Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones's Diary: film (movie) guide

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< Up	Britain / Films / Bridget Jones
The films "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"


Sections:	Introduction
	Characters
	Actors / actresses
	UK film premiere
	Notes about the film
	Locations
	Music
	Further information
	Links

Related pages:	British films: Britain/Films

INTRODUCTION

Bridget Jones's Diary (released in the UK in 2001)
This film follows a year in the life of Bridget Jones. She is a single girl in her 30's and is worried about where her life is going. But soon there are two men fighting for her attention: her naughty boss Daniel Cleaver and the sensible, handsome barrister Mark Darcy. Has her luck changed?

Bridget Jones's Diary: A Novel (book)
Author: Helen Fielding
Publisher: Picador
Date: March 2001

Bridget Jones's Diary (DVD)
Studio: Columbia Tri-Star Home Video
Date: December 2001
Video

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (on general release in the UK from Friday 12th November 2004)
Starting a few weeks after the events of the first film, Bridget Jones discovers that life with barrister Mark Darcy isn't ideal for her. Apart from discovering he votes for conservative, she has to deal with a new boss, strange contractor and the worst holiday of her life. She is also jealous of Rebecca, Mark's new intern, who is beautiful and seems to get everything right.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (book)
Author: Helen Fielding
Publisher: Picador
Date: October 2004

Bridget Jones 2: The Edge of Reason (DVD)
Studio: Universal Pictures Video
Date: February 2005
Video

Both films are based on books by the British writer Helen Fielding. The Bridget Jones books were successful internationally.

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CHARACTERS

The following are the main characters in the story:
- Bridget Jones (sometimes called Bridge or Jones by her friends) (Renée Zellweger): a single British girl in her early 30's, living in London, who is worried about finding a partner and improving herself
- Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant): the boss of a publishing company who is a philanderer, but attracts Bridget's wilder side. Bridget's boss in the first film.
- Mark Darcy (Colin Firth): a civil rights lawyer who is intelligent, quiet and serious - a better long-term partner for Bridget, or too dull for her ... ?

Bridget Jones

Daniel Cleaver (left) and Mark Darcy (right)

Other characters include:
- Dad / Colin (Jim Broadbent): Bridget's father, who like Bridget suffers from a lack of confidence, but supports her as well as he can
- Mum (Gemma Jones): Bridget's mother, the more dominant and selfish of her two parents
- Uncle Geoffrey (James Faulkner): Member of Bridget's family with an eye for younger women (including Bridget)
- Rebecca Gillies / Becky (Jacinda Barrett): Darcy's intern, a beautiful, long-legged, intelligent lady: competition for Bridget?
- Shazzer (Sally Phillips): one of Bridget's single friends: she is a journalist who swears a lot
- Jude (Shirley Henderson): Bridget's best friend, who is always unhappy with her boyfriend
- Tom (James Callis): a gay friend of Bridget (a former singer) who advises Bridget about relationships with men
- Magda (Jessica Stevenson): Bridget's friend, married to a man called Jeremy
- Richard Finch (Neil Pearson): Boss at the fictional TV station "Sit Up Britain", where Bridget works

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ACTORS / ACTRESSES

Renée Zellweger, an American actress from Texas, plays Bridget Jones. She had to put on a lot of weight for the role, because in the story Bridget is worried about looking overweight. She also had to work hard to change her American accent to a British one. For a list of her other performances, see: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000250.

Hugh Grant plays Daniel Cleaver. He is a British actor who has starred in a number of other romantic comedies, including "Love Actually", "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill") and "About A Boy". For a list of his performances, see: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000424.

Colin Firth plays Mark Darcy. He played the character of a writer called Jamie in the film "Love Actually", and D'Arcy in the television version of Jane Austen's book "Pride and Prejudice". He was also in a recent film version of "The Importance of Being Earnest". For a list of his performances, see: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000147.

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UK FILM PREMIERE

The film premiere for "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" in the UK took place on Tuesday 10 November at the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square, London.

Bridget's back: the premiere of the 2nd
film at the Odeon, Leicester Square

Large crowds gather in Leicester Square
to watch the stars arrive

NOTES

Some background notes about references in the film "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"

- The scene in the first half of the opening credits is based on music the famous film The Sound of Music. This 1965 musical starred British actress Julie Andrews as a nun called Maria who becomes a nanny for Captain von Trapp's family but falls in love with him. The Sound of Music was set in the Austrian mountains, but there are of course no mountains in London, so the nearest equivalent is used: Primrose Hill!

- The music in the second half of the opening credits is Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon. This song was used for one of the James Bond (007) films. Skydiving (jumping from an aeroplane) is the kind of activity that commonly appears in the action films about the spy.

- A reference is made to Pulitzer Prizes. Awards are given each year for literature, drama, music and journalism. Joseph Pulitzer was an American newspaper publisher who died in 1911. Bridget's journalism is unlikely to win a Pulitzer Prize ...

- The TV series being made by Daniel Cleaver is called The Smooth Guide (making culture bearable). This name is chosen because it has an opposite meaning to the well-known British travel guides for young people / backpackers called The Rough Guide!

- Oedipus is a king who, according to a well-known Greek tragedy, killed his father and married his mother

- Jeremy Paxman is a British journalist and television/radio presenter. He presents a daily news programme called Newsnight and a quiz programme called University Challenge. He has written several books, including a profile of the character of English people: "The English: Portrait of a People"

- Rigby & Peller is a famous lingerie store in Conduit Street, London. It has a royal warrant, because the Queen shops there.

- Bridget talks about a "Tory, Home Counties, Upper Class twit". A Tory is a member of the Conservative party, one of Britain's main political parties (during the 1980's Margaret Thatcher was the leader of this party; Tony Blair, the current British Prime Minister, is the leader of the rival Labour party). Upper middle class is a reference to the class system which existed in Britain before the World Wars: the three main classes were upper class (for example: rich land-owners and their families), middle class (for example: traders; upper middle class often refers to well-off professionals such as bankers or lawyers) and working class (for example: factory workers or farmers). The Home Counties is the name given to the area around London in south-east England (it is a wealthy part of England: people who become rich in London often buy homes in the country areas around the capital). A twit is a slang word for an idiot.

- There are references to several songs by Madonna in the film: Lucky Star, Holiday, Like a Virgin and Material World.

- Some German language is used in a scene in an Austrian pharmacy. Bridget's German is not very good - she tries to translate English word-for-word. Some of the German words used: Kinder (children), machen (to make), lieben (to love), Schwange (pregnant), Fraulein (young woman, Miss), Sie (you), sie (she), mit (with), ist (is).

- Mark Darcy was educated at Eton. This is one of the top private schools in England, for boys up to the age of 18. Many British Prime Ministers were educated there, as well as Prince William and Prince Harry (the sons of Prince Charles and Princess Diana). You can see pictures on the pages: Travel/Tours/England/Windsor and Course/Boarding. On St Andrew's Day there is a tradition called the Wall Game, which is an old form of football / rugby. Two teams of 10 people play on a narrow strip of ground next to a long wall. No goals have been scored since before the First World War!

- Spotted dick is a type of cake with dried fruit which is eaten hot as a pudding. It is a traditional British dish which is often served as part of a school meal.

- "I won't dignify that question with an answer" is a way of avoiding answering a difficult question, either because you think that the question is rude or because you want to avoid lying. Politicians and lawyers are experts at knowing how to avoid giving direct answers to questions!

- Sorry seems to be the hardest word is a song by Elton John, a popular British singer and musician.

- Ben and Jerry's is a popular American brand of ice cream, named after the two men who founded the company.

- Debenham's is a British department store, whose main shop is on Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping streets in London.

- David Bowie is a British singer whose second wife is a Somali-born model called Iman. The sea which is north of Germany is called the Baltic Sea (not many British people know this ...).

- The Beach is a book by English writer Alex Garland. The story is based in Thailand. The film version starred American actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

- The Big Dipper is an American name for a group of bright stars which are part of the constellation called Ursa Major (this is more commonly called the Plough in the UK). The Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) and Orion's Belt are other names for groups of stars.

- I'm Not In Love is a song by British group 10CC.

- Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is a popular book by the American psychologist John Gray which explains the differences between male and female behaviour and provides advice about how to improve relationships.

- The Serpentine Gallery is an art gallery in Kensington Gardens. The work of John Currin - an American artist who lives and works in New York - was on display when this film was made.

- During the fight the music is I Believe in a Thing Called Love by the British group The Darkness.

- A cabinet minister is one of the most important politicians in the British government, involved in making policy decisions. MI5 is the British security service. Interpol is the organisation that coordinates police issues which involve more than one country. The Home Secretary is the member of the British government who is responsible for national concerns in the UK.

- At the start of the closing credits you can hear Your Love is King by Will Young. This is a new version of a song by Sade. Will Young has had several hits in the UK since he won a TV talent contest called Pop Idol in February 2002.

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LOCATIONS

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

The film was shot mainly in the UK, especially in London. Non-UK locations are:
- The ski resort is Lech-Zürs am Arlberg in Austria
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Rome, Italy (Daniel makes a documentary TV programme there)

The London locations include:

- Primrose Hill (Tube: Chalk Farm or Swiss Cottage; map) [opening credits: Sound of Music]
- Piccadilly Circus (Tube: Piccadilly Circus; map) [neon signs]
- Rigby & Peller, 22a Conduit Street (off Regent Street; Tube: Oxford Circus; map): http://www.rigbyandpeller.com [Bridget buys corset]
- Middle Temple (Tube: Temple)
- 2 Temple Place (Tube: Temple)
- Institution of Civil Engineers, 1 Great George Street SW1
- Tower Bridge (Tube: Tower Hill or London Bridge; map) [Bridget walks across, you also see the night view]
- Debenhams, 334-348 Oxford Street (Tube: Bond Street or Oxford Circus): http://www.debenhams.com [lavender dress]
- Serpentine Gallery (Tube: Lancaster Gate or South Kensington; map): http://www.serpentinegallery.org [art gallery]
- Italian Fountains, Kensington Gardens (Tube: Lancaster Gate; map) [fight]
- Borough Market (Tube: London Bridge; map): http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk
- Globe Pub, 8 Bedale Street, Borough Market SE1 (Tube: London Bridge; map) [Bridget's flat]
- The Light Bar & Restaurant, Shoreditch High Street EC2: http://www.thelighte1.com (Tube: Liverpool Street; map) [Bridget drinks with her friends]
- Hanwell Cemetary, Uxbridge Road W5 (Tube: Ealing Broadway + short taxi ride)

Primrose Hill

Part of the view from Primrose Hill

Piccadilly Circus

Rigby & Peller

Tower Bridge at night

Debenhams

Serpentine Gallery

Italian Fountains, Kensington Gardens

The Globe pub (Bridget lives on the second floor)

Borough Market

The Light restaurant & bar

Bridget Jones's Diary

UK locations include:

- Bedale Street, Southwark, London
- Borough Market, London
- Dickens & Jones (department store), Regent Street, London
- Liverpool Street station, London
- London Bridge, London
- Old Bond Street, London
- Piccadilly Circus, London
- Royal Courts Of Justice, London
- Tate Modern, London
- The Globe Pub, Borough High Street, London
- Derbyshire
- Snowshill, Worcestershire - The family home and party

Royal Courts Of Justice ...

... located in Aldwych, London

MUSIC

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [soundtrack] (CD)
Label: Island
Date: November 2004

The following songs are included on the soundtrack album of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

1. Will Young - Your Love Is King
2. Jamelia - Stop
3. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
4. Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (are you digging on me?)
5. Mary J Blige - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
6. Robbie Williams - Misunderstood
7. Jamie Cullum - Everlasting Love
8. Barry White - You're The First, The Last, My Everything
9. Beyonce featuring Jay Z - Crazy in Love
10. Rufus Wainwright featuring Dido - I Eat Dinner
11. 10cc - I'm Not In Love
12. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
13. Primal Scream - Loaded
14. The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
15. Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
16. Minnie Riperton - Loving You
17. Aretha Franklin - Think
18. Leona Naess - Calling
19. Sting featuring Annie Lennox - We'll Be Together
20. Harry Gregson-Williams - Bridget's Theme

Bridget Jones's Diary [soundtrack] (CD)
Label: Mercury
Date: October 2001

Bridget Jones's Diary 2 (CD)
Label: Mercury
Date: October 2001

The following songs are included on the main soundtrack album of Bridget Jones's Diary:

1. Out Of Reach - Gabrielle
2. Respect - Aretha Franklin
3. It's Raining Men - Geri Halliwell
4. Have You Met Miss Jones? - Robbie Williams
5. I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan
6. Don't Get Me Wrong - Pretenders
7. Kiss That Girl - Sheryl Crow
8. Killin' Kind - Shelby Lynne
9. Someone Like You - Dina Carroll
10. Not Of This Earth - Robbie Williams
11. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams
12. Love - Rosey
13. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) - Dianna Ross & Marvin Gaye
14. Dreamsome - Shelby Lynn
15. It's Only a Diary - Patrick Doyle
16. Pretender Got My Heart - Alisha's Attic
17. All By Myself - Jamie O'Neal
18. Woman Trouble - Artful Dodger
19. Ring, Ring, Ring - Aaron Soul

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FURTHER INFORMATION

A "movie map" showing London locations from Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason can be downloaded from the Visit London website:
http://uk.visitlondon.com/city_guide/maps_guides/movie_maps.html

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LINKS

British films: Britain/Films
British music: Britain/Music
Sightseeing in London: Travel/Tours/London

Home page: Home

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