‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ turns trash into treasure

For many rom-com viewers, “Bridget Jones” is synonymous with crude humor, insufferable behavior and second-hand embarrassment. Every minute of the original trilogy is tough to watch, even when you know things will work out in the end. As romantic leads, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant — two of the best romance actors of the early 2000s — are the standout parts of the first films. Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of Bridget is spot on, and Firth and Grant’s charisma balance out her painful antics. Yet it’s never quite enough to make Bridget’s behavior tolerable, and audiences are often left angry, frustrated and downright confused.

It would be easy to expect the franchise’s newest addition to be more of the same. While it brings back the classic dual love interest format, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” exists in an entirely different realm from its predecessors. Director Michael Morris leaves the worst of Bridget’s frustrating, irritating personality behind and replaces it with heartfelt, genuine emotion. The move is unexpected, especially for this franchise, but the seamless blend of humor, sadness and joy can convert even the most fervent Bridget Jones haters into fans.

The film follows Bridget four years after her husband, Mark Darcy, suddenly passed away on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. Bridget trudges through life, constantly seeing Mark’s presence and living on only for their two children. Like she once did with Darcy, Bridget clashes with the childrens’ science teacher, Mr. Walliker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), almost daily and constantly compares herself to “perfect moms” that have their lives under control. Finally, Bridget decides to take back her life, getting on Tinder, returning to her job and traveling the city with her kids. Soon after, she conveniently falls from a tree into the arms of young park ranger Roxster (Leo Woodall).

Admittedly, this setup is an incredibly forced disservice to Firth’s character. After having Mark and Bridget go through three movies worth of struggle, it’s sad to see that dynamic fade away for no reason. Even so, his death gives the film a somber undertone that creates depth in Bridget’s life and personality. Amid all the typical cinematic chaos, the film embraces grief, loneliness and the difficulties of change. When this gap in Bridget’s life leaves room for new relationships to enter, she faces them with an even balance of adult decision-making and classic Bridget Jones delusion. On top of that, her two new suitors both bring a bit of the 2000s rom-com energy that this genre so desperately needs.

Woodall takes up Grant’s mantle. As the hot, but objectively wrong choice, he follows in Grant’s footsteps, rising from water in the same iconic way as Grant in the first film. With notorious player Daniel Cleaver, Grant’s original character, still present in the film, Roxster is a bit more toned down. Woodall plays the role subtly, flirting and playing on his looks, but it works with the older and calmer version of Bridget. Even as a viewer, it’s easy to get swept up in their whirlwind romance.

But then the mood shifts. The film fully dives into the effects of grief not only on Bridget, but on her children. As all the ridiculousness vanishes, what was a silly rom-com becomes a tearjerker. Morris’s directing skills come to full display in the seamless, swift and effective transition. Juggling two tasks at once, Morris adeptly handles the heavy emotional moment while developing the true love interest of the film, Mr. Walliker.

If Woodall is Grant, Ejiofor is Firth. And he takes up that role with grace, delivering a profession of love that rivals those of Jane Austen. With Cleaver’s brash humor, Roxster’s youthful flirtation and Bridget’s newfound grounded nature, these characters turn a sometimes unwatchable franchise into something powerful and meaningful. 

Bridget Jones has always been a staple of the romantic comedy genre. Love her or hate her, these films are cultural touchstones. It’s rare to see a fourth version of a film improve on a beloved original, but Bridget Jones pulls it off. Perhaps it’s the early 2000s spirit or the sheer quality of acting. Either way, it’s safe to say “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” might be one of the best romantic comedies of the decade.