Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron, based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. It stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver. It is the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary. There are significant differences in the storylines between the novel and this film adaptation, and between the United States version and United Kingdom version of the film, including an alternate ending.
Plot
The movie begins shortly before Bridget's mother's yearly Turkey Curry Buffet. As she and Mark Darcy are now an item, Bridget is ecstatic about her relationship with her perfect boyfriend, and frequently reminds her co-workers that he is a human rights lawyer. However, Bridget's confidence in her relationship is shattered when she meets Mark's colleague, Rebecca Gilles, a young, tall, self-confident, and effortlessly gorgeous woman. Mark momentarily soothes Bridget by asking her to his "Law Council Dinner". Bridget is delighted to be asked, and assumes that Mark might propose to her that night, but Bridget's confidence is again tested when Mark seemingly spends the majority of the evening with Rebecca and his work colleagues, leaving Bridget to fend for herself. Bridget meets her ex-boyfriend Daniel Cleaver at her job for Sit-Up Britain and is offered a position as the "Smooth Guidess".
After the "Law Council Dinner", Mark and Bridget argue about Bridget not fitting in with Mark's friends, and Mark's "tight ass" behavior. Bridget questions their relationship and, crushed that Mark didn't propose, walks away from him. Mark however then goes to Bridget's apartment, apologizes, and tells her he loves her for the first time. Bridget gives him a key to her apartment, and they spend the evening making up. Later in the night, Mark asks Bridget if she'd like to go on a ski holiday, which she somewhat reluctantly agrees to. Once on the slopes, Bridget learns that it was actually Rebecca that had recommended the vacation spot to Mark, and that her and all his work colleagues are on holiday there too. Bridget tries to sooth herself with the thought that Mark and her have been sharing "eight blissful weeks of uninterrupted shagging" when it occurs to her that she might be pregnant.
Bridget goes back to the hotel room to take the pregnancy test, hopeful that she is. Mark walks in on her, wondering where she had been for the day. When he sees the test, he is at first very excited, expressing his hopes of a son and bringing him up the same way he had been. When Bridget rejects this way of upbringing, a fight is prompted between the two and their relationship is even further strained. The test comes back negative. After they return home from holiday, Bridget and Mark have lunch with both of their parents where the subject of marriage comes up. Mark explains it's not something they're even thinking about yet, which hurts an already fragile Bridget even more.
Once back to Mark's place, Bridget asks if Mark meant what he said about not getting married. He insists they have to talk and goes to use the bathroom. While he's gone, Rebecca calls and leaves a message on Mark's machine. At her friends' insistence, she asks him if he is cheating on her, and he is evasive and offended at the question. Upset that Mark won't give her a straight answer, she breaks up with him for good, stating that he never seems to care enough about her to fight for her and their relationship. Following the breakup and support from friends, Bridget decides to go with Daniel to Thailand to film "The Smooth Guide." Bridget brings Shazzer along to Thailand for support.
Bridget and Daniel begin their flirtation again in the plane, and it seems that he is a changed man. Bridget is about to give him a second chance at the hotel when a prostitute enters. Bridget and Shazzer pack frantically to catch their plane back to the U.K. Bridget puts Shazzer's gift from Jed, a holiday flirt, into her own bag, but dogs of airport security recognize cocaine. With things looking bleak in a Thai prison, Mark Darcy arrives to tell Bridget that his superiors have sent him to put her release in motion. Bridget identifies Jed on a picture as the man who gave Shazzer the hidden cocaine, and Mark walks away and clearly states that he was just the messenger. In Britain, Mark confronts Daniel for not helping Bridget when she was arrested, and they start a fight outside a museum.
At Bridget's return, she is an international human rights celebrity. She is greeted by her parents who have been busy planning their vow renewal ceremony. At home, she is surprised by her friends who inform her that Mark Darcy was the one who tracked down Jed and forced him into custody in order to free her. Hopeful that he still loves her, she runs down to his house, but finds Rebecca Gilles there, who reveals that she does not love Mark, but loves Bridget instead. Bridget takes a cab to Mark's legal chambers and bursts in on an international conference. Mark excuses himself and she asks him to take her back. He wants to say one thing, and she says he can, as long as it's not, "Will you marry me?" However, it is, and she coaxes him into saying it anyway and she accepts. The film ends with Bridget's parents renewing their vows. Bridget, who is now engaged to Mark, catches her mother's bouquet.
Cast
Filming
During the fight scene between Daniel and Mark, it was for the most part not choreographed, instead, the actors were simply asked to fight each other any way they could. At one point in the film (where Bridget and Shazzer are at the Thai airport), Bridget indulges in a fantasy of Mark coming out of water in a wet white shirt, just like Colin Firth did in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Colin Firth plays Mark Darcy in the Bridget Jones films. The poem that Daniel quotes from while passing Ko Panyi is the story of "Phra Aphai Mani" by Sunthorn Phu.
One of the more significant differences between the novel and the film is that the film makes no mention of Bridget's fascination with the BBC television version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and its star, Colin Firth, whom Bridget meets (in the book) in Italy and who plays Mark Darcy in both Bridget Jones films.
Reception
Although the film received a mixed critical reception, it was voted Evening Standard Readers' Film of 2004, was in the shortlist for the Orange Film of the Year award at 2005 BAFTAs and the second interpretation of Bridget gained Renée Zellweger another Golden Globe Award nomination and the People's Choice Awards as Favorite Leading Lady of 2005.
The film grossed US$40,226,215 in the United States and US$262,520,724 worldwide.[1]
Soundtrack
- Will Young - "Your Love Is King"
- Jamelia - "Stop"
- Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You out of My Head"
- Joss Stone - "Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' on Me?) Pt. 1"
- Mary J. Blige - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
- Robbie Williams - "Misunderstood"
- Love Affair - "Everlasting Love" (NB: Jamie Cullum's version appears on the CD)
- Barry White - "You're the First, the Last, My Everything"
- Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay Z - "Crazy in Love"
- Rufus Wainwright featuring Dido - "I Eat Dinner"
- 10cc - "I'm Not in Love"
- Carly Simon - "Nobody Does It Better"
- Primal Scream - "Loaded"
- The Darkness - "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
- Amy Winehouse - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
- Minnie Riperton - "Lovin' You"
- Aretha Franklin - "Think"
- Leona Naess - "Calling"
- Sting & Annie Lennox - "We'll Be Together"
- Harry Gregson-Williams - "Bridget's Theme"
Reception
Uncut magazine gave the album three stars out of five stars, saying that "[I]ts quality control is close to impeccable."[2] Allmusic called it "a generally enjoyable, if slick, musical counterpart to the film's frothy romantic shenanigans."[3]
References
External links
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