X
- 2001
- R
- Miramax
- 1 h 37 m
- 2001
- R
- Miramax
- 1 h 37 m
Summary At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Zellweger) decides it's time to take control of her life -- and start keeping a diary. Now, the most provocative, erotic and hysterical book on her bedside table is the one she's writing. [Miramax]
Directed By: Sharon Maguire
Written By: Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies, Richard Curtis
- 2001
- R
- Miramax
- 1 h 37 m
- 2001
- R
- Miramax
- 1 h 37 m
Bridget Jones's Diary
66
7.9
Where to Watch
Summary At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Zellweger) decides it's time to take control of her life -- and start keeping a diary. Now, the most provocative, erotic and hysterical book on her bedside table is the one she's writing. [Miramax]
Directed By: Sharon Maguire
Written By: Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies, Richard Curtis
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
66
67% Positive
22 Reviews
22 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
66
67% Positive
22 Reviews
22 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
A triumph for all involved.
A delightful and endearing romantic comedy with the shape and resonance of a Jane Austen novel.
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 196 User Ratings
7.9
81% Positive
158 Ratings
158 Ratings
13% Mixed
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
7% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 196 User Ratings
7.9
81% Positive
158 Ratings
158 Ratings
13% Mixed
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
7% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
This is an all around fun flick. They don't really make them like this anymore. I wish they did!
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One of the most cliche'd romantic comedies I've seen, but it's a great film adaptation to the source material but the screenplay written by Helen Fielding (based on her novel she works on the screenplay), Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral) is super charming and is spiking wit also is cheerful, the script and Sharon Maguire's direction work perfectly together. Renee Zellweger couldn't be more perfect to play Bridget Jones, she outshines the material. Renee Zellweger plays Bridget Jones, a 32 year old decides it's time she takes control of her life by keeping a diary. She's a heavy-drinking heavy-smoking, who works in publishing, is torn between Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) who is introduced to Bridget in a god-awful sweater. Bridget's mother (Gemma Jones) has left her husband (Jim Broadbent) for a TV huckster. Despite it's cliche's it has a intelligent screenplay and three great performances by Zellweger, Firth and Grant. 5 out of 5 stars
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Bessed with a gleamingly polished, very funny script.
Zellweger has a ticklish furriness reminiscent of Jean Arthur in her screwball comic prime.
95 breezy minutes that typify cotton-candy filmmaking.
I could have done without all the pushy tactics of this romantic comedy.
The worst part of Ms. Zellweger's plight is that she, along with others in the cast, has fallen victim to a first-time feature director whose vocabulary doesn't seem to include the word "simplicity."
This film is perhaps one of the most iconic romantic comedies of the last thirty years. It's very fun, engaging, and the main character, with her blunders and confusions, ends up deserving our sympathy, a factor that makes us wish that everything ends well for her. Of course, with the film being a light and humorous comedy, the happy ending is almost a certainty.
Directed by Sharon Maguire, the film is based on a book that is indirectly inspired by the novel "Pride and Prejudice", by Jane Austen. The story revolves around Bridget Jones, a thirty-year-old women who are still single and decides, on New Year's Eve, to quit smoking, lose weight and find a boyfriend. Of course, her talent for arranging troubles and minor disasters promises to greatly derail those plans, but she quickly finds herself torn between two very different men: Mark Darcy, Jones' mother's favorite, a wealthy family lawyer recently divorced and, on the other hand, her own boss, Daniel Clever, a womanizing, hedonistic and self-centered editor.
For me, the best thing about this film is the perceptible feeling that it seeks to please a wider audience, and be included in the list of family films, rather than being a film focused on women and aimed at female audiences. The film isn't ultra-sentimental, it's not as hyped up or histrionic as some publicity had me think, and the main character isn't as dumb as I thought she would be. That said, yes, it surprised me on the positive side, and it was much better than I imagined it to be. In fact, despite recognizing the film's impact, mainly on popular culture (with several scenes becoming famous even for which, like me, had never seen the film), I just gave it a chance now, because it felt like a movie I wouldn't like to see. Thankfully, I was wrong... even so, the film is not perfect: there is a certain obsession with marriage here that I find reprehensible, as if someone's happiness depended on not being single, or it was not possible to be happy alone.
Renee Zellwegger gets, with this film, one of the defining works of her career as an actress, as it earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and remained in people's memories. She has really done an excellent job and deserves to be commended for it, and particularly for the way she has mastered the British accent and the native English way of being. If I didn't know the actress, I would say she is one hundred percent English. Colin Firth also shone in her role. Being an actor I'm used to seeing in characters that ask for an additional dose of charm, dignity or chivalry, and having already played Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice", he was a natural choice. I like Hugh Grant, he has his usual charm, but he can't seem to be a capable villain as he doesn't seem nasty enough. Last but not least, the excellent contribution of Gemma Jones and Jim Broadbent (who would receive an Oscar that year for another work).
Technically, this film proudly lives, breathes, speaks and claims to be British. With contained production values, it presents us with an elegant cinematography, full of charm, but without artifice or great visual games, as is the hallmark of good British cinema, where light and color, a reliable camera work and editing and a good choice of filming locations guarantees almost half the visuals. The film bets well on creating a funny, light mood without letting itself relax too much. The costumes are an important part of the film, and the way they help to define characters is something to be aware of (Darcy's tasteful and expensive suits, Bridget's tight skirts, the anthological scene of her disguised as a bunny etc.). The film also has a very effective soundtrack, with several well-known songs that easily stays in our memories.
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Bridget Jones's Diary is easily one of the best romantic comedies ever made. It really speaks to the time of singletons in England. I am a big fan of the books and this film did the source material justice.
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This is a very strange review to write and post. 'Bridget Jones's Diary' stands out as a highly entertaining movie. I just couldn't stop watching despite the numerous major flaws I directly identified in it. The story goes on and on with many twists and turns (clearly too much of them) and it got me absolutely hypnotized at some point. I guess this movie however succeeded in some facts I still can't describe.
This feature has not aged well. Just consider the status of women (all sentimentally and emotionally dependent on men) and ****. Some jokes are way too embarrassing and simply don't work anymore, and that's for a better world believe me. Bad taste. This is the main criticism I have for this film. But you can easily add it to the shaky scenario, the terrific pace (the major urge to make the public laugh), Colin Firth's (Mark Darcy) terrible acting performance, the overall level of naivety surrounding all characters and the amazing non-empathy Bridget's character induced in me. Paradoxically, this film succeeds in portraying the woman that you should not be these days. Only alone to be with more men, falsly confident and insecure about being a person outside of a relationship. Definitely quite a dangerous movie for impressionable minds and younglings.
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Bridget Jones's Diary: 4/10: There have been a great number of woman's films that have successfully crossed over to the mainstream. Sleepless in Seattle, Jerry Maguire and Aliens are three classic examples of "chick flicks" that men can watch with their ladies, enjoy the film, and still get credit for being a sensitive guy that likes what she likes.
Bridget Jones's Diary tries to come across as a frothy crossover comedy. You know one of those estrogen flicks that Hugh Grant now does since Tom Hanks was shipped off to make "important films". Diary however doesn't successfully crossover. It's a real chick flick through and through.
The thirty something equivalent of Sixteen Candles. In fact it seems to have basically the same plot and characters as that John Hughes eighties perennial. Instead of our sixteen-year-old ugly duckling we have a thirty two year old overweight alcoholic with virtually no social skills. And instead of one impossible cute and rich suitor we now have two impossible rich and handsome suitors that fight over our protagonist.
Now I have always felt Renee Zellweger was easy on the eyes and talented to boot. As for the extra weight she put on,(An act that the media with a straight face called "brave") well let's just say she wears it well. Her character however is such a horrible deceptive person that one really wonders why either man would want her for anything more than a quick shag.
Like those other lovable raging alcoholics of the silver screen say Arthur or The McKenzie Brothers two hours of screen time is one thing but day-to-day living is another. One really wonders how long either man would really stick around with Miss Jones? (A: Till he got tired of shagging her.)
One last question. What's is with the music? It's Raining Men? Ain't No Mountain High Enough? Does the CIA use this soundtrack on prisoners at Abu Ghraib? Doesn't the Geneva Convention mean anything?
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The first 20 minutes were unbearable. I wanted to smash everything in my reach. The jokes were made to embarrass one of the main characters (especially Bridget) and the ending is forseeavle and lame. Picked up some pace in the middle though, which made it less bad.
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Production Company
Miramax,
Universal Pictures,
StudioCanal,
Working Title Films,
Little Bird
Release Date Apr 13, 2001
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating R
Tagline What I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Empire Awards, UK
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
