SPOILERS are forward for Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, now streaming with a Peacock subscription. No studying forward within the diary till you’ve seen it your self!
2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary isn’t solely one of many greatest romantic comedies I’ve ever seen, it’s additionally such a consolation film for me. Whereas the high quality of the sequels have definitely been debatable, I used to be very excited to see Renée Zellweger again within the function after practically a decade. I used to be, nonetheless, unprepared to study that the premise of the film consists of Bridget dealing with the dying of Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy after having two children collectively. However, I actually wasn’t ready for Mr. Darcy to be achieved soiled like this – particularly for what is probably going the conclusion to the franchise. Fortunate for the film, I actually loved it, and I’m starting to forgive it for the shortage of Darcy for a couple of key causes.
Now, for some context, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy relies on the 2013 novel of the identical title from Helen Fielding. Similar to the film, it takes place 20 years after the occasions of the primary Bridget Jones storyline, the place she is in her 50s and has been a widow for 4 years. It also needs to be famous that the occasions of the story are impressed by Fielding’s personal experiences coping with the dying of her companion, TV author Kevin Curran, who died on the age of 59 of most cancers. That they had two kids collectively as effectively.
Between Fielding’s motivations and the execution of Mad About The Boy, it’s not a lot that I’m upset that Mark Darcy died in any respect, however extra so the shortage of Colin Firth. Right here, I’ll share my full ideas on the topic.
How Do You Rent Colin Firth To Play Mark Darcy Once more, And Give Him Zero Traces?
So, right here’s my foremost difficulty with how Mark Darcy was dealt with. It’s one factor to make a plot determination to kill off a personality as a way to inform the story about grief and transferring ahead amidst it – which, by the best way, I believe Mad About The Boy does inform effectively. Nevertheless it’s one other to actually rent Colin Firth and produce him on the set of the film alongside Renée Zellweger after 20 years of legacy with the beloved rom-com character, and never give him a single line.
I perceive the character is useless, however even awarding audiences yet one more flashback sequence of the final 12 months of their life or some humorous quippy line to interrupt the strain would have been most welcome. As a substitute, all we get is him standing subsequent to her for a second after which clapping from throughout the room later within the film. Don’t get me fallacious, his presence was efficient, nevertheless it feels a bit wasteful for the Oscar winner, doesn’t it?
I’m Making Peace With The Blunder For One Large Cause
The principle motive I can consider to forgive the film for having Firth’s Mr. Darcy solely being seen and never heard in his final look within the franchise is fairly heartbreaking. From a narrative perspective, if it’s been 4 years for the reason that dying of Darcy. So maybe having him not discuss to her from the opposite facet is there to represent that at this level within the loss she solely imagines and misses his presence fairly than it being so vivid that she imagines him speaking to her.
I’m additionally not essentially keen on these motion pictures the place the useless character talks to them from the opposite facet, or the widow and useless particular person have full-on conversations in a single’s creativeness – particularly because it’s grow to be such a cliché. That goes again to the frustration I’ve over there not being a bit of flashback scene with dialogue to a minimum of give followers extra closure on the character.
And, I Would not Commerce One Emotional Scene For A Larger Darcy Second
One more reason why I’m beginning to make peace with Darcy being majorly short-sighted comes again to a scene in between Bridget and her father, Colin (performed by Jim Broadbent). Within the scene early within the film, Bridget appears to be like at an image of herself and her late father, and appears again to a time when he was within the hospital and he requested her to vow him to “reside.” I believe it’s the scene that made me tear up essentially the most as a result of I may relate to my very own expertise with my grandfather imparting his personal knowledge on me earlier than passing away.
There was one thing highly effective about Bridget’s flashback scene that impressed her to maneuver ahead in her life being from her father fairly than from Darcy, so I wouldn’t essentially select a Darcy scene over that if I needed to decide between the 2. It makes me assume that possibly there was a flashback scene with Darcy that was filmed, however the filmmakers minimize it as a way to steadiness out the feelings of the film, which may lean heavy generally. However I can also’t think about poor Colin Firth being minimize from a Bridget Jones film!
At Least The Film Dealt With Darcy’s Dying In A Cautious Method
Whereas I’m nonetheless upset that Darcy didn’t get his personal final phrase within the franchise, I used to be comfortable to see the storyline fastidiously deal with Bridget and her children’ grief in a manner that felt true to life. As a result of it was 4 years after his dying, it made sense to be considerably faraway from the characters being so in the midst of it that it turns right into a drama movie. I used to be particularly touched by the methods during which the film dealt with the youngsters’ storylines. I’m not shocked in any respect that Fielding was pulling from expertise contemplating the conversations throughout the film about holding Darcy alive throughout the household.
And, Hugh Grant Clearly Had A Blast Including Some Humor To It All
Then, there’s what we did get out of the romance of Mad About The Boy. I did actually benefit from the film holding the lighthearted enjoyable of a Bridget Jones film because the character navigates on-line relationship and makes an attempt to place herself on the market within the methods of affection and romance. I used to be completely in relating to Bridget Jones’ love story with Chiwetel Ejifor’s Mr. Walliker. When she kissed him within the snow, my coronary heart fluttered, and Ejifor’s character was so candy and earnest. However I particularly beloved seeing a minimum of Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver get to have some memorable scenes all through! One other Bridget Jones simply wouldn’t have been the identical with out considered one of them interacting with Bridget. I obtained such a kick out of Daniel coming over to babysit and educate the youngsters to make a “Soiled Bitch”.
All in all, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is considered one of my favourite 2025 motion pictures to date. I simply want I wasn’t so mad in regards to the piping sizzling lack of Mr. Darcy.