Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) Movie Drinking Game
Down a Shot: each time Darcy and Qwant exchange razor sharp snarky jabs and potshots at each other.
Down a Shot: each time Darcy gets all chivalrous.
Down a Shot: each time Bridget rises above or against societal expectations from either her mum or from her new boss lady.
Down a Shot: each time there is a visual reference or callback to the first two films, such as in terms of a prop or a familiar catchphrase.
By: Vidal D’costa (Two Beers) –
Bridget Jones returns in a third outing and is hellbent on starting a new phase as a career oriented woman in her forties. But after a one night stand with a stranger at a music festival and a chance fling of the sexual variety with ex flame Mark Darcy, she is up the duff (heavily pregnant, for the American English speaker) and has no idea who the dad is. New resolution: Find out who the dad is.
A Toast
I’m yet to find another fictional female character from a sappy romcom that I adore and wholeheartedly relate to, but until then, Bridget Jones will be my spirit animal! Just like Darcy, I too love her just the way she is and Renée Zellweger brings such a loving and endearing quality to the clumsy but determined Bridget and the character hasn’t lost any of that charm and relatability since the first two ventures in this trilogy. What has changed immensely is her attitude towards societal norms and refusing to conform to outdated obligations such as in scenes wherein she stands up to her old fashioned mum treating her like an outcast for having a child out of wedlock and even voicing her apprehensions towards the judgmental new young management at her workplace who often make her feel inadequate and out of her zone and at one point, she even considers the possibility of raising the child on her own. It’s these traits that lend layers to Bridget and as a result, ensures that she stands out among the sea of other quirky romcom heroines/superficial pick me girls.
Hugh Grant’s posh and smug Daniel Cleaver will be sorely missed in this one, but who cares because I was always on Team Colin Firth/Mark Darcy from the start any way! Firth is bankable as usual as the emotionally distant yet affable Darcy. I’ve been following Darcy’s character arc ever since the start of the trilogy and it’s always exhilarating to see him fight tooth and nail for Bridget, be prone to acts of chivalry, and go all in for the glory of love while also attempting to overcome his shortcomings so he can be with Bridget (third time’s a charm. Fingers crossed).
Patrick Dempsey as the third guy in this love triangle, Jack Qwant, a super rich inventor who believes in the power of algorithms to quantify love, is equally good, and his feud with Firth’s Darcy is a hoot to watch. The scenes involving the trio attending prenatal yoga together, with Jack and Darcy disguising themselves as a homosexual couple, in particular were chuckle-worthy.
It’s also nostalgic to see most of the supporting cast return, especially Bridget’s pals from the first two outings as well as some additional ones who all get along like a house on fire. It’s great to know that even when true love doesn’t stick around, true friends always do. Emma Thompson is pitch perfect with her wry humour and comic timing as Bridget’s no-nonsense gynaecologist, Dr. Rawlings.
The soundtrack of this movie as well as the manner in which it is incorporated into the romantic scenes deserves special mention, and I will be busy adding all those tracks to my Spotify playlist.
Beer Two
I’m a bit disappointed that there was no fight scene between Jack Qwant and Mark Darcy. As much as I think Qwant turned out to be a better person than Daniel Cleaver despite his own flaws, it just isn’t a Bridget Jones movie without a fight scene between the potential love interests. Oh well, I’ll have to make do with the snarky jabs and potshots that both men exchanged in their scenes together!
Verdict
If you’ve been a fan of Bridget Jones and her sappy, screwball love life since the beginning, then do curl up with a bag of Doritos and some wine & give this a watch. You won’t regret it.
