Bridget Jones struggles with bad habits. The 30-something single Brit smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish and relies more on the truisms of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus than her own instincts. Yet readers love Bridget because she tries, in spite of herself, to stop. Similarly, “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” the adaptation of Helen Fielding’s bestseller, struggles with its own bad habits, especially a lack of confidence in itself. The movie doesn’t trust the strength of its wonderful performances and sharp writing, eventually sagging into a predictable, manipulative plot. The movie tries so hard to please that we get swept up in its energy and enthusiasm, even as it betrays its unique identity in the process.
Director Sharon Maguire frames the film with diary entries that chronicle the daily life of Bridget (Ren
