Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Peacock from director Michael Morris and Universal Pictures is the next installment on the life of BRIDGET JONES: Mad About the Boy.

Bridget Jones (Rene Zellweger) is finding her life at home with son Billy (Casper Knopf) and daughter Mabel (Mila Jankovic) a challenge without Mark. Oddly, she does still have a friendship with Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) who is still up to his old-dog-no-new-tricks ways but the kid like him. Keeping Bridget in check are her most reliable friends Shazzer (Sally Phillips), Jude (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (James Callis).

Taking the kids to school seems like a chore and meeting the new teacher Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his whistle is daunting enough. Feeling more insecure than ever about herself, family physician Dr. Rawlings (Emma Thompson) gets a chance to put her two cents in and tells Bridget to basically get over herself and get on with life. Deciding to take a small piece of her advice, she gets back to work as a producer for television after hiring Nanny Chloe (Nico Parker). Happy to have her back are colleagues Miranda (Sarah Solemani) and Una (Celia Imrie).

Getting the kids out of the house, Bridget finds herself up a tree – literally, and being rescue by the young and handsome Roxster (Leo Woodall). A giddiness takes over Bridget and so does a summer months fling that everyone finds out about in the usual “Bridget” way. Returning to school, Mr. Wallaker senses that something is wrong with Billy and Bridget is back to trying to understand her life. It takes an outing for her to realize that she needs to rethink choices, understand her children and let go!

It is amazing how life changes when you make a few small changes.

Zellweger is back as Bridget Jones and it doesn’t feel like she missed a beat. A little older and a tad wiser, she still is a bumbling mess trying to feel her way around life. That is part of the Jones charm, a lot of the complexities most of us keep on the inside, Bridget Jones has no filter showing hers on the outside. Still charming in the midst of her crisis’s, still a strong in her friendships (even with Daniel) and when push comes to shove – she figures it out in her own unique way. Zellweger does all of that and more bringing out beloved Bridget to the screen because we love her – just as she is.

Grant as Daniel is also up to his old tricks, even with Bridget, but seems to have embraced the role of uncle to her children. A slight jaw-drop in the way he does it but the kids love him for it and the adults just roll their eyes and then laugh. I’m so glad he came back to see Daniels story through. Woodall as Roxster is a young man who has a fancy for the ‘slightly’ older Bridget. He is fun, charming and easy on the eyes, just ask all Bridget’s friends! He shows up at a time when Bridget seems to be more open about moving on in that part of her life and Roxster is happy to oblige.

Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker is a stern and whistle-strict teacher who can’t seem to get out of his own way. He says what he means and it isn’t always well received. Going toe-to-toe with Bridget isn’t an easy task either but Ejiofor manages to do quite well. His role feels like a bit of a LOVE ACTUALLY feel and I don’t mind that one bit. Knopf as Billy is a young boy who is very much like his father and doesn’t always understand his mom. Knopf’s performance is so sweet. Jankovic as Mabel is like mom in her thinking process about things. This is one adorable little girl who knows how to use a pot and spoon.

Phillips, Henderson and Callis just had my heart as Bridget’s friends return to support her in their own unique white wine guzzling way. They love her, support her and want what’s best in her life and have been there for, let’s just say, 25+ years. We should all be so lucky to have friends like that.

Now, for the elephant in the room – Firth as Mark. I’m absolutely going to start tearing up here because I am a Firth-fan from way back. When I learned in 2001 that he would be playing Mark Darcy in BRIDGET JONES DIARY, I basically shouted to the rafters. Not only is he the films Mark Darcy, but the Mr. Darcy of my heart in the 1995 BBC series Pride & Prejudice. Here, he makes his role plain in the story and I’m leaving it at that but have tissue at the ready.

Other cast include Isla Fisher as Rebecca, Neil Pearson as Richard, Ian Midlane as Paul, Jane Fowler as Henrietta, James Rawlings as Huge, Ruth Gibson as Jane, Claire Skinner as Magda, Mark Lingwood as Cosmo, Dolly Wells as Woney. Cameos include Gemma Jones as Mom Pamela, Jim Broadbent as Dad Colin and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy.  

The film is based on the book by Helen Fielding Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and also wrote the screenplay with Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan.

Peacock, is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Comcast through its entertainment division NBCUniversal. Universal Pictures has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

BRIDGET JONES: Mad About the Boy had me a little wary I don’t mind saying. It is extremely hard to get the band back together time and time again and the last time was in 2016 with BRIDGET JONES’S BABY. That being said, it works and man does it take a toll emotionally with scene after scene reminding us how it all started. There is no reinventing the wheel here but instead, soft reminders of why the film was a success in the first place.

Bridget Jones reminds us of the craziness of this life and when you wade through all of the mess – there we find those who support, cheer and love every messy moment right alongside us. Is there really anything more wonderful than that?

In the end – she’s starting a new chapter!

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