Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Wednesday, April 25, 2001
10:45 am

Cups of coffee consumed: 3; Cigarettes smoked: 1 (very good); Non-work related emails sent: 6; Work-related emails sent: 0; Hours spent on Epinions when I should be working: 2 1/2.

Dear Diary,

Being the loser that I am, without a boyfriend and unable to get a date at the mere snap of my fingers, did what every self-respecting Singleton would do and proclaimed last night GIRLS' NIGHT. Went with Singleton friend Lisa to see Bridget Jones's Diary, movie about an even bigger loser than me named Bridget Jones. Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is a Singleton (clever word for neurotic race of people known as singles) stuck in a dead-end PR job in which she is also having an affair with her bad-boy boss Daniel (Hugh Grant). Daniel is complete snake. Also popping up ominously throughout the story is stuffy attorney and childhood acquaintance Mark Darcy (the delicious Colin Firth-- mmmmmmm-- who also played the delicious yet stuffy Mr. Darcy in the excellent BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.)

Bridget is--in classic fashion-- torn between the awful yet exciting Daniel Cleaver and the boring but nice Mark Darcy. Personally, I would also have a hard time choosing between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, so I totally get where she's coming from here. But what I don't get is why on earth these two handsome and desirable chaps are fighting over Bridget. Huh??

The book on which the movie is based portrays Bridget as a clumsy, self-deprecating, yet likeable single woman of average looks who has a penchant for bad luck and bad boys. In the movie, though, Bridget still has all these qualities, but to the extreme. First of all, Renee Zelwegger looks really BAD for most of this movie. Not just with her legendary weight gain (of course, I'm guessing she's still smaller than the average woman here-- thanks, Hollywood), but she is made to look as unattractive as possible. In every possible way. And her personality is just over-the-top awful! In the book, Bridget is still loveable, still likeable, still human. Here, she's almost a caricature of herself and does not really ever redeem herself as human or loveable in any sort of way. She's a cartoon, for heaven's sake! The movie does have moments in which she seems to have something more to her, but, mostly, poor Bridget is two-dimensional at best. So.... what on earth does Daniel see in her that makes him want to seduce her?? An even bigger question is what on earth does the EXTREMELY eligible Mark Darcy see that makes him want to settle for such a... loser? (If Bridget Jones can have these two men chasing after her, why the hell am I still single, anyway??!??!)

All this is really no fault of Miss Zelwegger. I suspect she plays the part as it is written in the script, and, with that in mind, she plays it extremely well. Non-native British accent included. Well done, Renee! Unfortunately, the movie is not as special as the book. Something was lost in translation (like the diary. Hello?? What happened to Bridget's diary here? How can you name the movie Bridget Jones's Diary and downplay the diary itself into just about nothing? Sheesh.)

I was also disappointed to see that Bridget's friends were reduced to basically nothing more than scenery around which Bridget and her men are placed. In the book, Bridget's friends play a vital role in her life. Here.... nah. I would have liked to see more of them and less of the saga of Bridget's parents. For example, we are introduced in the beginning to Bridget's friend Jude, who is described (and, in the book, portrayed) as always being in the middle of a major relationship crisis with her boyfriend, Vile Richard. Funny stuff in the book. Potentially funny stuff in the movie, only nothing more is ever said of Jude and Vile Richard! We see Jude a few times, but she always looks pretty happy and not at all traumatized by a bad relationship. Oh well.

The supporting cast we do see a lot, though, is excellent. Hugh Grant is in top form, playing the same part he always plays really, only this time with a somewhat naughty edge. Colin Firth basically reprises his Pride and Prejudice role, which is actually perfect considering the fact that in both Bridget Jones novels, Bridget and her friends are obsessed with Firth and his stoic portrayal of Mr. Darcy! (Aren't we all?)

All in all, despite Bridget's character flaws, Bridget Jones's Diary (the movie) is highly entertaining and well worth seeing. I laughed out loud throughout the whole thing (which is rare for me, trust me). Though it wasn't as easy for me to identify with as the novel, it's overall very funny to watch Bridget take pratfall after pratfall into mortifying moment after mortifying moment. At times I actually covered my face out of sheer embarrassment for the poor girl!

I do believe that fans of the novel won't be too disappointed with how the movie comes out, despite the minor flaws I pointed out above.

Yours truly,
vania



Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age