Bridget Jones (film series)

The Bridget Jones film series consists of romantic comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Helen Fielding. Starring Renée Zellweger in the title role, with an ensemble supporting cast, the films follow the life events of primary characters Bridget Jones, Mark Darcy, and Daniel Cleaver and explore their respective relationships.

Bridget Jones
Official film series logo
Based onBridget Jones
by Helen Fielding
StarringRenée Zellweger
Colin Firth
Hugh Grant
Patrick Dempsey
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Leo Woodall
Distributed by
Release date
2001–present
Running time
427 minutes[1][2][3]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million (Total of 4 films)
Box office$756,402,939 (Total of 3 films)

The first film was a success at the box office[4] and was met with praise from critics.[5] The second film received mixed-negative reception,[6] but was commercially successful.[7] The third film was met with both critical and commercial success.[8][9] A fourth film was theatrically released in February 2025 in most markets but to Peacock in the United States. It received largely positive reviews.

Films

edit
Film U.K. release date Director Screenwriters Producers
Bridget Jones's Diary April 13, 2001 (2001-04-13) Sharon Maguire Helen Fielding and Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jonathan Cavendish
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason November 12, 2004 (2004-11-12) Beeban Kidron Andrew Davies and Helen Fielding and Richard Curtis and Adam Brooks
Bridget Jones's Baby September 16, 2016 (2016-09-16) Sharon Maguire Helen Fielding and Dan Mazer and Emma Thompson Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Debra Hayward
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy February 13, 2025 (2025-02-13) Michael Morris Helen Fielding and Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jo Wallett

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

edit

Bridget Jones is a binge drinking and chain smoking thirty-something British woman trying to keep her love life in order while also dealing with her job as a publisher. When she attends a Christmas party with her parents, they try to set her up with their neighbours' son, Mark. After being snubbed by Mark, she starts to fall for her boss Daniel, a handsome man who begins to send her suggestive e-mails that leads to a dinner date. Daniel reveals that he and Mark attended college together, in that time Mark had an affair with his fiancée. Bridget decides to get a new job as a TV presenter after finding Daniel being frisky with a colleague. At a dinner party, she runs into Mark who expresses his affection for her, Daniel claims he wants Bridget back, the two fight over her and Bridget must make a decision who she wants to be with.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

edit

Bridget is currently living a happy life with her lawyer boyfriend Mark Darcy, however not only does she start to become threatened and jealous of Mark's new young intern, she is angered by the fact Mark is a Conservative voter. With so many issues already at hand, things get worse for Bridget as her ex-lover, Daniel Cleaver, re-enters her life; the only help she has are her friends and her reliable diary.

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)

edit

Bridget Jones is struggling with her current state of life, including her break up with her love Mark Darcy. She pushes forward and works hard to find fulfilment in her life, which seems to do wonders, until she meets a dashing and handsome American named Jack Quant. Things from then on go great, until she discovers that she is pregnant but the biggest twist of all, she does not know if Mark or Jack is the father of her child.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

edit

Bridget Jones, now a widowed single mother, navigates the challenges of parenthood, work, and modern dating with the support of her friends, family, and former partner, Daniel Cleaver. As she re-enters the dating world, she finds herself pursued by a younger man while also forming an unexpected connection with her son's science teacher.

Principal cast and characters

edit
List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in notable roles.

  • An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
  •  P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
Characters Films
Bridget Jones's Diary Bridget Jones
The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones's Baby Bridget Jones
Mad About the Boy
2001 2004 2016 2025
Bridget Jones Renée Zellweger
Mark Darcy Colin Firth
Daniel Cleaver Hugh Grant Hugh GrantP Hugh Grant
Colin Jones Jim Broadbent
Pamela Jones Gemma Jones
Jude Shirley Henderson
Tom James Callis
Sharon Sally Phillips
Richard Fink Neil Pearson
Una Alconbury Celia Imrie
Uncle Geoffrey James Faulkner
Admiral Darcy Donald Douglas
Mrs. Darcy Charmian May Shirley Dixon[nb 1]
Lara Lisa Barbuscia
Mr. Fitzherbert Paul Brooke
Natasha Glenville Embeth Davidtz
Julian Patrick Barlow
Perpetua Felicity Montagu
Magda Claire Skinner Jessica Hynes Claire Skinner
Rebecca Gillies   Jacinda Barrett
Jed   Paul Nicholls
Jack Qwant Patrick Dempsey
William "Billy" Darcy Uncredited babies Casper Knopf
Miranda Sarah Solemani
Dr. Rawling Emma Thompson
Cathy Joanna Scanlan
Mabel Darcy Mila Jankovic
Mr. Wallaker Chiwetel Ejiofor
Roxster Leo Woodall
Rebecca Isla Fisher
Chloe Nico Parker
Nicolette Leila Farzad

Additional crew and production details

edit
Film Crew/Detail
Composer Cinematographer Editor Production
companies
Distributing
company
Running time
Bridget Jones's Diary Patrick Doyle Stuart Dryburgh Martin Walsh Universal Pictures,
Little Bird Films,
StudioCanal,
Working Title Films
United International Pictures
Miramax Films
96 minutes
Bridget Jones:
The Edge of Reason
Harry Gregson-Williams Adrian Biddle Greg Hayden Miramax Films,
Little Bird Films,
StudioCanal,
Working Title Films
Universal Pictures 108 minutes
Bridget Jones's Baby Craig Armstrong Andrew Dunn Melanie Ann Oliver Miramax,
Little Bird Films,
StudioCanal,
Perfect World Pictures,
Working Title Films
123 minutes
Bridget Jones:
Mad About the Boy
Dustin O'Halloran Suzie Lavelle Mark Day Working Title Films
Miramax
StudioCanal
125 minutes

Reception

edit

Box office performance

edit
Film Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Ref.
North America Other
territories
Worldwide All time
North America
All time
worldwide
Bridget Jones's Diary $71,543,427 $210,386,368 $281,929,795 #996 #421 $25 million [4]
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason $40,226,215 $222,294,509 $262,520,724 #1,895 #458 $40 million [7]
Bridget Jones's Baby $24,252,420 $187,700,000 $211,952,420 #2,893 #642 $35 million [8]
Totals $136,022,062 $620,380,877 $756,402,939 $100 million [10]

Critical and public response

edit
Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Bridget Jones's Diary 79% (164 reviews)[5] 66 (33 reviews)[11] B+[12]
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 27% (151 reviews)[6] 44 (37 reviews)[13] B+[12]
Bridget Jones's Baby 78% (210 reviews)[9] 59 (42 reviews)[14] B+[12]
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy 88% (105 reviews)[15] 73 (27 reviews)[16] TBA

Accolades

edit

Bridget Jones's Diary

edit

Renée Zellweger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, the Empire Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Colin Firth), the Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, the Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry (shared with Hugh Grant), the Teen Choice Award for Choice Liplock (shared with Grant), and the Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress.

Firth won the European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor and the European Film Award – Jameson People's Choice Award – Best Actor and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Grant won the Evening Standard British Film Awards' Peter Sellers Award for Comedy and was nominated for the Empire Award for Best British Actor, the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and the European Film Award – Jameson People's Choice Award – Best Actor. Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies, and Helen Fielding were nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film, the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and the Satellite Award for Best Film – Musical or Comedy.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

edit

The film was voted Evening Standard Readers' Film of 2004. It was on the shortlist for the Orange Film of the Year Award at the 2005 BAFTAs. For her performance as Bridget Jones, Zellweger gained another Golden Globe Award nomination and won the People's Choice Awards for Favorite Leading Lady in 2005.

Bridget Jones's Baby

edit

The film was nominated at the 2017 Diversity in Media Awards for Movie of the Year and won the ASPAC Award.

Home media

edit

The first film on VHS was released in 2001 containing over 35 minutes of bonus material which includes: Deleted Scenes, Exclusive Interviews, Bridget's Guide to "Getting It Right". There was also a VHS of "The Making of Bridget Jones". In 2001, the film was released on DVD containing brand new bonus material and in 2011 a Blu-ray version of the film was released. A Collective Edition of the film was released in 2004 with new bonus material including; The Bridget Phenomenon, The Young And The Mateless, Portrait Of The Makeup Artist, Domestic and International TV Spots, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason Theatrical Trailer, Bridget Jones's Diary Reviews and A Guide to Bridget Britishism.

The second film was released on DVD in 2004 with a variety of bonus features.

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Non-speaking role.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)". British Board of Film Classification. 3 July 2001. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)". British Board of Film Classification. 1 February 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)". British Board of Film Classification. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones's Diary". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bridget Jones's Baby". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Bridget Jones Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Bridget Jones's Diary: reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c "CinemaScore". Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Bridget Jones's Baby: Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 February 2025.