Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Review:

You know, this is a nice movie, and that’s about the end of it. As far as the subgenre of Romantic Comedies goes, it is no “Annie Hall” (1977) or “When Harry Met Sally” (1988) but “Bridget Jones’s Diary” holds its own.

Probably the greatest asset to this movie is Renee Zellweger’s performance as Bridget Jones. There has been a rising trend this millennium to depict women not as vamp, prostitute, or virgin, but as the insecure, imperfect semi-attractive type who has long existed in our social circles but until recently, had not made it to the big screen. The immediate example that comes to mind is Tina Fey’s character on the show “30 Rock” Liz Lemon. You could argue that in some regards, Bridget Jones is the mold from which Liz Lemon was cast.

In most films, the female character’s humor is derived from wit, unintelligence, or sexual prowess. In “Bridget Jones’s Diary” the humor comes from Bridget Jones’s constant struggle with herself. She is slightly overweight, she smokes and drinks too much, she is unlucky in love and not quite a wordsmith. How she blunders her way through various social gatherings and situations provides for us the laughs. In one particularly funny scene, Bridget has been invited to a “Tarts and Vicars” party. She arrives dressed as a Playboy bunny only to find that, unbeknownst to her, the theme of the party has changed to a semi-formal affair. Some of the best scenes are simply Bridget’s attempts at self-improvement. I liked Bridget Jones.

And then come the men. Hugh Grant and Colin Firth play the base to Bridget’s love triangle. Hugh Grant is Daniel Cleaver, Bridget’s boss whom she begins an affair with after flirting via email. Firth plays Mark Darcy, a lawyer and childhood friend of Bridget’s. They meet again at a holiday party and Bridget promptly makes a fool of herself. And so with the two opposing men in place, the plot spins into action with the looming question: who will Bridget choose?

One of my pet peeves with movies like this is how nothing seems as important to the heroine as finding a good man and keeping him. This is not necessarily a bad premise for a film, I just feel it limits the character’s potential just like any woman who measures her worth by men will limit her own potential. Its no that I didn’t enjoy the performances by Firth and Grant (I have a very soft spot in my heart for Hugh Grant), its rather that I would have liked to see Bridget get her life together without the main incentive being to find a good man.

But, I suppose in the end, if a film decides to be a romantic comedy, you must accept it and appreciate it for what it is. And “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is funny even if it does boil down to a formula. I guess I just want to see a popular comedy where the woman’s life doesn’t revolve around her men.

Rating:

On a scale of one to Casablanca, this film is a “Die Hard 3”

Rationalization:

It’s entertaining and should be seen if you can. If you’re a die hard (ha!) Romcom fan, it’s a must. But does it move the cosmos and rearrange our perception of time, does it make us really think and grasp for inner truths? No, not really. It’s a fine entertainment, and ultimately that’s just fine.