[Spoilers follow for the basic premise of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, which may bum you out.]
I don't really go to the world of Bridget Jones to feel sad. I am a fan of the original Pride and Prejud-ish novel and of the first movie, Bridget Jones's Diary, which is now 24-years-old. That film was both a big step in the dreaminess journey of Colin Firth, who played Mark Darcy, and a massive change of direction for Hugh Grant, who played cad Daniel Cleaver and proved that he's at his best when he's playing at least a little bit of a jerk. And, of course, it set Renée Zellweger on a path that has included two Oscars.
There have been two intervening Bridget films, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones's Baby, and by the end of the latter, Bridget and Mark were finally starting a happy family life. Unfortunately, that kind of life doesn't make for a lot of wacky single-person adventures, and that's what Bridget is for.
And so — and if you are someone who has loved these characters for a long time, this is quite a blow — Mark Darcy has been dead for four years as this movie begins. Bridget is now a single mom raising her school-aged son and daughter, though she's got the help of a longtime friend: Daniel Cleaver (played again by Grant), who has become her kids' beloved "uncle" and favorite babysitter. He still calls her "Jones," he still teases her about her clothes, but they are friends now. They are people who have lived through each other's absurdities (his especially), and they've earned an easy closeness.
But Bridget's faithful friends are beginning to think she really needs to get out there and date. And the first man she meets on this journey is a sweet, lovely (and much younger) guy named Roxster (Leo Woodall). And honestly, while I don't mean to spoil where this is all going, if this were the guy Bridget will spend the rest of her life with, I think they would have named him something else.
At any rate, Bridget begins an invigorating fling with Roxster, but while taking her kids to school, she also befriends one of their teachers, Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is less flashy and exciting and a little more starched. He is a man known as a "Mr.," and he is a man who is initially startled by Bridget's big personality — just like the husband she lost.
There is a lot of grief here. Bridget's grief, the grief of her children, the hole Mark has left for all three of them — loss and pain are not just the premise; they are much of what the movie is about. And maybe that can't be avoided, and maybe it's realistic, because even if you make it to thirty-something without devoting a lot of time to grief, it will often come for you by the time you are fifty-something.
Still, it is an adjustment to turn Bridget Jones into a character who is in this much pain all the time, and to turn a Bridget story into a sad story. And that's true even if you know, as you should, that ultimately she will find a way to persevere, as she always has.
I admit to being conflicted about the result. There is part of me that says ... aren't enough things sad? Aren't there enough movies about death and loss and grief and crying? Can we not just have Bridget Jones be about fun? Was it necessary to murder Mr. Darcy with a land mine just so we could have another sequel? Once love has conquered all, do you need to issue a reminder that it can't prevent tragedy?
That said, though, once you know that's what the film is doing, it's pretty good at it. Zellweger is refreshingly herself, still very winning, still very in touch with Bridget's tireless efforts to connect with her own sunniness, which of course have taken on new heft. Ejiofor is a charming romantic lead playing the kind of basically shy guy Grant used to play before his heel turn, and Woodall is exactly the right kind of appealing as the young man who is almost, but not quite, right for Bridget. And the story, to its credit, still allows their relationship to mean something to her.
And look, we are not made of stone over here: It is awfully nice to see Zellweger with Hugh Grant again. (He skipped the last movie, which led to Darcy facing off with Patrick Dempsey over Bridget's affections instead.) Their chemistry together is sturdy (in the first film, it's so sturdy that you may sometimes even root for him!), and they are utterly convincing as old friends who have had enough ups and downs that now, they simply are present for each other, reliably and with little drama. And that is what I come to the Bridget universe for.
This piece also appeared in NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what's making us happy.
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