and just wonderfully sexy and v. romantic (especially the last 1/4th of it).

Renee is so extraordinary as Bridget Jones, who would have ever thought she could play so believable a modern Brit woman so well. Her accent seems flawless to me. Hugh Grant is hilarious and a charming Lothario throughout. But Colin Firth is who really sold me on this film. His ability to play a guy that you start out not liking but drooling over by the end of the movie is sublime.

I am a big fan of the less is more style of acting that Mr. Firth puts forth in this film...much of his performance is in his eyes and his facial expressions. While Daniel (Mr. Grant's character) chatters on and on and tries to charm with his wit and words, Mark Darcy (Mr. Firth's character) just has a strong and rather silent presence along with an integrity of character that is revealed and he wins us over (as well as Bridget).

This movie has a lot going on outside of the wonderful romance as well. Contemporary events, gender inequities, social differences, work place decorum, fashion, self-image, sex, family, and friendship all come under the scrutiny of Bridget Jones and her diary.

This is a very good adaptation of a beloved novel. The tone, scene selection, dialogue and characters capture the essence of what fans of the book love about it. I cannot imagine it any better cast or written.

Over-Rated But Enjoyable

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 18 May 2002]

After all the hype this movie received when it was released, I was almost expecting to find a comedic masterpiece that redefined the meaning of comedy. What I found instead was a mildly amusing and quite pleasant tale of a 30-something woman (Renee Zellweger) dealing with being single and in search of the right man. The stereotype bothered me a bit; this idea that Bridget just couldn't live a satisfied life unless and until she found her man. Zellweger was good in a performance that didn't really demand all that much in terms of acting ability - the idea that her performance would even be considered for an Oscar is something that I just don't understand. I'm not saying that she was bad; simply that the role didn't ask very much of her.

A strong supporting cast including Hugh Grant as Daniel and Colin Firth as Mark - Bridget's rival love interests - helped move the story along. How enjoyable this movie is depends on what you're looking for. If you believed the hype you're going to get less than you expect, but if you simply go in with an open mind you'll probably find this a decent enough movie. Overall I was a little disappointed, but would still rate this effort as a 6/10.

Average all round

[aramo1 · 5/10 · 28 December 2001]

Based on R1 (Canada) DVD 98 minutes.

Echos of Adrian Mole with much toned down humour. Bridget (Renée Zellweger) is 31, single and keeps a diary - this is their story. Zellweger plays the part well, Grant is the predictable cad with Firth donning the role of the decent though often misunderstood chap.

Aside from Bridgets solo routines the humour lacks sparkle, chemistry is absent, the story is predicable and everything is decidedly average.

Watch it, miss it - doesn't matter much.

5/10

Delightful, witty, and sexy – a TRIUMPH!

[kwongers · 10/10 · 10 February 2004]

As a huge fan of the books, I had incredibly high expectations of the movie. In order for the movie to work for me, it had to capture Bridget's plucky-heroine character and the hilarious-poignant emotions that are in the book. Needless to say, `Bridget Jones's Diary' the movie worked very, very, very well. Although Helen Fielding also wrote the screenplay (w/ Richard Curtis, very skilled with romantic comedies) and keeps the laughs coming, this movie could have fallen flat on its face. But it doesn't because one, the casting is absolutely divine and two, smartly builds on some elements the book downplays.

Renee Zellweger is absolutely perfect as Bridget Jones. She has always been one of my favorite actresses and here, she totally displays Bridget's pathetic cuteness. Zellweger gained weight for this role, too, so she looks adorably plump. It's very, very hard to not fall in love with her the moment you see her at her family's Christmas party or drinking alone at home or listening to sad, Celine Dion music. (You have a heart of stone if you aren't moved to laughs or tears or pity for her.) I can't imagine anyone else playing Bridget Jones. Zellweger fits the role because she is very much normal and approachable…we can relate to her.

As Daniel Cleaver (her caddish Cassanova lover/boss), Hugh Grant is smoldering and hilarious. (Ok, I might be a little biased because I've been in love with him for ages and ages, but you can't deny he is a great comedic actor.) There's no trace of his stuttering that we saw (and I loved) in `Four Weddings and a Funeral' or `Sense and Sensibility.' Grant morphs effortlessly into a cad that we all love to hate and all love to love. Yes, it's a paradox, but that is what Grant brings to his role. He makes being `bad' look so sexy. You can't take your eyes off him; he brings his own humor to his role. It's lovely, smoldering, and incredibly sexy.

Colin Firth is also a delight to watch onscreen as Mark Darcy (I think I might be in love with him, too). He is also sexy and smoldering, but not in the same wild, fiery way as Daniel Cleaver. Firth brings a very cute sweetness to his role. I don't know if it is his adorable face or his hair or the way he dresses or just the fact that he is a major sex symbol, but you can't help but fall in love with him the MOMENT you see him onscreen. There is also one very beautiful moment where he tells Bridget, `I like you very much…just the way you are.' It's incredibly romantic and, for me, ranks right up there with Tom Cruise's `You complete me' in `Jerry Maguire.' He also has rather explosive chemistry with Renee Zellweger, which is moving and sexy all at the same time. (And, of course, the author Helen Fielding used Colin Firth as the basis for Mark Darcy, so it all works out marvelously.)

I also mentioned that the movie smartly builds on some elements that the book downplays. Yes, there are certain parts of the movie that cannot be found in the book, but I'm still glad they put them in the movie. Most of what they added doesn't necessarily build on plot but it does add to the characters. I don't want to give anything away because it's rather hilarious what unfolds onscreen. The movie is filmed in an almost Ally McBeal type of way but it remains true to the sincerity, cuteness, and pathetic naivete that Bridget Jones embodies. There are no pretensions. It's an entirely wonderful film. 10/10

Not as great as everyone claims, but still amusing

[davispittman · 6/10 · 6 March 2017]

Bridget Jones's Diary is a somewhat amusing movie about an English woman who wants to change her life because she finds herself in her 30s and still single. I must say though that Renée Zellweger does a wonderful job and earns her Oscar nomination for portraying Bridget Jones. Colin Firth and Hugh Grant fit their roles well also. The script is pretty average for a film like this, I don't know why but I wasn't really struck with the writing like a lot of people were, although I did like hearing Bridget's narration throughout the movie. And there were also some pretty genuinely funny moments. Now with all that said, that still doesn't mean that this romantic comedy is the best of its kind, in my opinion it's not. There were just some scenes that I thought lagged on too long and other parts that were dull. I do think that there are better romantic comedies to choose from out there, but it is worth just one watch just to see Renée Zellweger, because she really shines, if only the rest of the movie would've kept up with her. 6/10.

Not as Good as I thought

[Rhythmbandit · 5/10 · 28 October 2001]

This is a very dull movie. Hardly anything about it was great.

Some of it was good but I did not enjoy it. The acting was typically british....boring and very dull.

Casting Rennee Zellwegger to play Bridget was a big mistake. It would have been better with someone like:

Bridget Fonda

Miranda Richardson

This is at best, an average movie with no plot or any big interest.

Acting: **/***** Direction: ***/***** Plot: **/*****

Overall: 5/10

If you like this try:

Billy Elliot

It's not just charming - I insist it's charming

[Spleen · 13 April 2002]

With certain bad movies - "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is a famous extreme example - you start to wonder if there's something wrong with people who don't realise that they're bad. I'm not saying that if someone LIKES "Plan 9" then his or her brain probably needs to be repaired; the suspicious, unhealthy thing is not LIKING the film, but being of the opinion that it's good. (Many people have a soft spot for it precisely BECAUSE they realise how bad it is. In this way it differs from something like "Timecode", where either liking the film OR having a high opinion of it is something to be embarrassed about.) And something similar applies to, say, "Citizen Kane". Disliking it makes sense; thinking it's a bad film does not.

But there's another kind of film that tempts me to be even more presumptuous. "Dumbo" is the best example I can think of at the moment. I can see why one might (mistakenly) have a low opinion of "Dumbo": some of the footage IS mere padding, the triumph at the end is too swift, the charge has been laid (falsely, but not ludicrously) that the crows are racist caricatures ... and so forth. But surely even the people who think "Dumbo" is a bad film must still manage to like it. If they don't, THEN I'm suspicious.

I feel this way, to a greater or lesser degree, about a number of light comedies, and this is one of them. I can't honestly say that I revere or adore "Bridget Jones's Diary" (N.B.: I'm male), but all the same, I can't help thinking that people who take an active dislike to it have something wrong with them. This applies not just to the film as a whole but to Bridget Jones, the central character, in particular. What has she done to merit dislike? She's beautiful (as beautiful as Renée Zellweger has ever been on screen), honest and kind-hearted. The diary she keeps certainly reveals her many flaws, but none is particularly pronounced, most are purely negative and anyway, she shares them all with the rest of us - so don't pretend you're not like this, too.

This is an amiable, well-written and fresh romantic comedy with, for ONCE, an attractive female protagonist. It's far from being the greatest film ever made and there may be grounds for attacking it which I haven't touched upon (I suppose there always are), and so all in all I'll understand your not thinking as much of it as I do, but, dammit, you'd better LIKE it.

Cringe and corny but have such a soft spot!!

[shonamayevans-47766 · 7/10 · 19 July 2023]

Although I find the names and middle/upper class humour hideously annoying, I just can't help but love it all at the same time! I think we all know or ARE a Bridget Jones IRL and I still laugh every time I watch. The fight scene will always be iconic and make me laugh every time.

It's genuinely a well made romcom and I'm sorry but they just don't make comedies like these anymore. Genuinely feels like the team were passionate about producing a funny and heartwarming movie. Perfect casting also!

If you're looking for a feel good film with a decent story and good laughs, I highly recommend this movie.

"I choose Vodka. And Chaka Khan."

[drewnes · 6/10 · 30 May 2021]

What a pleasant surprise this movie was! Colin Firth and Hugh Grant fighting over a Renée Zellweger with a posh accent was truly a sight to see.

Colin Firth is magical! It is a pity that most Americans don't know who he is.

[justwand · 10/10 · 17 November 2001]

Bridget Jones's Diary is full of lighthearted fun. The cast is wonderful - especially true for Colin Firth. His performance is magical. Being given such a thin material to work with, playing a `dreadful cold fish', he has artfully shown Mark Darcy's kindness and charm that gradually wins everyone's heart. This would be an impossible mission for actors other than Colin Firth. I enjoy every minute of his performance. In my opinion, they should give this nice boy more camera times - that's the only complain I have about this movie. Besides this complain, I have to congratulate the whole production team for successfully creating a movie of such weightless fun, and at the same time being honest and sincere to the human emotions. It is very hard to believe that this movie is Sharon Maguire's first one. I never read the book. So, you can trust my observation to be totally independent of the book. If you wish to have some fun and also like to dream a little bit, this is definitely the movie for you. BTW. If you enjoy watching drama and haven't seen Colin Firth's "Pride And Prejudice" (BBC), do yourself a favor and rent it. He is *really* a great "Character Actor" - one of the most talented alive.

459 already, why not one more to make it 460, right?

[shu-fen · 6/10 · 8 November 2003]

Oh, it's a "Cinderella of 21st Century" movie. I have to make it clear, it's the movie which carries the smell of Cinderella but not the book. The book is more realistic. B once said to M in the book, "what would we talk about?" Right, when M may talk about the Parliament, the legal circle gossips, what things about B that he's really interested in? I just find it hard to imagine Bridget is able to communicate with Mark and vice versa. If they come together, divorce is not unlikely. The UK, a class-conscious country. Daniel Cleaver, somehow, fits Bridget more, as long as he really cut down his number of affairs with other women. Let's see how they deal with the sequel. Besides, Cinderella's enemies this time, are not the stepmother and the two step-sisters but her weight and life-style.

We all need this movie, I mean unmarried women approaching mid to late thirties. Reality in workplace is cruel enough to suffocate us, why not some sweet delights to add some colours to the greyness of real life? No one would hate this movie even though arguments about unrealistic treatments may arise.

For those who want the "real life" in the movie, these are the real faces:

• Natasha of course would be Mark's wife for they are both blunt and wood-block-like with tongue full of acid. After having been betrayed by a Japanese wife, how could Mark dare date Asian but Caucasian?

• Daniel would cajole B into staying with him again for some more time and gullible and kind B would fall into trap again. But she will wake up quicker this time.

• Bridget's mom for sure will have another or some others affairs/extra marital adventures.

• Some smug married couples would divorce and the women would demurely keep their "Mrs"

Not hard to predict, right? That's reality. So let's open our arms wide to the fairytales.

Seriously. How could you not love Bridget?

[Sundance26 · 10/10 · 18 November 2002]

This movie... it's fab. Brill. Lovely. Wicked funny. *Add your own British slang here*

The number one reason to see this movie? It's not reindeer jumpers, or the gherkins, or the lots and lots of vodka. It's... Colin Firth. Two simple, yet lovely words. Colin Firth. He loves Bridget just the way she is... and any woman in her right mind would LOVE to hear that, right? It's soooooo sweeeeeeeeeeet!

Hugh Grant plays a good a**hole. (As usual.) His hair is as floppy as ever, and he says lots of bad words. Every jerk's hero! Woot!

Who can't relate to Bridget? I mean, seriously. Who hasn't burned vodka bottles and self-help books in a tin trash can? Who hasn't had two British men fighting over them in the street, with "It's Raining Men" playing perfectly in the background? ("It's a fight! It's a REAL LIVE FIGHT!") Who hasn't dressed up in a Playboy bunny suit and paraded around a stuff British garden party? I mean, c'mon. We've all been there. ... right?

ANYWAYS... this is a good movie! And it's not just a chick flick... it's a chick flick where guys get to see, um... booze, fighting, cleavage and... Bridget's ass while she's sliding down the fireman's pole! And while your girlfriend might not appreciate the staring and drooling, they will find a new respect for you, because they'll think that you like them enough to watch a chick flick with them. (And then when it's over, you can go back to your house and rent Fight Club, and watch it alone with a bowl of popcorn and your pitbull.)

9/10 ^_^ Don't miss it, it's brill. Fab. Lovely. Etc... etc... etc...

I guess that we can add Renee Zellweger to the list of Americans who can actually do a believable accent.

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 31 December 2005]

I wouldn't call "Bridget Jones's Diary" the best movie of 2001 (and I usually have no interest in "chick flicks"), but I do think that it was worth seeing. Renee Zellweger plays the titular character, a working Brit who has some plans to drastically change her life. I think that Colin Firth's and Hugh Grant's characters weren't totally necessary, but I guess that they were conduits of a sort. Bridget herself can gravitate between sweet and bitchy, and she does just that. Overall, Zellweger's energy makes the movie really good. I don't know whether anyone else would have done the role better, but she certainly does a good job. Definitely worth seeing.

Disappointing and contrived

[secordman · 4/10 · 18 April 2001]

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the performances of Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, and Renee Zellwegger more than held her own in the lead role. I just thought the film a bit on the silly side, and many situations were contrived. It could have been a comedy with some depth to it, but there were too many stock Hollywood sequences like a fight breaking out with the restaurant windows breaking and cliches like that. The music didn't fit well, it seemed too obvious that they were trying to sell the soundtrack. (I know, what else is new?) The Pride and Prejudice parallel is really thin, see the BBC Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth if you want to see the real thing.

Brill!

[jrae99 · 10/10 · 25 April 2001]

Speaking as a singleton of a certain age, I found this move dead on. Although set in England, the theme and feelings of single people everywhere were universal. The plot line stayed pretty true to the book with a few exceptions but the tone stayed the same. I know when I went to see this with a female friend there were many men in the audience who looked like they had been dragged there but 5 minutes into the move they were laughing as hard (if not harder) than the women in the audience. This is definitely not just a "chick flick." Renee Zellweger was a perfect Bridget. When I first heard that she was going to play this role, I was skeptical but after I saw it(which I did twice, so far!) I couldn't imagine anyone else with such a mixture of cynicism and innocence. Bravo to the casting of Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as Cleaver and Darcy, respectively. If this movie doesn't win some Oscars it will be a crying shame.

Not My Cup of Tea

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 2 April 2015]

A British woman (Renee Zellweger) is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.

Whether or not this is a good film depend on who you are, I suppose. Romantic comedy is not really my cup of tea, and this one is more romantic and less comedy, so it may be even less my cup of tea than just the average romantic comedy. I like Hugh Grant and Renee Zellweger, and this was a good role for Colin Firth before he went A-list... but still, following a woman's love life is not my preferred subject matter.

Why this ended up on my list of things to see is completely beyond me, but now it has been seen and cannot be unseen. Let us chalk this up to taking one for the team.

BRIDGET JONES DIARY (DIDIER BECU)

[Didier-Becu · 5/10 · 7 March 2004]

I suppose there are hundredthousands women like Bridget Jones around who have a diary in where they note what they have to eat, which make-up they must wear and so on but that doesn't take away the fact that I think it's rather ridiculous. Now they have made a film about such a woman, in fact it's not even bad just embarrassing as this is really Barbieworld. Not one percent of realism in here...or how do you explain that someone with absolutely no political, historical or cultural knowledge becomes a journalist???? Hello??????????? You can torture your brain every second with such questions... And then the choice...choosing between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. Colin Firth must be the most dull looking man ever and Grant well...I absolutely am tired of his roles as Mr. Perfect, especially sitting next to your wife who constantly is saying how perfect he is. When will Grant be casted for playing a psychopath?

The Anti-Austen

[tedg · 13 May 2001]

Spoilers herein.

No author has been more pillaged for film than Jane Austen. Her books have been the source of `straight' adaptations, teen movies, and the recent `Mansfield Park.' In that last film, we had the modern notion of a film about Jane the writer conflated with the story she is writing.

Here, the adapter of `Pride and Prejudice' and `Emma' takes things to the next level, creating a P&P that features an antihero. For those not familiar with Austen, her novels are marvelously written, concerning `manners and morals.' Her method is to cast a few honorable people at the mercy of frivolous conventions. The charm of these books is how the frivolity of the times is embodied in some absolutely ridiculous secondary characters. The personal politics of the time are clarified and amplified through this device.

So here we have the next step. We have a writer and the story she writes, just as in `Park,' but here the heroine is one of the ridiculous, formerly incidental characters. Bridget is a genuinely trivial person -- stupid, unattractive, without any of the qualities that would elevate her into Austen's world of the heroine.

The story slogs through so many references from P&P: the overheard criticisms at the party; the `in spite of my better judgement I like you' speech, the false accusations against Darcy; the character Darcy himself played by the very actor from P&P; the `it is a truth universally acknowledged that..' line; the actor who played Bigley in P&P does a walkon here. Natalie here is much the same role Embeth played in `Park.'

What we have here, disguised as a `Notting Hill' for women, is a truly adventuresome idea: Austin from the perspective of one of the dummies. A sort of `Guildenstern.' I can see how this could have worked, if the ridiculous social conventions were actually ridiculed. As it turns out we are asked to buy every one of them: and Bridget gets her man not because she is internally noble, but quite the opposite: he loves her because she is inarticulate, stupid, fat, pliable and trivial. In the process -- since we identify with Renee -- we willingly blend into the broken society.

I suppose this is the `identify with the underdog' strategy in mass marketing. Obviously it works as the film is a hit. And because it was cheap to make, will be immensely profitable. I just wish they hadn't spit on Ms Austen in the process: there is something noble about her women, something which contributed significantly to our modern notions of romance. This is an anti-romance.

Renee was multidimensional in `Nurse Betty,' or I thought so. Here (and in `Irene') she shows me I was mistaken. Her acting is wholly in her face, and shallow at that. She could have played Jane playing Bridget, or at least a better actress could have.