Movies

Why Bridget Jones Still Resonates: A Timeless Tale of Love and Laughter

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Watching Bridget Jones‘s Diary today is like hopping into a time machine and traveling back to a more challenging era, around 2001. In this film, Bridget’s boss sends flirtatious emails from the office about her skirt length, and they embark on an intense affair. Bridget struggles with self-image, believing that reaching an ideal weight will bring her joy. The movie is filled with smoking scenes. Given how outdated these aspects feel compared to today’s sensibilities, it’s surprisingly enchanting, maybe even more so than when it first premiered. Bridget Jones’s Diary serves as a reflection of its time—movies from 25, 50, or even 100 years ago will always appear a bit odd to modern viewers. However, revisiting such films can offer insights into our evolving tastes in art, despite the changing rules. Our hidden yearnings may not always adjust with the times, and these outdated narratives can still teach us about what we seek in art, even if it’s something we’re hesitant to admit.

The Bridget Jones film series has expanded to include three follow-ups. The initial two were “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” from 2004 (wherein Bridget lands in a Thai jail) and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” in 2016 (in which Bridget discovers she’s pregnant at 43, unsure of the father’s identity). The most recent addition is “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” which bypassed U.S. cinemas and can be found streaming on Peacock. Similar to its predecessors, this latest film is based on original content from author Helen Fielding; her novel, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” was released in 2013. In this fourth installment, directed by Michael Morris and starring Renée Zellweger reprising her role as Bridget, she portrays a widowed Bridget with two young children, Billy (Casper Knopf) and Mabel (Mila Jankovic). Her husband, human rights lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), passed away four years prior in Sudan; his brief appearances as a ghost are movingly poignant.

In the beginning of the movie ‘Mad About the Boy’, Bridget’s friends, who are portrayed by a collection of charming actors from the previous films like Shirley Henderson and Sarah Solemani, encourage her to dive back into dating. As a woman in her fifties with a youthful appearance, she finds it relatively easy to draw potential suitors, including a 29-year-old charismatic biologist (Leo Woodall) and her son’s engaging science teacher (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, an exceptional actor who deserves more opportunities as the romantic lead). Bridget’s complicated former boss/love interest Daniel Cleaver (played by the captivatingly unrepentant Hugh Grant) reappears throughout the story. Their long history has transformed their relationship into something akin to family, which is one of the most touching aspects of the narrative, as it mirrors how relationships with old lovers can evolve over time in ways we don’t always anticipate.

The movie “Mad About the Boy” aims to please its fans and delivers on emotion. Similar to its two predecessors, it has its strong moments, particularly when Emma Thompson, who played Bridget’s witty gynecologist in “Bridget Jones’s Baby” and co-wrote the script, appears. However, Renee Zellweger, known for her endearing charm, seems to overdo the winking and twinkling. It’s questionable whether the decision was wise to portray Bridget as someone who can no longer manage to comb her hair, a trait that seems out of character given her past appearances. Bridget is meant to be messy, one of her appealing traits, but she never looked disheveled even in her tumultuous 30s. It seems strange for this to start now.

As a movie enthusiast, I found “Mad About the Boy” a heartwarming conclusion to the series, leaving Bridget with the prospect of happiness once more within her grasp. It’s reassuring – almost too much so – that a woman’s romantic life doesn’t have to dwindle as she enters her fifties. However, the comfort and familiarity of this film made me yearn for the wild, unpredictable charm of the original movie. Despite the underlying themes of the Bridget Jones series – life’s unpredictability and the power of honesty and humor – the first film seems to embody these ideas most effectively, perhaps because it so perfectly captures the exhilarating feeling of youthful uncertainty that many of us experience throughout our twenties and beyond.

As a thirty-something viewer, I can relate to Bridget’s diary entries as a means of both reflection and aspiration. The fact that her dreams often seem just out of reach is part of the film’s humor, but it also underscores her relatability. We love Bridget not only for her unique style and bold demeanor, but also for her vulnerability – her ability to bounce back from humiliation, yet feel pain like anyone else. And, like many of us, she knows loneliness.

In essence, “Mad About the Boy” is a reminder that even as we age, we never truly outgrow our longings or our capacity for vulnerability and connection.

In simpler terms, it’s not productive when people criticize older movies like “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by saying they are “dated.” Instead, one might as well acknowledge that the movie was produced during its specific time period. There are certain aspects in the film, such as racial remarks or excessive smoking, which were more common then and may not be acceptable today. However, some outdated behaviors or attitudes still persist, like the obsession with weight among women, although society is increasingly encouraging self-acceptance of one’s body. The nostalgia for these bygone habits, such as hanging out in a club or at a communal table surrounded by cigarette smoke, may linger in the hearts of those who grew up with them.

Additionally, Bridget’s boss, Daniel Cleaver (Grant), often makes flirtatious, inappropriate remarks about her and her body, which she seems to find intriguing and enjoyable. This behavior perfectly encapsulates the modern usage of the term cringe as an adjective. Thankfully, there are now regulations prohibiting such actions, as it is crucial that work environments remain professional and free from feelings of inferiority, manipulation, or the more alarming situation of being coerced into responding to a superior’s sexual advances.

Despite knowing better, the way Bridget responds to Daniel’s advances mirrors actions we generally try to avoid. Their first rendezvous is one of the most memorable scenes in romantic comedy history, including Daniel’s astonished and admiring reaction to Bridget’s granny pants. In many aspects of the 20th century, pursuing and marrying the boss wasn’t always considered off-limits, as long as it didn’t lead to a breakup. This was simply one method for a woman to achieve her goals or needs. You can observe this dynamic in pre-code Hollywood films, such as Barbara Stanwyck climbing her way up in “Baby Face” or Jean Harlow doing the same in “Red-Headed Woman.” Although viewers knew these characters were not acting appropriately, they still cheered for them because they were looking out for themselves in the ways they understood. Bridget Jones’s flirtation with Daniel Cleaver can be seen as relatively innocent compared to the “sleeping with the boss” trope: he doesn’t demand anything in return through subtle manipulation; there are no threats of dismissal if she refuses his advances.

Sleeping with one’s superior, especially when you’re young and a bit reckless, is generally not advisable – it’s common sense. However, films aren’t instruction manuals for life. Sometimes we enjoy watching characters make mistakes we ourselves wouldn’t dare to, and Bridget Jones provides plenty of that. Moreover, Hugh Grant’s character, Daniel Cleaver, who is unscrupulous at his core and can be harsh, embodies the classic tempting bad boy. While it might seem appealing to eliminate such characters from reality, where would the excitement be in that?

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I’d put it like this: Unlike other rom-coms that tie things up neatly with an engagement or a white wedding dress, “Bridget Jones’s Diary” takes a refreshing turn. Instead, it concludes with our beloved Bridget, a woman who relishes her amorous escapades, fortuitously finding herself with the perfect match – none other than Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy, a man who offers more of what she craves. It’s a film franchise that shrewdly acknowledges that true happiness isn’t a destination but a journey, filled with moments of intense joy and times when joy is in short supply. Whether you adore or abhor “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” one thing is certain – it dares to acknowledge that life’s happiness is never a full stop. It ebbs and flows, offering heaps at times and less at others. But with a pinch of optimism and a good dose of self-deprecating humor, Bridget shows us how to keep going.

The 21st century hasn’t been particularly kind to romantic comedies, but it has produced an exceptional leading lady: Renee Zellweger’s portrayal of Bridget Jones. With her quirky, unconventional line delivery, a gait that is both hesitant and determined, and a wistful tenderness that often tugs at the heartstrings, Bridget has captured the screen. Despite frequently uttering the wrong words, smoking excessively, and perhaps overindulging in alcohol, Bridget has found herself chasing after men in all sorts of inclement weather, donning outfits ill-suited for the elements. She embodies every blunder we’ve made or dared to imagine in our most romantic moments, yet she carries these missteps with unabashed grace. For Bridget, stumbling through life is just another way of living it—and while many of us may not openly admit it, we can relate.

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2025-02-14 19:10

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