Bridget Jones's Baby is a 2016 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire from a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and Emma Thompson, based on a story by Fielding. It is the sequel to Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and the third installment in the Bridget Jones film series. The film once again stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, who is shocked when she finds out she is pregnant and must deduce which of her two recent loves is the father, lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth, also reprising his role) or mathematician Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), all while trying to hide one from the other. The film marked Zellweger's return to the screen after a six-year hiatus.
Bridget Jones's Baby premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 5 September 2016 and was released in the United Kingdom and United States on 16 September. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $211 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million.
A sequel, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, is set to be released in 2025.
Plot[]
On her forty-third birthday, Bridget Jones attends the memorial of her ex Daniel Cleaver, presumed dead after a plane crash. She sees her other ex, Mark Darcy, with his wife Camilla.
Bridget now works as a television producer and is close friends with coworker Miranda. After spending her birthday-night alone, Bridget decides to embrace single life, accepting Miranda's offer to go to a music festival where she meets a handsome man, Jack, after she falls into mud. That evening, a drunk Bridget crawls into his yurt, thinking it is hers and Miranda's. He invites her to stay and they have a one-night stand. In the morning, waking alone, Bridget leaves, unaware Jack is out getting breakfast for them.
Returning home, Bridget goes to her friend Jude's new baby's christening, where she is the godmother and Mark has been asked to be the godfather at the last minute. He tells her he and Camilla are divorcing and Camilla was only at the funeral for moral support. Realizing they are still in love, Bridget and Mark spend the night together. Bridget exits before he wakes up, leaving a note telling him she fears reconnecting will repeat their past mistakes.
Weeks later, Bridget discovers she is pregnant. She decides to keep the baby despite being single. After a visit to Dr. Rawlings' clinic, she realizes the father could be Mark or Jack. She is unable to contact Jack until Miranda spots him in a TV ad and discovers he is billionaire mathematician Jack Qwant, creator of a dating website.
Miranda and Bridget conspire to have Jack as a guest on their news show to get DNA samples. Although Bridget tries to stay incognito, he recognizes her and asks why she left after their night together. She apologizes, blurting out that she is pregnant, without mentioning Mark. Initially taken aback, Jack later throws himself into the role of father. Bridget also tells Mark the news; he is so thrilled that she cannot bear to tell him about Jack. Rawlings proposes an amniocentesis DNA test, but Bridget decides not to, as she fears the risk of miscarriage.
Bridget invites Jack to a work event, and is startled when Mark also shows up. The three go out to dinner, where Bridget finally admits she is unsure who the father is. Although disappointed, Jack takes the news well, but Mark is upset and walks out, though he eventually becomes supportive. Mark and Jack eventually become jealous of each other's bond with Bridget and try to one-up each other.
They pretend to be in a gay relationship to avoid embarrassment when the trio attend prenatal classes, which irritates Mark. He becomes increasingly envious of Bridget and Jack's close relationship and is devastated when Jack lets Mark believe he and Bridget had sex without condoms, making it more likely for Jack to be the father. Mark leaves, ignoring Bridget's calls. Jack asks her to move in, but he eventually confesses what he told Mark. Upset, Bridget rushes to tell Mark, but seeing his wife arriving at his house, she walks away.
Nine months into her pregnancy, Bridget finds herself locked out in the rain. Mark arrives and breaks into the flat for her. He tells her his wife was at his flat to pick up the last of her things. Just as they are about to kiss, her water breaks. When his mobile rings, Mark romantically throws it out the window, leaving them without means to call help. They eventually make it to the hospital with help from Gianni the pizza man and Jack. Later Jack apologizes to Mark for his behavior. Bridget gives birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she names William, and her friends and parents visit. Her mother coming from a parish-council election she had just won with Bridget's help in liberalizing her platform. Rawlings takes Mark and Jack away to perform the DNA test, and they genuinely wish each other luck.
A year later, Bridget marries Mark, baby William's father. Jack is a guest, showing no sign of resentment or jealousy, happily playing with William. Bridget expresses her contentment that everything worked out. The film ends with a newspaper headline revealing Daniel Cleaver has been found alive.
Cast[]
- Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones
- Colin Firth as Mark Darcy, QC
- Patrick Dempsey as Jack Qwant
- Jim Broadbent as Colin Jones, Bridget's father
- Gemma Jones as Pamela Jones, Bridget's mother
- Sarah Solemani as Miranda, Bridget's friend and Hard News's anchorwoman (a new character created exclusively for the movie)
- James Callis as Tom
- Shirley Henderson as Jude
- Sally Phillips as Sharon "Shazzer"
- Neil Pearson as Richard Finch, Bridget's colleague
- Kate O'Flynn as Alice Peabody, Hard News's manager
- Emma Thompson as Doctor Rawlings (a new character created exclusively for the movie)
- Julian Rhind-Tutt as Fergus, Shazzer's husband
- Ben Willbond as Giles, Jude's husband
- Joanna Scanlan as Cathy, Hard News's make-up artist
- Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury, Pamela's friend
- James Faulkner as Uncle Geoffrey, Una's husband
- Enzo Cilenti as Gianni, the owner of an Italian restaurant
- Jessica Hynes as Magda, Bridget's friend and a lawyer's wife
- Dolly Wells as Woney, Bridget's old friend
- Agni Scott as Camilla, Mark's former wife
- Shirley Dixon as Geraldine Darcy, Mark's mother
- Donald Douglas as Admiral Darcy, Mark's father
- Nick Mohammed as Ariyaratna, the Area manager for DTC technological solutions
- Patrick Malahide as George Wilkins, foreign minister
- Katia Elizarova as Glamorous Looking Woman, ex-girlfriend of Daniel Cleaver
- Tom Rosenthal as Josh, a researcher of Hard News
- Beattie Edmondson as Laura, young assistant of Bridget
- Laura Checkley as Susan, floor manager of Hard News
- Darren Boyd as Jeremy
- Bruce Wang as General Lu Tong
- Chooye Bay as General Lu Tong's driver
- Janet Henfrey as Mavis Enderbury
- Rafferty Railton as Spike, Shazzer and Fergus' son
- Abigail Kimber as Ruby, Shazzer and Fergus' daughter
- Amy Jayne as Poppy, Jude and Giles' daughter
- Ed Sheeran as himself
- Erron Gordon as Hard News director
- Ashley McGuire as midwife