INTRODUCTION

"BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY" started life in 1995 as a column in the UK's Independent newspaper, written by journalist Helen Fielding. It was a brilliantly comic, week-by-week account of the life of a single, thirty-something woman, looking for love amidst the confusion of a post-feminist world.

"It was then I realised that I was destined to turn into Miss Haversham, or Glenn Close in
'Fatal Attraction'. And having lived a life where my major relationship was with a bottle
of Chardonnay, finally die fat and alone and be found three weeks
later half-eaten by Alsatians."

When Fielding turned her columns into a novel in 1996, Bridget Jones became a global cultural phenomenon: a book that sold over 4 million copies, and a character that symbolised the aspirations and confusions of women all over the world.

Now "BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY" is a film, starring Renée Zellweger ("Nurse Betty", "Jerry Maguire"), Hugh Grant ("Notting Hill", Four Weddings And A Funeral"), and Colin Firth ("Shakespeare In Love", "The English Patient") with a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis. The film is directed by Sharon Maguire and produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jonathan Cavendish.

The story centres on Bridget, a 30-something "singleton", convinced that everyone is getting it right except her. Her ambitions are few - she would like to lose weight and find true love - but seemingly unattainable. Her romantic life is in a state of perpetual crisis. At the start of the New Year, Bridget decides it's time to take control of her life and start writing a diary.

"I decided to get a grip on my life and start a diary, recording all the important things.
Resolution number one: obviously, will lose twenty pounds. Number two: equally important,
will find nice sensible boyfriend to go out with and not continue to form romantic attachments
to any of the following - alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, peeping-toms;
megalomaniacs, emotional fuckwits or perverts."

While her friends Jude, Sharon and Tom provide her with hopeless advice, Bridget finds herself torn between two men, her charming, sexy, but dangerous boss Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy, a old family friend, who seems at first to be aloof and dull, until his true self is revealed. Bridget's unsuccessful attempts to control her chaotic life and develop inner poise are charted by her diary entries. As the hilarious dilemma unfolds Bridget discovers that she has an irrepressible ability to survive the confusion around her.

The cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson, James Callis, Embeth Davidtz, Honor Blackman and Celia Imrie.

Filmed on location in and around London and at Shepperton Studios, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is produced by Working Title Films. The director of photography is Stuart Dryburgh, the production designer is Gemma Jackson, the costume designer is Rachael Fleming, the make up and hair designer is Graham Johnston, the sound mixer is David Crozier, and the editor is Martin Walsh.