This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
She’s back! England’s favorite messy diarist returns to our screen with the upcoming release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. The movie will be available to stream on Peacock in the United States on February 13, and it will premiere in theaters internationally on February 14. We’ll be following Bridget’s motherhood journey and catching up with old favorites.
This movie is an adaptation of Helen Fielding’s 2013 novel of the same name. Fielding also collaborated on the script for the movie with Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan, with Michael Morris directing. This is the fourth movie in the series. Before getting into the new movie, let’s recap Bridget’s journey up until now.
Back with Bridget
In the first Bridget Jones movie (and novel), Bridget Jones’s Diary, we follow Bridget through her quest for love and a stable career. Alongside her group of friends, Bridget endlessly worries about dying alone. Her mother always tries to introduce her to eligible men, which is how Bridget re-meets Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth in the movie), a childhood friend. He’s a human rights lawyer and endlessly stuffy. She also overhears Mark insulting her smoking and drinking and over-talkativeness, like a scene in Pride and Prejudice, one of Fielding’s inspirations.
Bridget instead dates her boss, Daniel Cleaver (played by Hugh Grant). After Daniel cheats on her, Bridget pursues a new career. She then begins a relationship with Mark, who’s loved her all along.
In Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (based on the second novel in the series), Bridget’s self-effacement gets in the way of her relationship with Mark. She begins to worry that he’s cheating on her with his assistant. Helen Fielding has said that this novel is based on Jane Austen’s Persuasion, as Bridget lets outside influences change her feelings about Mark. The series of miscommunications lead her to break up with Mark and go on a work trip with Daniel Cleaver, with whom she’s started working again. They reconnect in Thailand, but Bridget is quickly disabused of the notion that he’s a good match for her.
Unfortunately, the second movie is far more uncomfortably racist and off-key because of the Thailand plotline. After Bridget gets arrested at the airport and spends time in a Thai prison, she returns to England. She then reunites with Mark.
The movie Bridget Jones’s Baby is a departure from the novels but still follows Fielding’s original characters. However, Daniel Cleaver is presumed dead (Hugh Grant didn’t want to come back), and we start off by learning that Mark Darcy and Bridget Jones have broken up once again. After a night with Mark after Daniel’s memorial service, and then another night with Jack (Patrick Dempsey) at a music festival, Bridget finds herself pregnant.
Level up your reading life! Become an All Access member and explore our full library of exclusive bonus content, including must-reads, deep dives, and reading challenge recommendations. Sign up now for only $6/month!
Since she doesn’t know who the father is, she attempts to figure out how to raise her child and make the right match. After all the drama and confusion, Bridget and Mark realize that they love each other and get married.
Alongside the movie, Helen Fielding released Bridget Jones’s Baby: The Diaries in 2016, with Daniel still an active and living character.
Where Does Bridget Go From Here?
Spoilers in this section! If you want to go in to the new movie without expectations, skip this recap of the novel. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is based on Fielding’s third novel in the series of the same name. According to the trailer, Bridget is now a single parent of two children because Mark has passed away. She’s back on the dating scene once again.
As she also deals with mom drama, Bridget begins a relationship with a younger man named Roxster, played by Leo Woodall. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mr. Wallaker, a teacher at her children’s school. And Hugh Grant is back as Daniel Cleaver, still stuck in his womanizing ways.
Like the novel, the movie will focus on moving on from grief, the trials of motherhood, dating as an older woman, and the beauty standards that Bridget is always trying to master and get away from at the same time.
Bridget Jones Readalikes
If you’re all caught up on the books and want a romance about a hilarious career woman, or a diaristic novel, we’ve got you covered!
Seeking Stars by Leonor Soliz
Ana Lira is dedicated to her craft of filmmaking and will stop at nothing to pursue it. She doesn’t have time for romance or the Hollywood glitterati. Her commitment to only work and no fun is tested when she starts working on a documentary about an ultra-sexy film star, Liam McMillan. Even though he convinces her to give their relationship a chance, the outside world and Ana’s career goals might get in the way of their happily ever after.
Not a Self-Help Book: The Misadventures of Marty Wu by Yi Shun Lai
Like Bridget, Marty Lu constantly says what’s on her mind, occasionally to her own detriment. She’s also obsessed with reading self-help books and using the insights to improve herself. Though she works an advertising job, her real dream is to open a costume store. When her super-critical mother takes her along on a trip to visit family in Taiwan, Marty’s life starts to spin out and she has to stand up for herself to build the life she wants.
If you’re looking for more Bridget Jones readalikes, try diving into Pride and Prejudice adaptations, queer Jane Austen retellings, and more recent reads from the chick-lit genre.
