
Many love Bridget. Just the way she is.
But is that love enough to endure another two hours watching what is being hailed as her “final chapter”? For starters, she’s only 51 years old. A single mother to two young children, making out like this is her last chance for happiness sounds rather depressing. What happened to the old saying, life begins at 40?
When the original movie based on Helen Fielding’s bestselling novel came out in 2001, we were made to believe we were ready for it. A protagonist that was full of flaws and an internal monologue that made so many thirty-somethings feel seen. This was the era before social media, before reading people’s thoughts and musings in tweets and status updates and via a string of pondering WhatsApp messages. The only way we expressed our true feelings in words was either privately in a diary or perhaps, in a letter. Meeting Bridget Jones made us feel like we weren’t mad. There was a united sigh of relief in seeing a woman who could bumble through life, not winning and not being “good”. But was she a role model? Not really. Bridget fell victim to an unhealthy plateful of misogyny, even if this was pre #metoo.
However, a sequel was always on the cards.
Not only had Fielding written and successfully published the second book, but Bridget Jones’ Diary smashed the world wide box office making $281,929,795. The star, Renée Zellweger, was praised for her comedy skills, her relatability, her cute British accent and… for putting on weight. This was the early 00s after all. After the heroin chic pandemic of the 90s, women were desperate for the norm not to be represented as skin and bone. Sadly, the fascination with how Zellweger put on weight and got rid of the weight grabbed the media’s attention more than her acting talents. Bridget Jones’ “normal” weight is scrutinised throughout the film alongside her tedious calorie counting as she writes in her diary, “9st 4 (terrifying slide into obesity – why? Why?)”. When the scales creep up to 9st 7, this is deemed unacceptable. Body confidence expert and influencer Alex Light has said, “Bridget’s preoccupation with her weight and weight loss, which was linked explicitly to her pursuit of a partner, reiterated to multiple generations of girls and women that we have to be thin to be happy. It was an incredibly toxic message that was very widely consumed, and it no doubt has had a lasting impact on many.”
For sure. I personally stopped weighing myself years ago, deciding to go with how I feel rather than what the scales tell me. Whenever I was 9st 7 or above, Bridget Jones’ Diary always sprung to mind. Good Lord, if I weighed more than chubby, fat-thighed old Bridget, was I doomed? I might have ditched the scales for a less toxic relationship with my weight (thank you 90s/00s magazines and lad culture) but that figure still rings in my head on not-so-good days… 9st 7. I like to think I’ve got my head screwed on; I run a business, have two gorgeous kids, laugh lots with my friends, pay my bills and keep it together. I KNOW I don’t have to be thin to be happy. But I still THINK I have to be thin to be happy! Sadly, multiple times a day.
Despite the fat-shaming, single-slamming and outright sexism, the second movie, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was released in 2004 and had a total box office of $265,126,918. Even if it was…well, awful. The plot line is exaggerated, and therefore not as witty as the first instalment. I mean, a Thai prison is depicted as being more fun than being footloose and fancy free.
Okay, two blockbuster rom-coms. Enough.
Ha. Nope.
In waltzes Bridget again, but this time…with a baby. We’re exposed to a Mamma-Mia-esque who’s-the-daddy plot line and daft scenes that make the original movie look like a suave masterpiece. Patrick Dempsey adds “something”, I guess, especially if you’re a McDreamy fan.

Now, the newest visit to Bridget-ville - a-hem, I mean, the final chapter - will be bumbling into our lives this Valentine’s Day. Those who love a taste of nostalgia can enjoy seeing their favourite fag-smoking grape-guzzling female icon and reminisce about how far she (and perhaps oneself) have come in the past 25 years. Maybe you cried in your PJs and sang ‘All By Myself’ badly once upon a time, but have since been rescued by the powers of a prince because the moral of Bridget Jones is that you can ONLY be happy with a man. Or, maybe it’s more meaningful than what is says on the tin…
There’s no doubt that movies from the 90s and 00s gave us much joy. There was a silliness to them, with quick action-packed scenes and even quicker one-liners, cue “your chair is on my wife’s coat.” The jokes were there before we knew we were offended by them. Characters like Bridget and her chums are so loveable, making us crave their supportive company. No matter how cringe the script might seem today, we will likely rewatch it and find ourselves smiling in many places. Which is the point of these types of movies, right? They’re made for escapism. We don’t want to be challenged or frightened or shocked. We just want an easy laugh. Which is what Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy might well be… without the fat phobia.
However, the charm of the diary has been diluted. Bridget, now firmly in 2025, is single again and trying out dating apps. Ugh. I can just see the pop up messages and social media gimmicks splattering across the cinema screen, something I personally find unimaginative in modern movies and TV shows. Call me old-fashioned, but there is something beautiful in a character leaving a handwritten note for another. Even chatting on the phone has more dramatic pull than a smartphone ping. It moves the plot along without yanking us into technology and lazy communication. But I guess we better prepare ourselves for yummy-mummy Bridget tripping up on Tinder.
Because let’s face it, we’re still gonna watch it, aren’t we?
// Hayley Doyle
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