Bridget Jones's Diary

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2005)

Helen Fielding originally started writing the leading fictional character's scribbling as articles for The Independent, this was later fully published and became the biggest selling book of the 1990s, so it was only right for her and rom-com writer Richard Curtis (Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) to team up and bring her to the big screen. Basically Bridget Jones (Oscar BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Renée Zellweger) is an average woman living in London who works in an office, has issues with her weight, smokes and drinks, has many imperfections, and is single. Following New Year, to take control of her life, Bridget decides to start a diary, to tell the complete truth, to try and change her habits, to lose weight and stop smoking, and express her true feelings about her job, her family and friends, and of course her pursuit to find the right man. Bridget works in publicity at a book publishing company, and fantasises about her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), one day he starts to flirt with her, and soon enough they embark on a relationship. Bridget has fallen head over heels for Daniel, but his feelings are not reciprocated, she discovers he is a womaniser, and he even becomes engaged to another woman, she quits her job at the publishing office and eventually finds work in television journalism. Bridget on many occasions encounters barrister Mark Darcy (BAFTA nominated Colin Firth), he is good looking, but she cannot stand him, she also assumes he is already dating colleague Natasha (Matilda's Embeth Davidtz), but he surprises her at event by confessing that he likes her. Bridget celebrates her birthday, inviting her friends round for dinner, only to cause chaos with her cooking skills, Mark is there to support and show affection for her, a drunken Daniel also shows up, assuming she was alone, Mark and he step outside and have a fight, Mark wins but is shunned away, while Daniel is rejected by Bridget. Meanwhile, Bridget's mother Pamela (Gemma Jones) has left Bridget's father Colin (Jim Broadbent) and started an affair with shopping channel presenter Julian (Patrick Barlow), they do reconcile, and Bridget's mother reveals a truth, Bridget assumed it was Mark who had an affair with Daniel's wife, in fact it is the other way around. Bridget at the Darcys' ruby wedding anniversary party she wants to confess her feelings for Mark, but she is devastated to find out that he and Natasha have accepted jobs in New York, but Bridget speaks out about how England will be losing a good man like Mark, her words obviously have an effect on him, but he stills travels to America. At Christmas time, Bridget's friends invite her to join them on a trip to Paris, France to forget all about Mark, but he surprises her showing up at her flat, they kiss for the first time, there is a moment when she assumes he leaves, after reading about her hatred for him in her diary, but they embrace in the snow after he explains he was buying her a new diary, to start the New Year. Also starring Smack the Pony's Sally Phillips as Sharon/Shazza, Shirley Henderson as Jude, James Callis as Tom, Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury, James Faulkner as Uncle Geoffrey, Drop the Dead Donkey's Neil Pearson as Richard Finch, Honor Blackman as Penny Husbands-Bosworth, Paul Ross as Mr. Sit Up Britain, Crispin Bonham-Carter (Helena's cousin) as Greg, Sarah Alexander as Daniel Cleaver Lover, Salman Rushdie and Jeffrey Archer. Zellweger does an impeccable British accent and is adorable as the 30-somthing heroine who gets herself into embarrassing situations but you root for, Firth is very likable as the good looking uptight lawyer, and Grant is splendid and escapes the posh twit persona seen previously to becomes a caddish bastard. All the acting by the ensemble cast of stellar Brits is great, the script is witty, daftly funny, hilariously cringy and suitably sweet, and the pop music soundtrack, including "Out of Reach" by Gabrielle and "Have You Met Miss Jones?" by Robbie Williams is great, it just has all the right ingredients, a brilliant romantic comedy. It was nominated the BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, it was nominated the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. Hugh Grant was number 73 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and he was number 8 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, Colin Firth was number 29 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, the film was number 52 on The Ultimate Film, and it was number 48 on The 50 Greatest Comedy Films. Very good!