Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2080 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-12-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Featuring a blowzy, winningly inept size-12 heroine, Bridget Jones's Diary is a fetching adaptation of Helen Fielding's runaway bestseller, grittier than Ally McBeal but sweeter than Sex and the City. The normally sylphlike Renée Zellweger (Nurse Betty, Me, Myself and Irene) wolfed pasta to gain poundage to play "singleton" Bridget, a London-based publicist who divides her free time between binge eating in front of the TV, downing Chardonnay with her friends, and updating the diary in which she records her negligible weight fluctuations and romantic misadventures of the year. Things start off badly at Christmas when her mother tries to set her up with seemingly standoffish lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), whom Bridget accidentally overhears dissing her. Instead she embarks on a disastrous liaison with her raffish boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant, infinitely more likeable when he's playing a baddie instead of his patented tongue-tied fops). Eventually, Bridget comes to wonder if she's let her pride prejudice her against the surprisingly attractive Mr. Darcy.

If the plot sounds familiar, that's because Fielding's novel was itself a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, whose romantic male lead is also named Mr. Darcy. An extra ironic poke in the ribs is added by the casting of Firth, who played Austen's haughty hero in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Austen's novel. First-time director Sharon Maguire directs with confident comic zest, while Zellweger twinkles charmingly, fearlessly baring her cellulite and pulling off a spot-on English accent. Like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill (both of which were written by this film's coscreenwriter, Richard Curtis), Bridget Jones's stock-in-trade is a very English self-deprecating sense of humour, a mild suspicion of Americans (especially if they're thin and successful), and a subtly expressed analysis of thirtysomething fears about growing up and becoming a "smug married." The whole is, as Bridget would say, v. good. --Leslie Felperin

Synopsis
Based on the novel by Helen Fielding. This is the story of a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a thirty-something woman, obsessed with her love life, weight, cigarette and alcohol intake. She falls for her boss, Daniel Cleaver, but when she discovers he is being less than faithful, her attention turns to the handsome Mark Darcy...

Customer Reviews

Yes Bridget is the one with the trademark knickers
Also Bridget Jones is a 32-year-old, single, working woman, who has decided to trade some of her independence for a romantic relationship. She's thinking marriage. Her difficulties arise from the fact that, while she's charming, attractive, spontaneous, trusting, and perfectly sincere, she's not terribly bright.
As she enters this new stage of her life, she begins to journal about it. Ms. Jones narrates the film in the third person, as if audibly writing in her diary, a great way to get inside the personal struggles of the heroine.

Basically, in the course of her personal quest for a relationship, she's confronted with a choice between `intensity' and `intimacy,' the one offering danger and excitement, the other safety and excitement. They look alike, but they're not. The first type of relationship is your typical `cosmic' romance, in which some poor dumb idiot is always looking for a `soul mate,' who is always disappointed that nobody is perfect enough. This person is usually codependent. The second type of relationship, while less dangerous (it's a peculiarity of the human psyche that people are more sexually attractive to us when we associate them with danger), offers warmth, acceptance, mutual individuation, and self-expression. It's the joy of intimacy based upon clear-eyed acceptance of each other's strengths and faults.

There's a great scene in the video, where Bridget throws a dinner party for her friends. She's a horrible cook, and the meal is, by all accounts, hard to swallow. In a jocular mood, her friends argue over which of several courses was the worst. But it's not malicious. It's the kind of jesting that is totally affirming, that fully accepts Ms. Jones in spite of, and maybe also because of, her shortcomings. Now that's intimacy.

Without a doubt one of the Greatest Movies of all Time!!
Made by the people who bought you such classic hits as 'Notting Hill' and 'Four weddings and a funeral' comes a hilarious and highly anticipated film of Helen Fielding's book. This movie is about the year in the life of a thirty something woman (Jones) who is sick and tired of being single and overweight.
Throw in a delightfully witty script co -written by Richard Curtis, an unpleasant turn from the normally soft Hugh Grant and a cast with huge amounts of talent and the result is everything fans and non fans could have hoped for.
Renee Zellweger was chosen to play the unglamorous role of Bridget Jones herself. Renee piled on the pounds to play the part and she pulls it off amazingly. While Colin Firth is brilliant as the posh and rich Mark Darcy.
Director Sharon Maguire mixes big laughs with touching romance brilliantly. The humour in the movie will make you laugh out loud as it takes you through Bridget's interesting and comical life. Highlights of the film include Bridget's New Year resolutions, her bunny rabbit suit; also Grant and Firth comically fight it out.
The angle of the movie is only focused on 3 characters, Bridget finding love with her 2 perfect men. Bridget is a clutse, she's unsuccessful, fat and unlucky in love and the movie explores those factors and how they fit into her life.
Final Verdict: With a top notch cast, witty script and enough laughs and romance to get you through, this rom-com is one not to be missed. Superb.

This is one of my favourite films ever, makes me laugh every time I see it
I read the book by Helen Fielding and thoroughly enjoyed it, luckily much time had passed by the time the film came out which prevented me from making direct comparisons and allowed me to enjoy the film. Whenever my housemate and I feel like watching a film we always plump for Bridget. It makes us laugh every time and we always enjoy it. It isn't an amazing,artistic, enlightening film but it is great fun. Renee Zellweger does a brilliant English accent (many Americans have failed) and makes a very convincing Bridget. If you want a great film for a girls night in I would highly recommend it.