The “Bridget Jones’s Baby” star has revealed she took some college classes during her four-year break from acting in 2010.
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Debates still continue over whether the Bridget Jones series is feminist in any sense, and the answer can only be “yes and no”.
As with Jones, I missed Zellweger on-screen more than I thought I did, especially in this type of role, playing flawed, down-to-earth women who aren’t flawed just because they say they are, but because they feel like the same type of hot mess I can be.
It could be a certain likely suspect or it could be Dempsey’s billionaire American businessman Jack, whom Bridget meets when she and new BFF Miranda (Sarah Solemani) go on an ill-advised pop festival camp-out.
A few weeks later, she has a date with a no-nonsense gynecologist (Emma Thompson stealing every scene she pops up in) who confirms: You’re having a baby!
By chance, she also twice runs into Darcy, falling back into bed with him at the second event. At 43, she’s still the flustered ditz she was in her 20s, still unattached, and still prone to make a fool of herself by blurting out indiscretions or falling in the mud.
Still, Bridget Jones’s Baby is a fun distraction.
Let’s not kid ourselves, though; as amusing as this movie is, it’s equally as predictable.
Bridget Jones’s Baby was released on Friday and is expected to top the box office on its first weekend of release.
It does take a while to get used to Zellweger’s new appearance because Bridget is normally a bit rounder but this time she is slim and the reason is only mentioned in passing.
This relatable (if somewhat aspirational) character comes not just from Zellweger’s performance, but also from the assured direction of Sharon Maguire, who helmed “Bridget Jones’s Diary” in 2001, as well as the fast, fresh, and very amusing screenplay.
Speaking of cute and hilarious, Bridget herself is still a breath of fresh air as a character. Yes, she gets the guy, has an interesting job, and nice apartment in London, but she’s also approachable, insecure, flawed, and clumsy. In romantic comedies, it’s so hard to find characters that not only are relatable, but are realistic. I don’t know, possibly.
BOTTOM LINE: What a treat it is to dive back into the cozy world of Bridget Jones, who is the kind of old friend you can pick up with right where it left off, no matter how long it’s been.
It all gets very complicated and a little silly before things gets resolved, leaving the possibility of yet another film chapter.
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There’s also something strangely fitting about seeing Bridget and Mark in their 40s, where their trademark quirks and anxieties feel more at home. You won’t regret taking “Bridget Jones’s Baby” out for a spin.
