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Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy spoilers incoming…
I didn’t have high hopes for Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy (BJMATB). I had somewhat unfairly written off the fourth and final instalment of the ultimate British “spinster” franchise as a poor error of judgement (albeit a guaranteed money spinner) from Working Title, Miramax, Helen Fielding et al, who I thought were desperately trying to revive a bygone relic from two decades ago and cram her into today’s society. And I got rather angry about it all when the trailer came out this time last year, fearful it would reignite sexist, singlist, non-progressive stereotypes. Well, I must confess that I was wrong. Having seen the new film at the world premiere last month (and thank you to Universal Pictures for inviting me, despite said angry rant last year) I can confirm it is glorious. Absolutely glorious; romantic comedy at its finest. Despite a few slip ups from Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver (groping Bridget’s Mum’s bottom at New Year’s Eve for example) - it’s a heartwarming, witty and at times tear-jerking final chapter for our Bridge that feels perfectly in step with how the world - and Bridget (Renee Zellweger) - has moved on from her days of Chardonnay swilling singledom in 2001 when the first film was released.
It’s far superior than the preceding sequels Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 2006 and Bridget Jones’s Baby 2016 . And despite a bit of a time warp as to how old exactly the widowed Mrs Darcy is supposed to be in 2025 - it feels like a perfect final chapter as we see Bridget, 4 years after her husband, Mark Darcy was killed during an assignment as a Human Rights lawyer, try to rebuild her life. And more especially, her love life.
The film deals with sexism, school gate politics, dating apps, age gap relationships, parenting, aesthetic tweakment mishaps and grief, impeccably. Oh and of course, love. It deals with love impeccably too. All set in the chocolate boxy version of London that these films have always been so good at depicting (Hampstead has never looked more dreamy). But most of all, it’s a love letter to the OG Bridget Jones’s Diary, complete with penguin pyjamas, blue soup cocktails and a reindeer christmas jumper that will make you sob. It’s a pure nostalgia-fest for even the most cynical of viewers (me) and fans of the first film will delight in the many references to that box office-smashing, era-defining film of 2001.
Here are some of the best Easter egg references in the movie:
1.) The Penguin Pyjamas
Etched onto the minds of every single woman to have ever existed in the past two and a half decades is the iconic image of Bridge on her sofa, goblet of red wine in hand, bellowing out Jamie O’Neal’s All By Myself in the opening credits of the 2001 film. Well, fast forward 24 years and here we have Bridge, back on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, desperately trying to reset her Netflix password with the song blaring in the background. The pyjamas also make appearances on the school run and at the gynaecologist, which seems a little unnecessary.
2.) The ‘Smug Marrieds’ Dinner party.
Similarly etched onto the mind of every single woman to have ever existed is the experience of being the only single guest at a dinner party full of ‘smug marrieds’. The looming heads interrogating you at one end of the table on your dating life, sex life etc. Another iconic scene from the first film is replicated when Bridge - now a widow - goes to celebrate what would have been Mark Darcy’s birthday with all his pals and is once again interrogated by the looming heads. As Shazzer says, “It’s not a party, it’s a binfire.”
3.) Blue string soup cocktails in homage to Bridget's blue birthday soup
In 2001, when Bridget is frantically trying to cook her own birthday dinner for her friends, she gets a surprise visit from Mr Mark Darcy who offers to stir the potato and leek soup. Only it’s gone blue, thanks to the blue string she used to hold the leeks together. In a fitting tribute, in BJMATB blue string martinis are served in Mark’s honour at the aforementioned smug marrieds dinner party.
4.) “Chechnya”
Ahead of her date with boss Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’ Diary, Bridge repeatedly practices conversation starters including the infamous, “So how do you feel about the situation in Chechnya? Isn’t it a nightmare?” (To which Mr Cleaverly utters the infamous, “I couldn’t give a fuck Jones.”) In BJMATB we have a knowing hark back to this moment, when Bridget compliments her new colleague, TV presenter and journalist Talitha, on her “brilliant work in Chechnya.”
5.) Walking to work over Tower Bridge
It was the ultimate ‘single career gal’ vision, our Bridge walking across Tower Bridge on her way to her office at the book publishing house back in 2001. And here she is all these years later, finding her feet back in the workplace as a widow and - very coincidentally - walking exactly the same route to work (from Hampstead?) to her new TV producer job. What are the chances?
6.) Spanx! Aka “Absolutely Enormous Pants”
Arguably one of the most iconic moments of Bridget Jones Diary, again featuring Mr Daniel Cleaver, when Bridget and her boss are in the throes of passion, he exclaims in delight on discovering her “Absolutely Enormous Pants” to which Bridget exclaims: "Oh fuck." In present day, again, when prepping for her date with ‘Tree Adonis’ Rockster, she digs these out and exclaims, “Hello old friends”, but ultimately foregoes the Spanx for a pair of sheer lacy knickers. Which feels a lot more 2025.
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7.) Borough Market
The location of Bridget’s cosy, top floor flat just by the train line with cobbled streets below. Picture perfect London is revisited for Bridget’s date with Rockster who - while leaning against a lamppost looking lovely, asks, “Do you know this area?” to which Bridget wistfully replies, “I used to."
8.) The sheer top
When engaged in office flirtation / sexual harassment with Daniel Cleaver in BJ 1, Bridget, apparently appalled / delighted by Daniel’s overt email flirtation wears a sheer silver top with a black bra underneath to work, which certainly attracts his attention and he asks her out on a date. Fast forward to today and widowed Bridget, preparing for her Tinder date with 29-year-old ‘Tree Adonis’ Rockster (Leo Woodall), pulls this very same top out of her wardrobe. Alas, her pal, Miranda (Sarah Solemani) dismisses it as ‘a bit much.’
9.) Heartthrob in a soaking wet white shirt
Aka Rockster leaping into a swimming pool to save a chihuahua at Talitha's 60th birthday. Okay this is a bit of a wild card as it’s a double easter egg. Of course it recalls the brilliant boating scene from BJ1 when Daniel Cleaver falls into a boating lake, fag in mouth, while trying to straddle two rowing boats on his and Bridget’s romantic minibreak. But, for die-hard fans, it could ALSO recall Colin Firth’s iconic wet white shirt Mr Darcy (the other one) moment in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Sorry Bridge, but you belong in a bygone era that should never have existed.
10.) Running out in the snow in pursuit of her man
Another iconic moment is revisited when Bridget sets off in pursuit of her new love interest - the charming school teacher, Mr Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) - in the snowglobe perfect surroundings of Christmas time in Hampstead. Just like she did in BJ 1, when she ran along the snowy streets of Borough Market in pursuit of Mr Mark Darcy in just her knickers. You’ll be pleased to hear, however, that 24 years later Bridget has more clothes on.
11.) The Reindeer Christmas jumper
And finally as we say farewell to Bridget for the last time, during a jolly New Year’s Eve party, I defy anyone not to shed a tear at the sight of her son, Billy - or ‘miniature Darcy’ as Daniel Clever calls him - wearing a miniature version of that famous Christmas jumper his Dad wore when her first met Bridget Jones (as a grown up and not naked playing on the lawn) over Turkey curry on Boxing Day at her parents’ house, all those many, many years ago. Sob.
Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy is out in cinemas on February 14th
