BRIDGET JONES’S BABY

UK, 2016, 122 minutes, Colour.
René Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson, Ed Sheeran, Julian Rhind- Tutt, Sarah Solemani, Joanna Scanlon, Neil Pearson, Patrick Malahide, Kate O' Flynn.
Directed by Sharon Maguire.

The original film with Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was very, very popular, not only in the UK but around the world. Somehow or other, Bridget embodied a lot of the lifestyle in the UK, in London, at the time of the millennium. She was a modern young woman, she had a professional career, she worked in the media, and she had several suitors. She was personified by René Zellweger, effectively making a transition from an American actress to a British character. And she was supported by Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

The original film that to a sequel, audiences enjoying a second opportunity to share her life with Bridget. and then, again, almost 12 years later. Which means that for this film, Bridget is now in her 40s, celebrating her 43rd birthday to be exact, still professional, still not married, and not particularly aware of the ticking of the biological clock – though this is something, as audiences will see from the title, that she becomes much more conscious of.

Actually, the film opens with a memorial service for Hugh Grant’s character, his photo up there at the front of the church, people giving testimonies, lots of middle-European models in the congregation, Bridget and her giving a short address but then seeing old flame, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) in the church with his wife. Bridget finds this very awkward – and this happens again when they both turn up at the christening of the child of one of their mutual friends. (Shazza and Jude are back with husbands and children).

At work, Miranda (Sarah Solemani is concerned about Bridget and her sex life, taking her to a music festival where Bridget is rescued, after she falls flat on her face in the mud, by friendly American, Jack (Patrick Dempsey) and later, stumbling into his tent instead of hers, spends the night there. Within the week, she has spent a night with Mark Darcy. At work one day, she and Miranda pop into the toilet and do a pregnancy test – yes, but, as the film spins it out, who is the father?

There are quite a lot of scenes in the television studio, some of which are quite funny, Bridget on the phone and giving a completely wrong feed to Miranda in her interview with a government minister, an actual interview with Jack when they discover that he is a guru with books about love and an algorithm to discover it, and Bridget mistakenly identifying the chauffeur with the Chinese general who is to be interviewed, quite a muck-up, as is the presentation she has to offer, when her job is on the line with a brash young new producer, and the technology goes wrong, with some visually embarrassing consequences.

But, as the title reminds us, we are concerned about Bridget Jones’s baby. It takes a long time for her to tell each of the men that they are potential father and each is delighted. They both participate in the birth preparation – which is under the care of a very sharp-tongued doctor, played by Emma Thompson (who co-wrote the script and probably wrote her own smart lines). Various ups and downs, various tensions, the birth of the baby – the screenplay suggesting to us that we think that the father will be Jack and then that it will be Mark, leaving the results of the DNA test to the very end of the film, and a wedding (and don’t miss the final Hugh Grant joke with the final credits).

It is more or less what one might expect given the previous films except that the target audience is now 15 years older, and with something of a different age sensibility.

1. The popularity of the first two films? The novels? Bridget, the other characters, romance?

2. 16 years later, Bridget and her age, René Zellweger’s presence? Bridget’s life, relationships with Mark? With Daniel? Her professional work, television?

3. The British style of the film, tone, characters, dialogue, humour? The cast? The musical score?

4. Bridget as a character, very British, from London, the insertion of flashbacks for when she and Mark with young? At 43, one candle, getting up, the phone call from her mother, at work, everybody celebrating, the 43 candles, her accepting her age?

5. The photo at the funeral, Hugh Grant and his presence in the previous films? The speeches, the range of women present, models? Bridget’s short speech? Mark present, his wife? Bridget and her friends, Shazza, Jude, their husbands, families? Their changes over the years?

6. Bridget at work, her friendship with Miranda, sharing with her, talk about pregnancy and sex? The interview with the Foreign Secretary? Bridget on the phone and the wrong feed, the wrong questions? Richard as her boss, his friendship, puzzled?

7. Miranda persuading Bridget to go out, the music festival, packing and clothes, her suitcase, the sex advice? Her falling in the mud? Jack helping her up? Fitting the shoe? Going back stage, not recognising Ed Sheeran, the request of the selfie in the photo? Miranda in the ball with Ed Sheeran? Bridget, going to the wrong tent, talking, the light going on, the experience of Jack? The night together?

8. The result of the festival, the effect, going to the christening, arriving late, the traffic jam, being godmother, Mark at the christening? Going to the house, the night together, her leaving the note?

9. Back at work, the role of Alice, her tight manner, young, appearance, accent? The policy for Hard News? Bridget and the presentation? The discovery of who Jack was, his reputation, the video, his book, love, the algorithm? Inviting him on television? Alice happy, but not with the algorithm? Miranda, the questions, the personal questions? His seeing Bridget? The confrontation in the foyer?

10. Miranda and Bridget in the toilet, the pregnancy test? The visiting the doctor, the doctor and her edgy comments, the scan, fear of the needle? The issue of the father, the two fathers?

11. The secret, reluctant to reveal it? The visit from her father, his confidence in her? Her mother, the campaign, discovering she was pregnant, hiding her behind the notice? Her mother’s change of heart, the social, her chatty friend, all the marginalised? The meeting, her election – but hurrying away to be a grandmother?

12. Jack coming to the presentation, Mark turning up? The presentation, the aims, media, connections, the fiasco, the men and their bottoms, the photos of the men?

13. Bridget talking with the visitor with the difficult name, with Jack and Mark, asking them to come, in the restaurant, the explanation of the situation? Their reactions?

14. Jack, American, his type, happy, talking, the sessions, diving into the pool to save Bridget?

15. The contrast with Mark, the affection in the past? His career, the law, getting off the singers with their free speech like Pussy Riot? Going to the birthing classes? Jack and Mark being mistaken for a gay couple? Bridget’s gay couple friends and their adopting? His reaction to Jack’s comments about not using a condom? The breach between the two and his avoiding
Bridget?

16. Time passing, Bridget managing, the mistaken identity of the Chinese general in the foyer, the farce of Miranda’s interview with him, the discussions with Alice, her resigning? In the rain, locked out? Seeing Mark with his wife? Her sitting in the rain?

17. Mark’s arrival, in the flat, the water breaking, throwing away his phone, no taxi, the Italians and the pizza delivery van, his carrying her to the hospital, Jack arriving on his bike, the comedy of the two men carrying her into the hospital, on the desk? In labour, too late for drugs, hitting Jack in the face, biting Mark on the arm? Ousting them? The doctor and her covering about the paternity – relieved they knew the truth?

18. The baby, Bridget and fondness? The two men going for the test?

19. One year later, the wedding, everybody there including her mother and the constituents? Jack holding the baby? Mark as the groom? Everybody happy together, Bridget wandering to the marquee with the baby?

20. The final joke, the headline, Daniel still alive!