Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004, Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant)

Bridget Jones has been involved in a relationship with wonderful lawyer Mark Darcy (Firth) for 6 weeks, 4 days and 7 hours (not that she is counting of course) surely something more permanent (like marriage) is on the cards, however her plans go awry when the super smooth Daniel Cleaver (Jones) re-appears on the scene getting a job at the same TV station as Bridget, things are further complicated when the pair are thrown together on a trip to Thailand.

Whilst the edge of reason does undoubtedly cover some of the same ground as the first Bridget movie (this is a sequel after all) it more than holds it own, Zellweger is a delight as Jones, probably will turn out to be the key role of her career, however Hugh Grant steals every scene he is in, an oily creep who still manages to make the ladies swoon.

What lifts the edge of reason out of your average rom-com territory though are the myriad of subplots. Jones is convinced that Mark’s secretary is in love with him but a nice twist proves otherwise and Bridget’s boss has an unhealthy interest in her bum. There are also some great set pieces that stun and amuse; the amusing has to include Mark and Daniel’s water fountain fight, real English school playground stuff and the Thai prison girls singing Like A Virgin whilst the stunning would have to include the huge sweeping shot across the rooftops of London where a lonely Bridget is contrasted with that of couples in various homes and apartments.

production details
UK | 108 minutes | 2004

Director: Beeban Kidron
Script: Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies, Richard Curtis, Adam Brooks, Tony Chance,

cast
Renée Zellweger as Bridget Rose Jones
Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver
Colin Firth as Mark Fitzwilliam Darcy
Jim Broadbent as Bridget’s Dad
Gemma Jones as Bridget’s Mum
Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury
James Faulkner as Uncle Geoffrey
Jacinda Barrett as Rebecca
Sally Phillips as Shazza
Shirley Henderson as Jude
James Callis as Tom
Neil Pearson as Richard Finch
Jessica Hynes as Magda
Donald Douglas as Admiral Darcy
Charmian May as Mrs. Darcy
Jeremy Paxman as Himself
Ian McNeice as Quizmaster
Paul Nicholls as Jed
Wolf Kahler as Commentator
Catherine Russell as Camilla
Alex Jennings as Horatio
Ting Ting Hu as Thai prostitute
Jason Watkins as Charlie Parker-Knowles
Vee Vimolmal as Phrao
Pui Fan Lee as Thai jail girl
Dominic McHale as Bernard
Shirley Dixon as Mrs. Darcy
Rosalind Halstead as Receptionist
Luis Soto as Mexican Ambassador
Tom Brooke as Production Assistant
Alba Fleming Furlan as Girl in Rome
Lucy Robinson as Janey
David Verrey as Giles Benwick
Mark Tandy as Derek
Stephanie O’Rourke as Sexy P.A.
Flaminia Cinque as Corset Lady
Trevor Fox as Hairdresser
Michelle Lee as Thai Police Woman
Melissa Ashworth as Thai jail girl
Neil Dudgeon as Taxi Driver
Sam Hazeldine as Journalist
Oliver Chris as Director in Gallery
Hon Ping Tang as Thai Jail Guard
Patrick Baladi as Steward
David Cann as Sit Up Britain Cameraman (uncredited

• A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Signalman (S1EP6 BBC-2 22 Dec 1976, Denholm Elliott)

• Diary Of A Nobody (BBC Comedy, Hugh Bonneville)

• A Rather English Marriage (BBC Drama, Albert Finney)

• The Line Of Beauty (BBC-2 2006, Dan Stevens)

• South Riding (BBC Drama, Anna Maxwell Martin)

• Northanger Abbey (ITV Drama, Felicity Jones)

• The Alan Clark Diaries (BBC Drama, John Hurt, Jenny Agutter)

• Taking a Shot at Love (Hallmark 2021, Alexa PenaVega, Luke Macfarlane)

• Snowkissed (Hallmark 2021, Jen Lilley, Chris McNally)

• A Winter Getaway (Hallmark 2021, Nazneen Contractor, Brooks Darnell)

• Two for the Win (Hallmark 2021, Trevor Donovan, Charlotte Sullivan)

• Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (Netflix 2020, Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski)

• The Invisible Man (2020, Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge)

• If I Only Had Christmas (Hallmark 2020, Candace Cameron Bure, Warren Christie)