Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so it’s time we took a look at some old classics; Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is a film in which love, lust and emotion are all combined together in a tasteful and comedic way.
Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones / Picture Credit: Working Title Films
Bridget Jones’s Diary follows the ventures, both romantic and otherwise, of Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), in a hilarious collection of work-related events and sexual mishaps.
Bridget decides that her love life isn’t going exactly the way she planned, and so buys a diary to try to plan out her life a little better. She notes down what she wants in a man, and what she doesn’t, as well as other personal things.
When Bridget falls for her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), they both get caught up in a relationship that really only focuses on sex, but Bridget sees it heading somewhere.
On the other hand, there is Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a respectable and very attractive human rights barrister; Bridget, however, has been told that he slept with Cleaver’s wife, but that isn’t exactly the truth...
Throughout the movie, Bridget must face her own internal struggles, as well as find out who is a better match for her, Mark or Daniel, as well as getting some questionable advice from her friends, and making mistakes along the way.
One of the most notable things about Bridget Jones’s Diary is how relatable the story is; Zellweger portrays Bridget as a perfectly clumsy, silly and relatable character who is still admired even today.
Almost everyone goes through romantic blunders and sexual mishaps, as well as being uncertain about ourselves and our future; this makes Bridget a perfect protagonist as she makes mistakes but also recovers from them, and shows us that even if we don’t love ourselves, there is someone who loves us, exactly as we are.
Of course, this film would be nothing without the brilliant comedy. Bridget is constantly getting into hilarious situations, such as going to a family gathering dressed as a Playboy bunny, as no one told her the theme had changed.
She is constantly falling over or saying something we would all consider to be cringey; second-hand embarrassment may not suggest humour, but it definitely does here as many of us can relate one way or another.
The plot is a somewhat simple one, leaving plenty of room for humour and emotions to breathe. Bridget is someone we can figure out from the start, which makes every fiasco she finds herself in something we can all agree seems like something she would do.
Having such a relatable character, especially for women around 30 (the same age as Bridget), does so much for a movie, especially one that has sexuality and humour at its centre.
Bridget Jones’s Diary is a genuinely fun experience that showcases both the wonders and blunders of romance, as well as showing that not everything is perfect, but you can make the best of anything, just like Bridget does.
This movie does emotions very well, and shows that anger may not be the emotion you feel when going through something similar to Bridget; you may see melancholy or even a sense of grieving, which is exactly what our main character sees.
This is a classy, funny film that portrays the best and the worst things about love and relationships, while maintaining a comedic theme that serves to enlighten and delight viewers.
Bridget Jones’s Diary is a wonderfully funny and emotional film that sees a woman in her 30s go through heartbreak, love, lust, and everything in-between; Bridget is a relatable character with a can-do attitude and a sense of humour positive enough to keep us all going.
Watch the trailer for Bridget Jones's Diary below:
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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