Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Bridget Jones is back!
If you can get past the unreasonably sad opening scene of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the rest of the film will reward you with a fun, quirky rom-com in true Bridget Jones fashion.
Bridget Jones first appeared in print in 1996 and Renée Zellweger’s rendition first appeared in 2001. Now, 24 years and three films later, Bridget is back to provide the perfect Galentine’s streaming film.
Bridget Jones (Zellweger) is alone once again, having been widowed four years prior when her husband, Mark, was killed on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. Now navigating life as a single mother of 9-year-old Billy and 4-year-old Mabel, Bridget is pressured by friends and family to pull herself together—which of course to them means finding a boyfriend. Although still in love with her late husband, Birdget is somehow convinced (maybe solely thanks to potential beau, Leo Woodall’s Roxster) to pursue a new relationship. Luckily, this puts enough pep in her step to encourage her to return to her job—where she truly thrives—forcing her to hire all-too-perfect nanny, Chloe (Nico Parker), but this all helps her find herself after her years of living in grief.
As Bridget and her children wrestle with the loss of their spouse and father, the film addresses issues of religion, death, and the meaning of life. It’s done in an authentic, raw manner that both feels very Bridget Jones and adds great emotional layers to the film. With the studio skipping a traditional theatrical release in the US (opting instead to go straight to streaming), it’s surprising that Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy doesn’t feel like a straight-to-streaming movie. It’s a film that belongs in the theaters just as much as any of the previous films in the franchise.
With all the changes in Bridget’s life, the film still reunites franchise staples Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant as they reprise their respective roles as Dr. Rawling, Mark Darcy, and Daniel Cleaver. The fourth installment of the Bridget Jones series seamlessly takes its place within the Bridget Jones universe.
Overall, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the perfect film to watch at home with your girlfriends, spouse, or even just your dog. It hits the perfect middle ground between romance and tragedy and is sure to make you fall in love with life and those around you just a little bit more.
