Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against expectations. As a New Year's resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. Her charming boss takes an interest in her, and she cannot stop running into a rather disagreeable acquaintance whom Bridget cannot help finding quietly attractive.
What critics thought
Renée Zellweger's transformation into Bridget — accent, physical comedy, and all — is the film's undisputed centerpiece, drawing near-universal admiration even from critics who found the adaptation itself uneven. The real fault line runs through the screenplay: admirers called it a charming distillation of the novel's spirit, while detractors argued it sands off Fielding's irony and cynicism in favor of tidy, crowd-pleasing warmth. Audience affection has only grown with time, outpacing what the mixed-to-favorable critical reception at release might have predicted.
“Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real. It is a performance so airy you barely sense the work that must have gone into it.”
Stephen Holden·The New York Times
“He's the complete Darcy, and he never wavers. There's no sentimentality, no flirtation with the audience, no final moment of pandering to the niceness gods; he's a cold geek all the way through.”
Stephen Hunter·The Washington Post
“The mess, though, where's the mess? The hysteria, the middle of the night jitters of loneliness? The mess of Bridget's life [in the book] has been tidied, neatened into little piles of mirth and gaiety...The movie never shows us anything about Bridget that's remotely in need of psychological or physical fixing.”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“Bridget's 'why can't I find a husband?' lament”
Creative Loafing
“While the writers have captured Fielding's sparkling rhythm with words, they've created a bit of havoc with the plotline.”
Paul Clinton·CNN
Accolades
Genres
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Cast & Crew
Sharon MaguireDirector
Renée ZellwegerBridget Jones
Colin FirthMark Darcy
Hugh GrantDaniel Cleaver
Jim BroadbentBridget's Dad
Gemma JonesBridget's Mum
James CallisTom
Sally PhillipsShazza
Shirley HendersonJude
Embeth DavidtzNatasha
Lisa BarbusciaLara
Celia ImrieUna Alconbury
James FaulknerUncle Geoffrey
Patrick DoyleComposer
Helen FieldingWriter
Andrew DaviesWriter
Richard CurtisWriter
Stuart DryburghCinematographyFrom the studio
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against expectations. As a New Year's resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. Her charming boss takes an interest in her, and she cannot stop running into a rather disagreeable acquaintance whom Bridget cannot help finding quietly attractive.
What critics thought
Renée Zellweger's transformation into Bridget — accent, physical comedy, and all — is the film's undisputed centerpiece, drawing near-universal admiration even from critics who found the adaptation itself uneven. The real fault line runs through the screenplay: admirers called it a charming distillation of the novel's spirit, while detractors argued it sands off Fielding's irony and cynicism in favor of tidy, crowd-pleasing warmth. Audience affection has only grown with time, outpacing what the mixed-to-favorable critical reception at release might have predicted.
“Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real. It is a performance so airy you barely sense the work that must have gone into it.”
Stephen Holden·The New York Times
“He's the complete Darcy, and he never wavers. There's no sentimentality, no flirtation with the audience, no final moment of pandering to the niceness gods; he's a cold geek all the way through.”
Stephen Hunter·The Washington Post
“The mess, though, where's the mess? The hysteria, the middle of the night jitters of loneliness? The mess of Bridget's life [in the book] has been tidied, neatened into little piles of mirth and gaiety...The movie never shows us anything about Bridget that's remotely in need of psychological or physical fixing.”
Lisa Schwarzbaum·Entertainment Weekly
“Bridget's 'why can't I find a husband?' lament”
Creative Loafing
“While the writers have captured Fielding's sparkling rhythm with words, they've created a bit of havoc with the plotline.”
Paul Clinton·CNN
Accolades
Genres
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Cast & Crew
Sharon MaguireDirectorRenée ZellwegerBridget JonesColin FirthMark DarcyHugh GrantDaniel CleaverJim BroadbentBridget's DadGemma JonesBridget's MumJames CallisTomSally PhillipsShazzaShirley HendersonJudeEmbeth DavidtzNatashaLisa BarbusciaLaraCelia ImrieUna AlconburyJames FaulknerUncle GeoffreyPatrick DoyleComposerHelen FieldingWriterAndrew DaviesWriterRichard CurtisWriterStuart DryburghCinematography