On opening night, I went with my girls to watch the newest sequel “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.” We all entered the cinema, with pick n’ mix in hand and with our expectations set low. We assumed it would be another sequel to a film series only produced for money, however, we were pleasantly surprised to find this was not the case. We left the cinema with our hearts warmed, whilst our sides ached from cackling.
But this unexpected turn got me thinking: what does the enduring popularity of the Bridget Jones franchise say about us Brits? And it is not just me, the return of the franchise earned the best-ever box office opening for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland.
The success of the film has been isolated to Britain it seems, says film critic Robbie Collin, as the American audience didn’t greet the premiere with quite the same enthusiasm. So why is it then that we can’t get enough of Bridget Jones? Is it because we don’t want another “American stick insect,” in a romantic comedy?
Maybe British audiences are craving something relatable, to escape into a fictional reality that could almost be theirs. Bridget is clumsy, socially awkward, and openly shows her insecurities to her audience. She has romantic failures, professional blunders, and can’t keep her New Years’ resolutions to quit smoking or drinking.
I think Bridget Jones sits so well with a British audience as she appeals specifically to middle-class escapism. She allows middle-class women a safe space to be held and laugh about the things that worry them. She may be seen as a cliche of sorts – a clumsy blonde journalist with a penchant for alcohol – but she allows individuals access to a safe space to expose their vulnerabilities and even be empowered by them.
Bridget Jones is no Carrie Bradshaw. She isn’t uber-wealthy and strutting around New York in her stilettos – she is frazzled, and rushing across London, probably late for something. She isn’t just a fictional character, she is a messy British icon for all generations. When I went to the cinema last week, it was packed with every generation of women flocking to see Bridget, and I think this speaks for itself. Bridget has become a British icon through her relatability and recurrence throughout our lives.
“Renee Zellweger smoking 5” by Nicholas R. Andrew is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.