Something happens when Renee Zellweger enters a room. She’s not loud, she’s not overpowering, but she has a gentle smile that can light up a room. You can’t help but take notice.
Many of us took notice of Renee years ago. Whether it be in Empire Records, Jerry McGuire, or any of her other movie roles, we took notice. But for me, I really took notice in 2001, when she took on the iconic role of Bridget Jones.
I never knew of the column that Helen Feilding published in The Independent. I never read the books. But in 2001, I sat down and watched the movie about a thirty-something single woman navigating life in London. Did I live in London? No. But Bridget made me want to. I dreamed of nothing more than being able to find my own way in this world – even while feeling awkward and out of place.
Because the truth is – Bridget showed us all one thing: Circumstance, the world’s perception …none of those things should ever hold you back from achieving what you want in life.
Sitting three feet away from Renee, I was taken a back by how simply stunning she is. The petite actress was dressed in white, hair pulled back. Next to her sat the movie’s director, Sharon Maguire.
I admit that I had never heard the name Sharon Maguire until the night before, at the U.S. premiere. She took the stage to introduce the film and had the crowd laughing with a hilarious speech.
I instantly became a fan.
Sitting in front of them, the one thing that everyone wanted to tell these two right away was just how funny the movie was. The third film in the Bridget Jones franchise is non-stop laughs from beginning to end.
“Seriously, my heart last night, again, was thumping so loud in my chest that I was like, ‘Are they laughing? Are they laughing? Are they laughing?’” Sharon said when talking about the premiere the night before.
Everyone was.
In the film, Bridget hasn’t quite gotten the happily ever after that she wanted. It’s been 10 years since she broke up with Mark Darcy and all of her friends have moved on to marriage and kids. But Bridget isn’t taking it lying down – instead of focusing on the men in her life, she’s focusing on her job and embracing growing older.
But, in a twist of fate, and in an attempt to hold onto her youth – a night at a music festival changes everything. She meets Jack (Patrick Dempsey), who rocks her world. And guys, I’m not hating… because I would have let him rock my world. And yes, I would have also let Mr. Darcy rock my world a week later.
In the film, Bridget ‘s focus on her job is admirable. Age hasn’t slowed her down- she’s still in her prime. She’s focused and she knows that she’s at the top of her game. One of the best things about any movie is hearing about all the behind the scenes stuff, and when you see the movie, you won’t be able to stop laughing at “Negacha.” God knows if I have spelled that right, but the way that the enunciate it in the film, had me laughing out loud.
“Negache [sp]? We went through 53,000 different ways to say that name, 3,000 at least. We practiced and we practiced and practiced.” Renee said when asked about saying the name of the country.
But that’s just the thing. There is always rehearsal and practice in a film. There’s always change. And there’s change in this movie – as when Bridget changes up her theme song. Turns out that even she can only handle so much “All By Myself.” She’s upgraded to House of Pain.
You won’t be able to walk away from one of the first scenes without begging LL Cool J to invite her onto Lip Sync Battle. Renee has picked her favorite contender: “Did you see Anne Hathaway on that show? Did you see her? Okay.” She wore a big smile when talking about the Devil Wears Prada Actress, “I mean, that–it’s over. Cancel the show. We’re done. We hit the bar. It doesn’t get better than that.”
I beg to differ.
The film was set to move to a smaller studio when Renee got the phone call late at night, about learning all the words to the song. After an 18 hour day, Sharon informed her that they wouldn’t be able to move Bridget’s flat and that she needed to memorize the song from House of Pain by 6am.
“I didn’t know the song. I mean, I knew the song. But, I know the part that everybody else knows.” she said, “You know? I know the part that we all sing together, you know, the three lines where it repeats itself.”
Renee didn’t sleep that night. She learned the words.
Research, memorizing – none of it is new to any actress in the world. Researching her role in the film, however, was especially fun for Renee.
“For this round, yeah. Because the first one, she–we put her to work in a publisher’s, and this one, we all went to a show called “Good Morning Britain.” And it’s kind of a crazy live news show, and we all went there for a few days.” Sharon said.
I can’t imagine what it was like to have Renee shadowing you at work, or any of the cast for that matter. But I’d take it.
“But, it was exciting. I think the research is–you know, to try and find the authenticity of the world and the character, it’s kind of important for us to do that. And that–I get very excited about that, all of that.” Sharon continued.
For me, Bridget has always portrayed a sense of confidence that few can. She taught us that we can overcome anything and she made us realize that people’s perceptions shouldn’t hold us back. Maybe it’s because she is so relatable that we’ve waited for the return of the franchise with open arms.
But what was it like for Renee to return?
“When they sent the script, it felt like this fantastically happy reunion, and it’s reminded me how much I love her.” Renee said, “I love her friends, and her parents, and her world, and then, I got really terrified because I thought, “Oh God. I really–I don’t want to mess this up” because, I mean, I know that like–like myself, you know, who, when I discovered her in the books, like so many other people, you know, we fell in love with her.”
“We have affection for her, and, you know, she holds a lot of meaning for us. And so, yeah. I just–I didn’t want to–I didn’t want to disappoint anybody.” she continued.
I remember when I fell for Bridget Jones. She was the best friend I always wanted. The person screaming at me that I could be more than I was. My fear was never that Renee would disappoint. The only way I would have ben disappointed would have been if she never returned.
“It was the happiest reunion. It was so much fun to be back in her shoes or her boots and her walk and her laugh and her voice and her not quite altogether wardrobe and, you know, and back with her friends. You know?”
That’s the best way to put it. The happiest reunion. For me, it was like coming home and finding the person that I wanted to talk to.
But Bridget Jones’s Baby was so much more than that. In a world where people are shamed for the number of sexual partners they have – Bridget owns it. She knows what she did and knows there was no shame in what happened. Because she was – well, happy.
Honestly, who wouldn’t get distracted by Jack’s beautiful face? Then there is the man that is just perfection – Mr. Darcy. Because, let’s face it, Colin Firth is perfection, no matter what he does. We have no other words.
“Colin is really–is so much more vulnerable than playing Mark Darcy.” Sharon said, “So much more complicated and vulnerable. Kind of vulnerability creeps through again.”
I have to agree, but to tell you why would give away what happens and I don’t want to spoil it for you.
“I love this version. I love this incarnation for him.” Renee chimed in.
I have to admit, this version of Mr. Darcy was definitely the best in the franchise. His strength, stubbornness, and superiority are apparent – yes. But the way that he loves Bridget shines through everything and you can’t help but take notice.
The Bridget of now is nothing like the Bridget of old. Like Mr. Darcy, she’s grown. She’s become something more than she was and it’s refreshing to see. So one has to wonder, with Bridget knowing who she is now, what would she tell the Bridget in the first movie?
“In your forties, you start–you lose a lot in your forties. Your forties are big. You let go of the– idea about what your life was going to be, and you lose friends. And it makes you renegotiate your life perspective entirely and what you value.” Renee said, “I think that–that, in this new–in this incarnation, she’s finally a little bit more self-possessed and more inclined to listen to her own intuition. And she’s sort of recognizing that the social paradigm for happiness does not apply across the board and that it’s okay to have and determine for yourself what happiness means, you know, even if it isn’t within the conventional ideal. And maybe the suggestion to not waste so much time trying to measure up but to recognize that, you know, she’s fine.”
But Renee isn’t the only one with advice for Bridget. Sharon had great advice too, “I would say to her, you know, that your fantasies for your life probably won’t work out. But, life will throw other fantasies at you, and go with those. You know, life deals you a different, you know, deck of cards, and you have to find the fantasies in there. You know?”
So very true. Life isn’t always what you expect. But Sharon continued, “I also think that the kind of–in the relationship of her, with Mark Darcy, I think it’s–I think what I’d tell her is, “You know, you can’t legislate love. Love has its–you can’t rationalize it. Love has its–finds its own way.””
No truer words have ever been spoken.
“I believe that with–from what I’ve experienced with the people thatI’m closest to, you evolve when you become a mom. You become a bigger version of yourself. You become a more powerful version of yourself, a fully realized version of yourself. And I’m watching all of my friends and my, you know, family members evolve in this way. And I’m a bit of a late bloomer, and so, it’s interesting to kind of be chronologically in that place, but not have– not experience that same transformation at the same time as your friends and the people closest to you.” Renee said when talking about a theme in the film that resonated in her life, “It’s very strange, and it’s — it is a very unique kind of loneliness. It’s a bit of — yeah. It’s –it’s very unique because then it means defining your growth in a different way and insisting that it happen despite the absence of this thing that makes it happen naturally.”
It may not only be Bridget that understands us. Renee does too. That same theme resonated with us. It’s why we’re here.
Our love for Bridget Jones is deep. Thankfully, Bridget Jones’s Baby is a can’t miss, hilarious great time. It’s like finding the best friend that you lost touch with and picking up like that separation never happened.
Bridget Jones’s Baby is in theater’s now. Get tickets here: http://unvrs.al/BJBTix.
