Bridget Jones' Baby is, of course, the conclusion to the Bridget Jones series, wherein (SPOILER! STOP READING NOW IF YOU WILL BE SURPRISED BY THE ENDING OF A ROMANTIC COMEDY!) she marries Mark Darcy. I presume this makes it a conclusion, because what kind of wacky adventures could a woman have after getting married and having a baby? None, obviously.
Thoughts, feelings, and reactions wherein I use actor and character names interchangeably:
I love Colin Firth as much as any other human person (so all the amounts of love), yet... Patrick Dempsey was just far far better. Sort of. I will explain why not in a moment, but to start with the good, I will point out that on top of his obviously perfect face and body, he is an upbeat, friendly person. He shows her affection and is actually emotionally available to her.
Bridget thinks that Patrick is not the best one for her because she keeps loving Mark, but that's not the real reason. The real reason is that Mark will love her and the baby, even if the baby is not his. Patrick will only love her and baby if the baby is his.
Bridget standing there awkwardly while Patrick (Jack? Is that his character's name?) does this condensed multi-date thing to try to woo her is the perfect demonstration of how romantic gestures are cute in theory and very weird to experience in reality. (So I assume.)
The difference between men and women's experience in the world: a strange woman wanders into a man's yurt, drunk and talking about how badly she needs to get laid, and he is more than happy to oblige. A strange man wanders into a woman's yurt, drunk and talking about how badly he needs to get laid? Even if she would be up for some sweet random action, she will most likely immediately fear for her life and wonder if she should just let him bang her so he doesn't get mad and kill her instead. Reality is a bummer.
There are a couple of flashbacks to the first movie, and OH BOY! They look so young in the first movie! They are babies! And I think I'm basically the age she was in the first movie so... I'm a baby? Sweet!
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| Look at Baby Bridget! |
Can we stop romanticizing men who are emotionally distant and can't decide to love us until the very last possible second?
I'm not sure what I thought of the scene where Mark Darcy picks Bridget up to carry her to the hospital because a women's rights march gets in their way. The juxtaposed imagery is - confusing?
I cried, because I'm the sappiest of the saps, BUT! I did NOT cry at the romantic things. I cried at the scenes where her friends got excited and supportive about her going into labour. It's just so lovely seeing all the unbridled support of a community of friends! (I definitely promise I did not get all teary-eyed writing that. Or again when I re-read this paragraph.)
I don't know about you, but if I left my purse and phone and keys and everything in a bank vestibule, I wouldn't walk home and sit on the ground outside my apartment in the pouring rain. I would wait by the bank for someone to come by who is also a member of the bank and ask them to open the door for me. Or, you know, ask to borrow a phone and call the security company or something.
I kind of wish it hadn't ended with the wedding. I mean, it's great that she got married, but did it have to end with her little monologue about being a singleton no more? Like that was the crowning achievement of the life where she just learned to be independent and enjoy her career and stand up for her values and stuff? Did it HAVE to?
They did this whole Romeo and Juliet thing where her and Mark looked at each other from across a party while she wore angel wings. I'm not sure they want to invite a comparison to two horny teenagers who both kill themselves due to melodrama and miscommunication, it doesn't bode well. Unless that's the secret message of this movie? That marriage is suicide? I mean, I was a bit disappointed with the wedding as the big-ultimate-experience-to-end-all-experiences, but this is a bit of a dark overcompensation.
Whatever, the friendships are lovely.
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