Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Repeat of first film lacks charm. Not for kids.
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Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
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Based on 1 parent review
Unoriginal sequel to the first. Not as much charm.
What's the Story?
In the first movie, Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) learned that she could be loved just as she was, but in BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON, she has to figure out whether she can love herself. As the sequel begins, she has had six blissful weeks with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), the man of her dreams. But happily ever after does not work for movies, so something has to go wrong. Bridget's insecurities lead her to break up with Mark just as all-but-irresistible bad boy Daniel (Hugh Grant) lands a job on her television news program. When they are assigned to work together on a travel piece about Thailand, Daniel expresses an interest in Bridget and her giant panties. Bridget will have to choose between two men and two notions of herself. And along the way she will do all the Bridget things we love to see, mostly meaning making a fool of herself by squeezing into a too-tight dress, speaking out at the wrong time, or managing to give the camera a close-up of her rear end.
Is It Any Good?
This sequel is pretty much the same movie as the first, but both the heroine and her story have lost a good deal of their charm. What we loved about Bridget was the spirited way she took on the world. She may have been awkward, but she had so much heart that we, like Mark, loved her just the way she was. Not so much anymore, no matter how much we want to. She comes across as not just graceless but thoughtless and careless.
The incidents in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason are just repetitions of the first (discussions of large panties, ugly Christmas sweaters, completely inept Mark/Daniel fight scene) or outlandish variations that fall a little flat. In one case, Bridget is imprisoned in a Thai jail. There is simply no way to handle a scene like this in a romantic comedy, and the efforts to make Bridget's prison experience charming by having her loan out her Wonderbra and teach her cellmates Madonna songs are a little creepy. Still, Firth, Grant, and Zellweger are always fun to watch, the script has some funny moments, and it's always fun to see Bridget find a way to a happy ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it was hard for Bridget to trust Mark's feelings for her in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Is a "fairy tale ending" a reasonable expectation for a relationship? What challenges do people in new relationships face?
How do drugs play into the story? Are the amounts that Bridget and others drink and smoke healthy? How did Bridget's exposure to drugs without her knowledge get her in trouble? What would you do if you were in her situation?
What sort of factors do you think affect Bridget's body image and self-esteem?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 11, 2004
- On DVD or streaming: March 22, 2005
- Cast: Colin Firth , Hugh Grant , Renee Zellweger
- Director: Beeban Kidron
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 108 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language and some sexual content
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
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