Love this piece, Ella! I think there’s so much beauty in not having everything figured out—being too loud, unsure, or uncertain about where your path might lead next. While it can feel scary, the unknown is what makes life exciting. You could have the best day of your life tomorrow and won’t even know it until you live it. I also always feel like I’m one Sunday away from getting my life together, checking things off a to-do list. But I once read that you shouldn’t treat your life like a to-do list—it’s more like a menu. You have choices, and you get to pick what works for you. Bridget may not fit society’s idea of perfection, but she's the main character of HER own story and movie franchise, flaws and all—and that’s something worth embracing!
Thank you so much Martha!! This is such a lovely comment 💕 I LOVE the idea that tomorrow could be the best day of your life and you won't know until it happens -- life is full of surprises, and although it can be scary, it's also where the magic lies. Thank you for sharing these thoughts, I really appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment! 🥰
I watched Bridget jones diary for the first time a few weeks ago, first off I was shocked at the amount of jokes made about her weight but also really how badly she was treated by people around her! But I loved seeing like a normal woman on the telly, not Hollywood actresses whose makeup and hair was done so they looked like a bombshell when they woke up. So assuring seeing someone who doesn’t quite have their life together like the majority of people :)
Yes!! I think this is the conflicting thing about the film for me -- she's such an honest depiction of a woman, but she's treated like an abnormality. Deffo would love to see more real women in Hollywood! Thank you so much for reading Holly ♥️
i loved this and there is NO shame in being anything like bridget, just in the way we’ve been forced to perceive her unfortunately :( yay to reframing that narrative!
I too was a toddler when this movie came out and I’ve put off watching it for the entirety of my adult life because I know her weight is the punchline. But this Sunday, the night before I get my life together, I chose to watch it for the first time and I couldn’t understand why. You’ve just helped me understand it along with giving me some breathing space in the very claustrophobic stage of life I’m in. I feel less alone and more seen and understood. Can’t thank you enough for writing this. 🫂
Adoooore this piece Ella! It's so interesting how we each perceive the same thing - I love Bridget Jones exactly because she is so successful but also so chaotic and vulnerable and just herself through it all.
As a side note... without sounding too much like Joe Goldberg, you are anything but underwhelming. OTR is a slice of sunshine on this big internet world <3
Thank you Soph!! 💕💕 I think the best thing about Bridget's character is her vulnerability. She is multi-dimensional and flawed and honest! Also, heheh thank you Joe 🥰
Oh, I love, love, love Bridget Jones. She is the mother of my inspiration.
I read the first book when I was in fifth grade. Can you imagine that? But it was that book that got me interested in reading novels—starting with rom-coms, children's books, and even fantasy. I was so inspired by Bridget Jones that I dared to write my first paranormal romance book, something like a mix between City of Angels and Bridget Jones. Fifth grade! Of course, only my best friend and my older sister read it.
Now, every time I watch the *Bridget Jones* movies, I realize there's something so relatable about her. About how to love yourself and have the courage to make decisions that bring you happiness.
I’m really looking forward to the new movie coming out next February! It will surely break my heart and make me laugh at the same time. Must be great for another inspiration.
when I thought she finally have the happy ending she deserves, the author just had to make her through something horrible again... it's going to be a tear jerker.
My parents and I actually watched Bridget Jones on Sunday and the biggest injustice in that movie is that they tried to convince us Renée Zellweger was fat and ugly. And while there’s a lot to love about the movie, the fatphobia still gets me a little.
“And if we’re not supposed to want to be like Bridget, how are we meant to feel when we inevitably do end up being and feeling just like her?”
I will admit I’ve always loved BJD, having originally seen it before a lot of these things were cringe and outdated and so the nostalgia effect has lingered. I’m 36 so it was also interesting reading this from the perspective of someone a decade or so younger who didn’t grow up in that era!
But I also love that we watch this woman make a mess of things, doubt herself, put her power in all the wrong hands….and then rise above it. Pull herself together. Make it work mess and all. I feel like that’s still the heart of it and it still gets me every time. ❤️
Yes! I agree! The essence of her character is what we connect with, I think. The fact that she's able to pull herself together and figure everything out on her own makes her representative of so many women, and that's what makes her relatable. That she's not a damsel in distress. Thank you for reading Angela!! 🩷🩷🩷
Loved reading this Ella! Stepping more and more into my Bridget Jones era as the days go on and I love it tbh 😂 A big part of Bridget’s cultural cache is how relatable she is (maybe not the Borough Market apartment!) and god knows us Brits love a chaotic route to a heroine’s happy ending. Maybe a lot of life is about journalling in your big pants and being just introspective enough to be able to go out and try again. Hey, us Substack girlies are halfway there!
Loved this! I love Bridget Jones franchise for the quintessential British aspects but agree that I wouldn't want to be in her position although the fact that she has an expensive flat in London and is a journalist sounds right up my street. I like the fact that it shows she hasn't got it all together because that's how a lot of us really feel <3
Love this piece, Ella! I think there’s so much beauty in not having everything figured out—being too loud, unsure, or uncertain about where your path might lead next. While it can feel scary, the unknown is what makes life exciting. You could have the best day of your life tomorrow and won’t even know it until you live it. I also always feel like I’m one Sunday away from getting my life together, checking things off a to-do list. But I once read that you shouldn’t treat your life like a to-do list—it’s more like a menu. You have choices, and you get to pick what works for you. Bridget may not fit society’s idea of perfection, but she's the main character of HER own story and movie franchise, flaws and all—and that’s something worth embracing!
Thank you so much Martha!! This is such a lovely comment 💕 I LOVE the idea that tomorrow could be the best day of your life and you won't know until it happens -- life is full of surprises, and although it can be scary, it's also where the magic lies. Thank you for sharing these thoughts, I really appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment! 🥰
I watched Bridget jones diary for the first time a few weeks ago, first off I was shocked at the amount of jokes made about her weight but also really how badly she was treated by people around her! But I loved seeing like a normal woman on the telly, not Hollywood actresses whose makeup and hair was done so they looked like a bombshell when they woke up. So assuring seeing someone who doesn’t quite have their life together like the majority of people :)
Yes!! I think this is the conflicting thing about the film for me -- she's such an honest depiction of a woman, but she's treated like an abnormality. Deffo would love to see more real women in Hollywood! Thank you so much for reading Holly ♥️
i loved this and there is NO shame in being anything like bridget, just in the way we’ve been forced to perceive her unfortunately :( yay to reframing that narrative!
Thank you for reading Dione!! Here's to being more like Bridget 💕
I too was a toddler when this movie came out and I’ve put off watching it for the entirety of my adult life because I know her weight is the punchline. But this Sunday, the night before I get my life together, I chose to watch it for the first time and I couldn’t understand why. You’ve just helped me understand it along with giving me some breathing space in the very claustrophobic stage of life I’m in. I feel less alone and more seen and understood. Can’t thank you enough for writing this. 🫂
Aww thank you so much Diana! I so appreciate you reading 🩷🩷 I'm so happy it made you feel less alone, this comment makes me feel less alone too!
I really love this! I can’t believe I have yet to watch this show.
Thank you Izzy! Ooh let me know what you think if you watch! <3
Adoooore this piece Ella! It's so interesting how we each perceive the same thing - I love Bridget Jones exactly because she is so successful but also so chaotic and vulnerable and just herself through it all.
As a side note... without sounding too much like Joe Goldberg, you are anything but underwhelming. OTR is a slice of sunshine on this big internet world <3
Thank you Soph!! 💕💕 I think the best thing about Bridget's character is her vulnerability. She is multi-dimensional and flawed and honest! Also, heheh thank you Joe 🥰
Oh, I love, love, love Bridget Jones. She is the mother of my inspiration.
I read the first book when I was in fifth grade. Can you imagine that? But it was that book that got me interested in reading novels—starting with rom-coms, children's books, and even fantasy. I was so inspired by Bridget Jones that I dared to write my first paranormal romance book, something like a mix between City of Angels and Bridget Jones. Fifth grade! Of course, only my best friend and my older sister read it.
Now, every time I watch the *Bridget Jones* movies, I realize there's something so relatable about her. About how to love yourself and have the courage to make decisions that bring you happiness.
I’m really looking forward to the new movie coming out next February! It will surely break my heart and make me laugh at the same time. Must be great for another inspiration.
I'm excited for the new movie too! Although I feel like it's going to be a sad one, I don't know how I'll cope without Colin Firth 💔
when I thought she finally have the happy ending she deserves, the author just had to make her through something horrible again... it's going to be a tear jerker.
My parents and I actually watched Bridget Jones on Sunday and the biggest injustice in that movie is that they tried to convince us Renée Zellweger was fat and ugly. And while there’s a lot to love about the movie, the fatphobia still gets me a little.
I KNOW!! I do wonder if that's what people thought in the 00s or whether they were also watching it thinking 'what are they talking about?'
Thank you for reading Bianca 🩵
Oof this part:
“And if we’re not supposed to want to be like Bridget, how are we meant to feel when we inevitably do end up being and feeling just like her?”
I will admit I’ve always loved BJD, having originally seen it before a lot of these things were cringe and outdated and so the nostalgia effect has lingered. I’m 36 so it was also interesting reading this from the perspective of someone a decade or so younger who didn’t grow up in that era!
But I also love that we watch this woman make a mess of things, doubt herself, put her power in all the wrong hands….and then rise above it. Pull herself together. Make it work mess and all. I feel like that’s still the heart of it and it still gets me every time. ❤️
Yes! I agree! The essence of her character is what we connect with, I think. The fact that she's able to pull herself together and figure everything out on her own makes her representative of so many women, and that's what makes her relatable. That she's not a damsel in distress. Thank you for reading Angela!! 🩷🩷🩷
Loved reading this Ella! Stepping more and more into my Bridget Jones era as the days go on and I love it tbh 😂 A big part of Bridget’s cultural cache is how relatable she is (maybe not the Borough Market apartment!) and god knows us Brits love a chaotic route to a heroine’s happy ending. Maybe a lot of life is about journalling in your big pants and being just introspective enough to be able to go out and try again. Hey, us Substack girlies are halfway there!
Loved this! I love Bridget Jones franchise for the quintessential British aspects but agree that I wouldn't want to be in her position although the fact that she has an expensive flat in London and is a journalist sounds right up my street. I like the fact that it shows she hasn't got it all together because that's how a lot of us really feel <3
Omg her flat is STUNNING, the dream 🥰 thank you so much for reading Ciara!!