Zellweger dignifies 'Bridget Jones' Diary'

 

By Sean McCarthy, Daily Nebraskan - April 16, 2001


LINCOLN, Neb. - Almost three-quarters the way into "Bridget Jones' Diary," the viewer gets the pleasure of seeing Hugh Grant involved in a dirty, sloppy, drawn-out street fight - call it pay back for doing "Nine Months."

Those who hate Hugh Grant for either his smug, stuffed-shirt roles or his well-documented womanizing, will no doubt cheer seeing his nose bashed in repeatedly. The scene is intensely amusing until it sprawls out of control and resorts to bombastic clichés (the fight moves into a restaurant, Hugh Grant goes through a glass window). Much could be said of "Bridget Jones' Diary" in general: when it confidently sticks to subtlety, the movie coasts; when it resorts to overblown emotion and occasionally too-broad comedy, it falls on its duff.

Renee Zellweger plays Bridget Jones, a publicist for a publishing company. Much has already been made about the weight she put on for the role but more attention should focus on her effortless adaptation of an English accent. Jones is free-thinking, headstrong and a tad insecure about approaching her mid-30s without a decent prospect in sight.

In comes Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). Cleaver is Jones' boss and is taken by her quirks, which she seems to fully display in the worst situations. After a disastrous book unveiling, in which Jones' forgets the name of the author, the two go to dinner, followed by some fulfilling sex. Cleaver instantly succumbs to commitment-phobia, and Jones' is left to go back to her life of smoking cigarettes, drinking bottles of wine and blaring sappy songs from the '70s and '80s on her stereo.

Jones' problems escalate when her own family starts to crumble as her mother (Gemma Jones) deserts her husband for the wonderful opportunity to be a display gal on a home shopping network. To top that, Jones is also subjected to the constant torment of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a childhood acquaintance who succeeds at being cruel in both the emotional sense as well as fashion sense.

Darcy's annoyances attract Jones just as much as her shortcomings appeal to Darcy. Darcy and Cleaver initially pine for Jones, then lose interest, then regain interest. Meanwhile, Jones is left to sort through the emotional land mines.

Through the duration of "Bridget Jones' Diary," the audience gets a healthy dose of British physical humor. The amazing thing is that most of the jokes are actually funny and, more importantly, reflect the character's personalities. Jones' biggest humiliation comes from sliding down a fire pole and having her ass land squarely in front of the camera. She goes to a party dressed up as a bunny prostitute, oblivious to the fact that the theme has been changed to a more conventional dress code.

In most other cases, these jokes would have been a cheap way to inject humor into a sappy story line. However, Zellweger plays Jones with a laid-back dignity that carries the film. Another great benefit for the film is the writing. Though it sometimes steers dangerously close to a Lifetime movie of the week, there's just enough bittersweet dialogue to remain realistic.

Credit should also go to Firth and Grant. Firth manages to seem intriguing, even while he condescends Jones. Grant, in his best role since "Four Weddings and a Funeral," works his sex appeal for all its worth. The audience knows that he is probably not the best match for Jones, but his appeal is engaging enough to have her fall for him.

For all of the emotional turmoil inflicted on the characters in "Bridget Jones' Diary," everything gets neatly resolved in the last 20 minutes. And while the ending seemed rushed and a little too "Hollywood," it succeeds for the most part.

Jones' life is put on full display in this movie, and in the hands of a lesser actress, "Bridget Jones' Diary" would have tanked. However, Zellweger nails the details of her character, from losing herself in an episode of "Frasier" to her professional handling of both of her suitors. It is one of those date movies that you will be able to walk out of and not have a toothache. But above all, "Bridget Jones' Diary" is a movie that deserves a look, date or not.