Bridget Jones:
Mad About The Boy
review by Bobby Blakey
In 2001 the novel Bridget Jones Diary from writer Helen Fielding made its way onto the big screen with Renee Zellweger in the title role. After its success it spawned two sequels in Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason in 2004 and Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016. It seemed the series was finished but now they have got the gang back together for a new chapter of the popular series with Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy with Zellwegger once again starring as Jones and co-starring Leo Woodall, Hugh Grant, Chitwetel Ejiofor, and Colin Firth with director Michael Morris at the helm. Could this latest chapter offer more laughs and heart, or has it lost its connection to love?
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy follows Bridget Jones now navigating life as a widow and single mum with the help of her family, friends, and former lover, Daniel. Back to work and on the apps, she's pursued by a younger man and maybe - just maybe - her son's science teacher.
For those that don’t know the first two films are based on the novels by Fielding, but the third entry was an original script that she was also involved in. This entry is back to the original source material based on her third novel of the same name. While I enjoyed the first three films, I did feel like they started getting redundant with the same love triangle or idea each film. The evolution of her life around love stories, I think, is why the films stand out alongside the realistic nature of life.
All the films infuse lots of comedy into love stories and tend to deliver so I was surprised that this new entry was a little different. Not in a bad way mind you, but due to it dealing with some varying heavy subject matter they took a more mature approach similar to that of this point of Jones’s life. There are still plenty of laughs here, but it just has a level of seriousness that I don’t think was as present in the
other films or necessary. With the direction this film went on it felt in place and was handled in a way that still fit in with the narrative of the previous films.
They crafted a story that works in a lot of the past characters and stories in some smart ways while taking audiences on a new chapter of her life. Zellweger easily steps right back into this role and hasn’t lost a step. You can tell she loves this character, and it shines through in her performance each time. The regulars of Grant and Firth are here but are not front and center like in the other films. Instead, they both serve a stronger role of friend and grounding to allow her to move on. The new additions to the cast and seeing her in full on motherhood is a nice change and infused the film with that bit of newness it needed to stand out.
While not the strongest entry into the franchise it is one that holds its own and will likely be embraced by those that are fans of the previous films and/or the novels. Decide for yourself and check out Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy streaming now on Peacock.