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Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bridget Jones's Diary is a British 2001 romantic comedy film, based on the novel, also called Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding. The adaptation starred Renee Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Bridget's 'true love' Mark Darcy. A sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, was released in 2004.
Before the film came out a considerable amount of controversy surrounded the casting of the American Zellweger as what some saw as a quintessentially British heroine. However, her performance is widely considered to be of a high standard.
Helen Fielding has stated in many interviews that her novel was based upon both Jane Austen's work Pride and Prejudice and the popular 1995 BBC adaptation, Pride and Prejudice. This was also reflected in the decision to cast Colin Firth as Darcy, since he played the 'real' Mr Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This is not the film's only connection to that serial – the screenplay was co-written by Andrew Davies, who had written the adaptation of Austen's novel for the BBC.[1]
The director of the film, Sharon Maguire, is one of Fielding's friends whom the character of "Shazzer" was reportedly based on. In the film "Shazzer" was played by Sally Phillips, who originally auditioned for the role of Bridget, but was not considered a big enough name for the part. Kate Winslet also auditioned for the part and was almost considered for it, but eventually was dismissed since she was too young (25 at the time the auditions took place) to play Bridget.
Renee Zellweger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film.
Plot
Bridget Jones is frustrated; she is thirty-something, still single, and worried about her weight. She works at a book publishing company in London where her main focus is fantasizing about her boss Daniel Cleaver. On New Year's Day, she finally decides to turn it all around and starts her own diary, which covers all her attempts to stop smoking, lose weight, and catch her Mr. Right. Lawyer Mark Darcy, Bridget's mother's favourite choice for a future husband, does not appeal to Bridget at all. After seeing him at a Christmas party at her parents' house, she finds Mark to be annoying and arrogant.
Bridget and Daniel begin to flirt heavily at work and eventually start dating, despite the fact that he is a notorious womanizer with a questionable personality. Bridget learns from Daniel that he and Mark have a history and as a result, hate each other dearly. Daniel informs Bridget of their fallout, telling her that Mark broke their friendship by sleeping with his fiancee.
After Daniel's dubious character becomes clearer and clearer to Bridget, she breaks off their relationship when she catches him with another woman, a colleague of his from work in New York. In the meantime, she gets to know Mark and finds him to be a sincere man whom she enjoys spending time with. Just as Bridget and Mark's mutual attraction for each other comes together at a birthday dinner party hosted by Bridget, Daniel comes back into the picture claiming Bridget's attention. Mark originally leaves the party, but comes back to face Daniel. Mark punches Daniel and the two fight, resulting in Daniel passing out. Bridget, still thinking that Daniel had been the wronged one, chastises Mark. Afterward, she tells Daniel that she doesn't want to be with him.
Bridget eventually learns the truth about Mark and Daniel's fallout, in which Daniel had seduced Mark's ex-wife when they were still married. At a dinner party the same day, Bridget confesses her feelings for Mark, only to find out that he is engaged to his colleague.
Bridget is further disheartened once Mark's parents announce at the party that Mark is going to New York. Just as Bridget starts to embark on a trip to Paris with her friends to mend her broken heart, Mark returns to stay with Bridget.
As they're about to sleep together, Bridget exits to her bedroom to change her undergarments. While Bridget is changing, Mark spies her diary, in which she has written many insults about him. Bridget returns to find that he has left. Realizing that he had read her diary and that she might potentially lose him again, Bridget runs outside after him in a thin coat and her undergarments. Unable to find him and disheartened she is about to return home when Mark appears holding a new diary. It becomes apparent that the new diary was to be a gift from Mark to replace Bridget's current diary which she has filled up. They kiss in the snow-covered streets and the movie concludes.
References
