Zellweger shines as a quintessentially English girl

Rating: 8/10 (21 October 2001)

This film is another excellent showcase for the talents of Rene Zellweger. It is a fairly common occurrence for British actors to play American characters with varying degrees of success in duplicating an American accent. It is almost unheard of for an American to play a British character, and when it does happen the accent is almost always awful. Zellweger nails both the accent and the demeanor of the quintessential middle class English girl and is absolutely charming in the role.
The screenplay is an adaptation of Helen Fielding's novel of the same name that follows the single life of everywoman Bridget through the trials and tribulations of being a singleton. Fielding unabashedly admitted in interviews that the original story was borrowed from Jane Austen's `Pride and Prejudice', going so far as to name one of the main characters Darcy (Colin Firth), the identical name of the corresponding character in Austen's novel. To complete the bizarre crossbreeding, Firth played Darcy in the BBC production of P&P just before being cast in this role.
Fielding's screenplay is full of the ironic and droll humor that makes English comedy unique. Bridget is written as such an adorable ditz that you can't help loving her, especially with Zellweger playing the role. First time director Sharon Maguire does a bang up job of keeping the silliness moving at a rapid fire pace.
Zellweger is perfect for this role and must be commended for expanding her horizons (in all senses of the word). She packed a great deal of weight onto her normally svelte frame to properly depict Bridget's weight problem. She then boldly allowed herself to be photographed in various skimpy outfits where flab burst forth from every seam. Even more important than her excellent English accent is her comic ability to make the most of every peculiar situation with matter-of-factness so natural it is hard to believe that she didn't grow up in England.
Zellweger totally eclipses her male leads in energy, comedic ability and charm. The normally likeable and bumbling Hugh Grant is sorely miscast as the jerk. Grant's strength is his sincerity and his character doesn't possess any, leaving him adrift in his ability to interpret the role. Firth, who has excellent comedic and dramatic skills, is really wasted in a role that mostly sees him leering dourly at Bridget for two thirds of the film. When he finally gets a chance to interact he is very good in a stuffy sort of way that is right for his character.
This is a delightfully wacky comedy with a fabulous performance by Rene Zellweger. I rated it an 8/10. It is peppered with funny truisms about single life that make Bridget's plight one that is with which easy to identify.