Bridget Jones’s Baby

I’ll admit I was skeptical.  ‘Our favorite “singleton” having a baby?!’  With television programs, this is usually the “jump the shark” moment.  Have studios learned nothing from that?  How could this be good for a film that centers on our “Bridge” and her love affairs?!

Back in 2001, I met Bridget Jones in “Bridget Jones Diary” and have seen the film a dozen times or more since.  If I happen by while someone’s watching; I’ll watch, too.  If it’s on cable, I can’t resist and will stop flipping and complete the film.  I loved Oscar® winner Renée Zellweger’s performance and her commitment to authenticity with the character that she took on.  She was willing to gain a lot of weight, which for a woman in Hollywood is an extremely risky move, she looked “mousey” and her hair was generally a complete mess the entire time she was on screen.  No matter.  The success of the film proved that with a sound tale to tell, good actors and ability to provide realistic, more importantly, relatablestorylines, anything is achievable. 

Risk to her health was not taken this time as Zellweger once again plays Bridget Jones, oddball and overall crazy person.  She remained her svelte self and even though her character is pregnant this time around she preferred padding to real weight gain, letting the make-up department get her to where she needed to be.

What “Bridget Jones Baby” mostly gives is why you loved it in the first place and that is mostly what you’d hope… Bridget.  In fact, it felt a lot like the first one without being unoriginal.  Needless to say, there’s a fight between two men and you picking sides is once again at the heart of things. 

Humor is throughout the plot, aimed straight at Jones and her choices.  She has two nights with two different men and now, not knowing who the father of the baby is, she’s trying desperately to find out the answer to this predicament she’s in… without letting them know what she’s up to.  Her prenatal doctor is played by Emma Thompson and she couldn’t have been more delightful.

For the most part, the secondary characters are a joy and add surprisingly detailed elements to what could have been a disaster.  What made it work was its ability to remain a Bridget Jones film.  It was as reliable as Bridget herself, yet at the end, it introduced her reason to be a little self indulgent and close her diary for good for it’s time to put someone, other than her lovers, in the forefront of her life.  There are a few moments that are very touching, even scenes from the first film that will have you realizing how many years have gone by. 

So, which man will get her heart, Mark or Jack?  You’ll have to watch and see.  Will it be the one you want her to end up with?  You’ll have to return and answer that for me yourself.  So, if you liked the first movie, you’ll like this one.  Aside from a few silly scenes, I have to recommend you check this out for a good laugh; it’s enjoyable and amusing.