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Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
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Genre: |
Comedy |
Director: |
Sharon Maguire
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Rating: |
R |
Running Time: |
95 Minutes |
Release Date: |
April 13, 2001 |
Official Website: |
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Movie Trailer: |
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Discuss and vote: |
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Cast: |
Renee Zellweger
Colin Firth
Hugh Grant
Jim Broadbent
Gemma Jones
Embeth Davidtz
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Pickup Line: Clever and Quirky!
Quickie: A 32 year-old singleton vows to land the perfect guy and starts writing a diary to record her progress...or setbacks...whatever.
The Long Review:
It's really quite a treat when you encounter a comedy that uses intelligence and wit to make the audience laugh instead of resorting to tasteless humour consisting of brown, green, and red jokes. This is exactly what "Bridget Jones's Diary" does. With Renee Zellweger playing the title character, it tells the story of a 32 year-old singleton (That's a word we've learned from the movie.) who makes a valiant vow to get out of singlehood and find the perfect man. And to accompany her in her journey is a diary that she begins to write to record her triumphs and foibles.
Women out there who have ever gone in search of Mr. Right can surely relate to Bridget Jones's adventures and misadventures. And you know what? So can every man who has ever gone in search of Ms. Right. One great thing about this movie is its realness. We've all been there, right? We've all been humiliated and brokenhearted in our quest to find the perfect mate. "Bridget Jones's Diary" portrays the real awkwardness and poignance associated with the struggle to retire from singlehood into the chaotic life of dating. It doesn't shame from showing the audience how it really is. The viewers laugh at what they see onscreen, yes. They laugh at Bridget Jones. But deep inside, they're also laughing at themselves, perhaps remembering what it was like to be in her shoes. There are also those who are in Bridget's position: lonely, jaded, even desperate. And to be able to laugh at the scenes unfolding before them just may be the comic relief they need. And then they're just so doggone relieved that they're not the only single people left in the world and they develop a whole new sense of self-worth and they turn so beautiful or handsome overnight and before they know it, they find the perfect date and again, before they know it, wedding bells are ringing. Okay, so we're lying. "Bridget Jones's Diary" won't guarantee you a date but it sure will guarantee you a good laugh.
Renee Zellweger just may have turned in her best performance to date. People (not necessarily us!) say she was great as Dorothy in "Jerry Maguire," excellent as Betty in "Nurse Betty" and irresistible as Irene in "Me, Myself and Irene." But as Bridget Jones, she is well, incredible. As Guru Mumu says, "She is by no means my favourite actress...far from it. She actually picks my ass. But I have to admit that she's great as Bridget Jones. Now that's what I call a compliment." It really seems like she was born to play the role...and to gain those hefty 30 pounds. Annoying squinty eyes and irritating pouty lips inside, Renee Zellweger shines in this movie. She IS Bridget Jones.
And Hugh Grant is well, Hugh Grant. He acts pretty much the same way in every movie he does. He probably figures, if it ain't broke, then don't fix it. It's worked everytime so why bother changing techniques? The only twist we can see in his role here is he plays somewhat of an asshole character. But the clumsiness, charm, and constant blubbering are all there. The trademark Hugh Grant moves make an appearance and they prevail. Grant is the perfect foil to Colin Firth's Mark Darcy, a character taken straight from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"; the name "Darcy" is not just a coincidence. Firth gives justice to his role as well, exuding just the right amount of mystery, curtness, and sex appeal. "Bridget Jones's Diary" also boasts of a great supporting cast. The talented trio who play Bridget Jones's closest friends bring so much comedy and colour to this film. They are the perfect complements to Zellweger's character.
"Bridget Jones's Diary" is indeed right up there with "Meet The Parents" and "Four Weddings And A Funeral." It's clever. It's witty. It's devilishly funny. Roger Ebert liked it, too. 'Seems like he was delightfully surprised: "Glory be, they didn't muck it up. Bridget Jones's Diary, a beloved book about a heroine both lovable and human, has been made against all odds into a funny and charming movie that understands the charm of the original, and preserves it." With a great cast, a fluid script, and infectious dialogue, it really can't lose. It makes the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary ordinary. It makes the mundane funny, the strange charming. The audience will surely walk away from the theatre "in high spirits," as the Brits say. Go see it. Enter the mind of a an average 32 year-old looking for love and fall in love with her story.
In Two Minutes:
Did you know?
- Renee Zellweger gained A LOT of weight while in the public eye to play the part of Bridget Jones. She's lost the extra weight since then...we think even more. Did you catch her on "Saturday Night Live"? She looked emaciated!
- Colin Firth, who plays Mark Darcy in this film, played the role of the elusive Mr. Darcy in the smash success 1995 BBC/A&E television production of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". Helen Fielding, who wrote "Bridget Jones's Diary," is a huge Austen fan. Gee. Really?!
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