Bridget Jones is Pride and Prejudice Reworked

Rating: 6/10 (14 May 2007)

... Mark Darcy , the name and the character are boldly stolen from Pride and Prejudice, and in fact, in an inside joke, Firth played Jane Austen's Darcy in a famous BBC version of the book an excerpt from a 2001 film review of Bridget Jones's Diary. Like most others reviews, it didn't look very far below the surface to see that screen writers' Richard Curtis and Andrew Davies borrowed far more from Austen than Mark Darcy; they stole the entire plot. Proceed if you dare:
1. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bennet, the heroine's father, kindly, satiric and unambitious; spends most of his time hiding in his study from his silly wife. Is it a coincidence that in Bridget Jones's Diary, Mr. Jones, kindly, satiric and unambitious, spends most of his time hiding in front of the TV from his silly wife? OK, one coincidence does not plagiarism make.
2. In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet's main concern in life is to find eligible bachelors for her gaggle of five daughters, doing so in such transparent schemes and so much mindless chatter as to constantly embarrass her husband and two oldest girls; in Bridget Jones's Diary, Mrs. Jones main concern in life is to find eligible bachelors for her daughter, doing so in such transparent schemes and so much mindless chatter as to constantly embarrass her husband and Bridget. Another coincidence you say, your smile becoming less relaxed.
3. In Pride and Prejudice, the two youngest girls are foolish and flirtatious, Mary is awkward and studious, Jane is kind spirited and Elizabeth has discernment and common sense. If you were lump all these personalities into a single character, it would look a lot like Bridget Jones's odd amalgam of traits: foolish and discerning, flirtatious, yet awkward and kind. Beginning to see a pattern... anyone, anyone?
4. In Pride and Prejudice, the main action revolves around a contest between Mr. Wickham, a handsome soldier/cad who woos his way into the youngest daughter's heart and bed, and besmirches the character of his rival, Mr. Darcy; in Bridget Jones's Diary, the main action revolves around a contest between Daniel Cleaver, a handsome publisher/cad who woos his way into Bridget's heart and bed and besmirches the character of his rival, Mark Darcy. Anyone, anyone?
5. In Pride and Prejudice, Mark Darcy defends his good name poorly because of his reserve, fastidiousness, and taciturn nature; in Bridget Jones's Diary, Mark Darcy defends his good name poorly because of his reserve, fastidiousness, and taciturn nature. Blinders, remove... anyone, anyone?
6. In Pride and Prejudice, Darcy eventually manages to show Wickham for the cad he is, restore his own good name, and win Elizabeth's love in the process; in Bridget Jones's Diary, Darcy eventually manages to shows Daniel Cleaver for the cad he is, restore his own good name, and win Bridget's love in the process.
This isn't a send up, a nod or a homage; to put it bluntly, Bridget Jones's Diary is simply Pride and Prejudice reworked for 2000, and if Jane Austen is not given a writing credit in the film, it's plagiarism.