Movie Marathon: Bridget Jones

1. Bridget Jones's Diary - I somehow convinced my husband to watch these movies with me by telling him that the first one is genuinely a funny movie. And I think he liked the first one (he definitely laughed at a few parts), but he was not impressed by the rest, which I can understand. I wanted to watch them all again because I watched the most recent one not that long ago, and I realized that it has been a while since I watched the first one (and the next two, I've only seen once and I don't remember liking them). But I think the first one is legitimately a comedy classic. Just the scene in the beginning with her singing "All By Myself" is such a perfect embodiment of being single and depressed, but she is so hilarious they way she sings it, that it somehow makes me smile every time. What is actually depressing, though, is that they literally call her fat and she is only 136 lbs. The "I thought you said she was thin" line is so fucking mean, because SHE IS! And when she puts on that Playboy Bunny outfit?! HELLO?! She's so hot! And a bit curvy - but definitely a sexy curvy not fat curvy. It's insane that this is how women thought of themselves in 2001 - we were definitely starting to recover from the 90s Kate Moss bone thin aesthetic, and then there was a very nice decade of body positivity, but I fear we are now working backwards with the whole GLP-1 medications making people sickly thin. I personally think a lot of women are putting their health at risk to be thin, but are going to run into a plethora of other problems (so far I know women who are losing their hair, have skin problems, and one is losing her eyesight - and none of these women actually look better, just skinnier...). Anyway, I think this movie is hilarious. Everyone is so good - Hugh Grant is the perfect playboy, Renee Zellweger has never been better (she should have an Oscar for this - not for the roles she actually won for! But she was actually nominated for this, which is super rare for a romcom lead actress to get an Oscar nod - THAT'S HOW GOOD SHE IS!!), and Colin Firth is excellent as the stuck-up but lovable love interest. Plus, Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones as her parents just KILL ME every time. They are both so funny and endearing. Plus this is one of the few films that could actually benefit from being longer - it's only 97 minutes but I could have easily watched another 20 minutes of Bridget being ridiculous. 

2. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - So, there's a few things that I like in this one, but overall it's kind of a mess. I think her friends are even funnier in this one. I love Jacinda Barrett and I love the twist of her character. I think seeing Bridget and Mark in a relationship together is interesting - they bicker, which I usually hate, but it's more of an opposites attract bickering and not a hateful/mean-spirited bickering, and they very clearly love each other. I think the plot just becomes super weird with the whole Thai prison/drug trafficking fiasco. It's way too dark for a romcom. Like, parts of it are still funny (like how they are reading The Beach), but the actual plot is DARK and I can't actually enjoy watching women being locked up for crimes they are probably innocent of. I didn't actually remember any of this while watching it - I remembered that Bridget & Mark are together, but she thinks he's having an affair with his co-worker and she handles it in a very Bridget sort of way. BUT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND A THAI PRISON??? In a romcom? It's a mess. 

3. Bridget Jones's Baby - I think this one at least keeps things a bit lighter than the sequel, but it's still very much a mess. Again, a few things I liked - the beginning with "Jump Around" being her sing-along-at-home-karaoke song is SO funny. The idea of Bridget Jones having a baby and not knowing who the father is - is a good next step in her story. But, the problem is that they make Mark Darcy a little bit too much of a dick in this and I can't root for him?? They also seemingly kill off Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and that's a harsh move. And the biggest mistake is that the new love interest is Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy aka People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 2023) and he's a genuinely nice guy with a whole lot of money and charm. Soooo....he seems like a better match?? And I'm pretty sure we're supposed to root for Bridget and Mark? It just makes no sense! It's weird that it ends with her back with Mark, because he's an asshole! I think this one misses the mark on the humor too - and it's 2 hours long but it doesn't need to be. 

4. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - I was not expecting to rewatch this so soon (it was released just last year) because it's not exactly a great movie. But I liked it! I liked that it turns into a story about grief and moving forward with your life. Killing off Mark seems a little harsh and depressing at first, but I think it's a necessary arc in Bridget's life. And Leo Woodall is SO hot. I saw a few people recommending him for Bond and I wouldn't be mad at it. Although I kind of think he's too quiet and introspective for such an outwardly charming character, but that deeper connection could bring something different to Bond. Anyway, I enjoy their little fling - and I'm happy that they keep it a fling (age gaps like that are FINE for a fling! My husband saw the poster for it and said "is this one about her son?" LOL). I don't have much else to say about this other than what I wrote last year when I first watched it. Oh, it also features my favorite Rihanna song ("Stay"), so that's always a plus! 

Ranking: 

Bridget Jones's Diary 

Mad About the Boy 

Edge of Reason 

Baby