Movie Profile: BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (2016)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | Bridget Jones’s Baby |
| Release Date | September 16, 2016 |
| Director | Sharon Maguire |
| Writers | Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, Emma Thompson |
| Based On | Characters created by Helen Fielding |
| Genre | Romance, Comedy |
| Runtime | 123 minutes |
| Box Office | $212 million worldwide |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures / Working Title Films |
| Lead Cast |
• Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones) • Colin Firth (Mark Darcy) • Patrick Dempsey (Jack Quant) • Jim Broadbent (Colin Jones / Bridget’s Dad) • Gemma Jones (Pamela Jones / Bridget’s Mum) • Emma Thompson (Dr. Rawlings) • Sarah Solemani (Miranda) |
Trailer
Plot Overview
Now turned 43, single, and working as a successful TV news producer, Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) seems to finally have her life under control. Her relationships with her past loves have ended—Daniel Cleaver is presumed dead following a plane crash, and her marriage to Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) dissolved years prior due to career strains.
At a music festival with her colleague Miranda, Bridget has a wild, drunken one-night stand with Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey), a charming American billionaire who founded a high-tech dating site. Just days later, at a christening party, Bridget crosses paths with Mark Darcy; old sparks fly, leading to a single passionate night together before they part ways again.
Weeks later, Bridget discovers she is pregnant. However, due to expired organic condoms, she cannot be certain who the father is: the chivalrous British lawyer Mark Darcy or the optimistic American billionaire Jack Quant. Choosing not to get an invasive amniocentesis test, Bridget navigate her pregnancy while both men eagerly step up to compete for her affection and prepare for fatherhood.
Key Themes & Highlights
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Return to Form for the Franchise: Directed by Sharon Maguire (who directed the original 2001 Bridget Jones’s Diary), the film was widely praised by critics as a major recovery from the second installment (The Edge of Reason).
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Patrick Dempsey Joins the Love Triangle: Filling the void left by Hugh Grant’s character, Dempsey brings a fresh, charming dynamic as Jack Quant, serving as a warm contrast to Mark Darcy’s classic stoicism.
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Scene-Stealing Emma Thompson: Beyond co-writing the polished screenplay, Emma Thompson steals nearly every scene she appears in as Bridget’s dry-witted gynecologist, Dr. Rawlings.