Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

This 2025 romantic comedy, fourth in the Bridget Jones series, was a crowd puller and it’s easy to see why.  At a time with grim international events a-plenty, who could turn down a film which promised plenty of smiles and a fabulous cast?

The discussion group had a range of very personal responses to this entertaining movie – “frivolous fun” said one of us. One didn’t like Renee Zellweger’s accent. Another felt that the owl was all wrong.  The scenes with Bridget Jones’ irritating friends annoyed some.  There were various self-referencing/parody parts which didn’t do a lot for us.  We had a little chat about the use of the f-word, which had upset some people when the film was shown locally.

However, despite these concerns, in fact we really did like the film.  As well as the “candyfloss” element and the fun, there was also a strong theme about dealing with the loss of a loved partner and how children respond to the death of a parent.  The important role of a teacher in recognising bereaved children’s difficulties and helping in the healing process was highlighted in the film and appreciated by the former teachers in the group.

The song ‘I’d Do Anything’ which featured was considered absolutely delightful by one of our musical group members. Random information:  my mum was in Lionel Bart’s class in her East London school, although was never happy about the way he learnt loads of verses of Lady of Shalott by heart to get extra points for the rival house.

Generally, it was felt that the film’s balance between silliness and the serious stuff worked. A couple of members of the group admitted to “welling up” at certain points. Although Leo Woodall’s abs were fine, for us it was the emotional moments that were abs-olutely the standout feature.

For a few hours, we forgot the world outside and enjoyed an entertaining film, surrounded by friends.

Anne