Bridget Jones and the Passionate Picnic 

By Mark Reynolds,
Daily Mail - October 14, 2003 


It's a red-letter day in Bridget Jones's Diary - the moment when she and Mark Darcy get together again. Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth renew their on-screen partnership after two and a half years, and its seems like they've never been apart. 

The couple share a passionate embrace in a North London park in a scene from the second instalment of the Bridget story, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. They gaze into each other's eyes, hug and kiss before removing their outer clothing. To see what develops next, fans will have to wait until the movie reaches cinema screens some months hence. 

In the first film based on Helen Fielding's best-selling books, Miss Zellweger ended up in the arms of Firth, 43, after the pair enjoyed a volatile on-off romance - frequently interrupted by the caddish Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant. 

The sequel picks up the story weeks later with Bridget already beginning to harbour doubts about Darcy, the dashing barrister. 

Miss Zellweger has piled on four stone for the role in three months. The 34-year-old American has employed a nutritionist to avoid any potential health problems. 'I did it again because I loved the new script - and all the good guys are back,' she said. 'I love Bridget. We both have had our ups and downs when it comes to love.' 

Despite the physical strains, Miss Zellweger is relishing her return to the role of the hard-drinking, unlucky-in-love young Englishwoman. 'This time I'm a lot more confident,' she said. Last time when I went to England they were out with the knives because they were outraged that an American actress was playing this British icon. But I hope I showed them I could do it.'