Susan Granger’s review of “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Universal Pictures)
“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” is the first film in the British romantic comedy franchise to skip a US theatrical release and go straight to streaming on Peacock. That’s probably a wise choice because Bridget Jones’ fans are older now and it’s fun to watch at home.
Still a grieving widow, idiosyncratic Bridget (Renee Zellweger) desperately misses her beloved late husband, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), four years after he was killed on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. That pervading sorrow extends to their 10-year-old son Billy (Casper Knopf) and 6-year-old daughter Mabel (Mila Jankovie).
Although Bridget’s former lover/boss – now best friend – ever-flirtatious Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) offers support, meaning that he’ll watch the kids so she can occasionally get out of her London home, her love life is nonexistent.
Until one day, carelessly disheveled, ever-klutzy Bridget and her children are – literally – stuck up a tree on Hamstead Heath. Offering help are Billy’s starchy-yet-charming science teacher, Scott Williker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and a cheeky park ranger, Roxter McDuff (Leo Woodall).
Bridget chooses Roxter’s rescue and he soon becomes her lover. But she’s in her ‘50s and he’s a 29-year-old biochemistry student. As she once again navigates the often-toxic dating world, self-deprecating Bridget is acutely aware of their age difference and confesses some confusion about her reawakening sexuality to her perceptive gynecologist (Emma Thompson).
Humor and honesty prevail in the mature, even melancholy script by series creator Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan – with Zellweger’s zany slapstick sensitively directed by Michael Morris.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” is a sweetly satisfying, screwball 7, streaming on Peacock.
