Bridget Jones' Baby (B or 3/4 stars)
2001 brought us the genial, superbly performed hit, ‘Bridget Jones' Diary’. 2004 brought us a blah sequel, ‘...The Edge of Reason’. But now, 15(!) yrs. after the original, this franchise (as well as Renee Zellweger's career) has made a long-awaited & enjoyable comeback. This 3rd installment, 'Bridget Jones's Baby' (directed by Sharon Maguire) begins as our charming-yet-awkward diarist Bridget (Zellweger, who was Oscar nommed for 2001's film) is celebrating her 43rd birthday - alone again - with Celine Dion's "All By Myself" blaring in the background (her friends, old & new, can't make her birthday festivities for various reasons). Bridget is an accomplished TV news producer and seemingly content {not as body-obsessed, has quit smoking, seems to know her lot in life}. But that all changes when it is revealed at a funeral that Bridget's boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), has died and her longtime lover, wealthy barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), is married.
Now crestfallen, Bridget's news anchor buddy Miranda, concocts a plan for the 2 of them to go wild for a weekend adventure at a music festival {eat, drink, be merry ... and have lotsa sex, etc.}. That is where American billionaire CEO Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey, aka McDreamy) gallantly pulls her out of some mud. What comes next? Well, a night of wild sex, of course. One week later, Bridget runs into Mark Darcy again & finds out that he is getting a divorce. Nostalgic sparks fly and ... what comes next? You guessed it -- another tryst. Weeks later, Bridget discovers that she is indeed pregnant. But who's the father!? And so launches another wacky plot in which both men are open to claiming parenthood. They become humorously competitive. And when her water finally breaks, both men rush her to hospital, defying gridlock by carrying her through the streets of London. Will knowledge of who the father is determine where her heart follows?
This movie might be cheesy, sentimental and often implausible ... but it's also a joy to watch. One thing that this franchise has always gotten right is the character of Bridget. She's appealing & relatable to a lot of women, even when she makes baaaaad mistakes. Why? Because she's open, warm, lovingly insecure, & vulnerable through it all. Renee Zellweger took a 6 yr. break from acting {why, I'm not exactly sure ... break-up with Bradley Cooper? Her films hadn't been doing well? Whatever the case -- the break did her good}. Bridget Jones's Baby was the perfect vehicle for her comeback because it’s a well worn character that she could slip right back into & the fans would cheer for her return. Now middle-aged, Bridget grapples with gender equality & feeling increasingly irrelevant in a workplace populated by mean girls much younger than her. Art might be imitating life here, as Zellweger is trying to re-join the ranks as one of Hollywood's assets.
Debonair Colin Firth steps rigth back into the role of Mark Darcy with aplomb. To fill a hole left by Hugh Grant, Patrick Dempsey acquits himself well as the OTHER man who might be THE man in Bridget's life. Zellweger shares great chemistry with both men; making it ever-so-slightly difficult to figure out how everything will end up. Jim Broadbent & Gemma Jones return as Bridget's parents. There are a few fun cameos. And Emma Thompson (who co-wrote the fun script) is super fun as Bridget's obstetrician; her running commentaries on Bridget's situation are comic gold. Through call-backs to popular songs (loved Annie Lennox's “The Hurting Time”; even the on-the-nose choice of “Ain't No Stopping Us Now” as Mark & Jack carry Bridget to the hospital) & various wonderful scenes from the earlier films. Again, aside from some eye roll-worthy plot contrivances, the direction & script is intelligent, endearing, sassy, & fun. Welcome back, Renee Zellweger.
Now crestfallen, Bridget's news anchor buddy Miranda, concocts a plan for the 2 of them to go wild for a weekend adventure at a music festival {eat, drink, be merry ... and have lotsa sex, etc.}. That is where American billionaire CEO Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey, aka McDreamy) gallantly pulls her out of some mud. What comes next? Well, a night of wild sex, of course. One week later, Bridget runs into Mark Darcy again & finds out that he is getting a divorce. Nostalgic sparks fly and ... what comes next? You guessed it -- another tryst. Weeks later, Bridget discovers that she is indeed pregnant. But who's the father!? And so launches another wacky plot in which both men are open to claiming parenthood. They become humorously competitive. And when her water finally breaks, both men rush her to hospital, defying gridlock by carrying her through the streets of London. Will knowledge of who the father is determine where her heart follows?
This movie might be cheesy, sentimental and often implausible ... but it's also a joy to watch. One thing that this franchise has always gotten right is the character of Bridget. She's appealing & relatable to a lot of women, even when she makes baaaaad mistakes. Why? Because she's open, warm, lovingly insecure, & vulnerable through it all. Renee Zellweger took a 6 yr. break from acting {why, I'm not exactly sure ... break-up with Bradley Cooper? Her films hadn't been doing well? Whatever the case -- the break did her good}. Bridget Jones's Baby was the perfect vehicle for her comeback because it’s a well worn character that she could slip right back into & the fans would cheer for her return. Now middle-aged, Bridget grapples with gender equality & feeling increasingly irrelevant in a workplace populated by mean girls much younger than her. Art might be imitating life here, as Zellweger is trying to re-join the ranks as one of Hollywood's assets.
Debonair Colin Firth steps rigth back into the role of Mark Darcy with aplomb. To fill a hole left by Hugh Grant, Patrick Dempsey acquits himself well as the OTHER man who might be THE man in Bridget's life. Zellweger shares great chemistry with both men; making it ever-so-slightly difficult to figure out how everything will end up. Jim Broadbent & Gemma Jones return as Bridget's parents. There are a few fun cameos. And Emma Thompson (who co-wrote the fun script) is super fun as Bridget's obstetrician; her running commentaries on Bridget's situation are comic gold. Through call-backs to popular songs (loved Annie Lennox's “The Hurting Time”; even the on-the-nose choice of “Ain't No Stopping Us Now” as Mark & Jack carry Bridget to the hospital) & various wonderful scenes from the earlier films. Again, aside from some eye roll-worthy plot contrivances, the direction & script is intelligent, endearing, sassy, & fun. Welcome back, Renee Zellweger.