Searching for Darcy’s house

An insight into the filming of Bridget Jones II: The Edge of Reason by the location manager for the film, David Broder.

As the location manager on Bridget Jones II: The Edge of Reason, I was confronted with a complex task – to find a workable list of locations to fit characters and situations that were so well known and loved from the first highly successful film.

Bridget’s world was fairly straightfor­ward and some of her locations, like her flat, were the same as before. New London bars and restaurants were researched (the job is tough!) and some were found that typified where Bridget Jones types might go and laugh too raucously while drinking too much Chardonnay.

The most difficult locations to get right were those connected with the character of Mark Darcy. In the first film Mark had come into Bridget’s world. However we didn’t get a glimpse into his environment: his workplace, house and social situations where Mark and his friends might meet, laugh in dulcet tones and drink just enough good Burgundy remained a mystery. The new film does the reverse and shows Bridget entering Mark’s world. The contrast of their lives was vital to the story.

Mark’s house was the location I had to get right. It was agreed that the house should be a classic London house in one of the most desirable areas - Holland Park, the more exclusive parts of Notting Hill, possibly Maida Vale or Belsize Park. The house also had to have key elements to its structure and architecture – a side entrance, a through room large enough for a business meeting, an impersonal masculine look and a sky­light or similar at the rear of the house.

Getting the result

We originally found a house in Holland Park. Although the owner was enthusias­tic about the filming, the neighbours were not and after several weeks of nego­tiations it was decided there would be too many problems and unknown threats to our filming schedule.

The search continued and eventually another perfect house was finally found in Kings Road, Richmond. This was a huge relief. After four months of search­ing hundreds of houses, involving a mammoth 10 location managers and scouts, we had found it!

Our friendly invasion of Kings Road began on 10 October 2003 with four days preparation by art and electrical teams. You may remember the initial story in the January 2004 edition of Arcadia? Filming began on 15 October for six days and evenings. We did a sequence with rain showers and our water tanker and rain towers provided an  interesting (if soggy) diversion for local residents on the school run. Our technical vehicles were parked on driveways of adjacent houses and nearby sheltered accommodation. The shoot was a tremendous success even though we had to come back a second time and do it all again. I would like to say a big thank-you to residents for their patience, the cups of tea and the welcome use of the church toilets!

Thank-you Richmond for putting up with us, with our last minute requests, and for turning a blind eye to our large vehicles outside your houses.  I hope you enjoy the film.