April 2021 Film Club Pick
It is hard for us, here at The Film Rewind, to fathom that a certain British pop culture ‘icon’ is turning 25 years old! We are, of course, talking about the one and only: “Bridget Jones.” Bridget made her debut appearance in the 1996 novel, Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding, which was then swiftly adapted into a wildly successful film version that was released in 2001. With the movie version turning 20, plus the book celebrating its own milestone, we have happily decided to dedicate the month of April to all things Bridget! It also goes without saying that we will also be celebrating the birthday of the actress who brought Bridget to life on screen, as Renée Zellweger will be celebrating her 52nd birthday on April 25th! A total win-win-win theme for us that just cannot be beat!
What can we say? We love a good well-rounded theme and are super excited to delve into the film version and original novel this month! Both the movie and book have been compared to Jane Austen’s classic 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice, and it quickly becomes abundantly clear as to why Bridget Jones’s Diary is heralded as a modern re-interpretation of this classic tale. The plot of the film revolves around single, 30-something Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), who is torn between two different men that have entered her life, one being her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and the other being a close family friend, and old acquaintance of her childhood, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). The whole Mr. “Darcy” thing really says it all…
While we are planning to limit our reviews to the original 1996 novel and 2001 Bridget Jones’s Diary film, it goes without saying that this titular character has appeared in several sequel novels and films. Including two successful movie sequels, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), as well as three sequel novels, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Season (1999), Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2013), and Bridget Jones’s Baby: The Diaries (2016). If you happened to get swept up by the urge to read all the novels or revisit and binge-watch all three ‘Bridget Jones’ films, we certainly won’t stop you!
What do you think of our April Film Club Pick? Have you read Bridget Jones’s Diary before? And be honest, how many times have you watched the film version? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join us in celebrating all things “Bridget Jones” this month! Happy reading and viewing!
Copyright © 2021 Sarah Crane
