'Good giggles' abound in 'Diary'

By Gail Cooke, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - June 21, 1998

Great news I have found a new best friend! Her name is Bridget. She's called "Bridge" and we met in Helen Fielding's first novel "Bridget Jones's Diary," a hysterically funny fictional (although I think it's true) daily journal. 

This book won the British Book of the Year Award, and no wonder! Bridge is us she's every unrealized but still trying 30-something single career woman who is plagued by cellulite, needs to be more confident and assertive, and is unable to program videos. 

Just to show you how alike we are, Bridge says she is "a child of Cosmopolitan culture, have been traumatized by supermodels and too many quizzes and know that neither my personality nor my body is up to it if left to its own devices. I can't take the pressure. I am going to spend the evening... eating doughnuts in a cardigan with an egg on it." See, Diary? She's me. 

Bridge relentlessly pursues self-improvement each day noting calories consumed, alcohol imbibed, negative thoughts entertained, and other areas that need surveillance. Maybe I should do that, too. Really, I bonded with Bridge from her diary's beginning New Year's resolutions: "I WILL... Eat more fiber... Get up straight away when woke in the mornings... Go to gym three times a week not merely to buy sandwich... Put photographs in photograph album."

 Regrettably, as Bridge noted, January was off to an exceptionally bad start re these resolves due to a visit home and forced attendance at an annual Turkey Curry Buffet, but she keeps trying and I do, too! There are differences between us, sure. After all, she's a Brit and I'm a Yank. Bridge tends to find solace in tray-sized bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, while a Nestle's Crunch or two soothes me. She knows the dismay of seeing a blank screen on your Caller ID with the weekend looming. Of course, the central London equivalent of that is dialing 1471, which only gives the last number that called you instead of all of them. But, details, details... those are such tiny differences.

 Bridge and I are truly sisters I know we are. Even if we weren't emotional kin I'd love her because she's on target about married people when she asks why they can't understand that point-blank inquiries about her love life are not polite questions. As she says, "We wouldn't rush up to them and roar, 'How's your marriage going? Still having sex?'" 

Another thing Bridge is accurate about: parents. She loves hers and I love mine, but, let's face it, they can be trying. I so felt for her when her Mum left her Dad and Bridge became the comfort-giver. But then, her Mum did become a television personality, and found a dapper gray-haired Portuguese named Julio. My Mom still seeks affirmation by baking broccoli and cheese casseroles for church socials. 

Oh, did I mention that "Bridget Jones's Diary" has been bought for the movies by the same folk who made "Four Weddings and a Funeral"? Now that I think of it, Hugh Grant might be great as "Bridge's" boss, Daniel, who dumps her for the blond "clothes-free Valkyrie" Bridget discovered on his rooftop. If they could reincarnate Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch from "The Wizard of Oz," she'd be perfect as Perpetua, Bridge's suspicious, glowering, prying office overseer. (Heaven knows, she's a dead ringer oops, tongue slip for my supervisor!) 

Diary, I can't wait to see Bridge on the big screen! Meanwhile, I'll just reread her diary for advice, support, inspiration and many "good giggles" with my new friend.