Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is a staple of many Christmas movie diets. Its popularity and appeal are no wonder as the film constitutes a melding of the well-loved genres of Christmas films, rom-coms, and Austen adaptations. Although its heroine Bridget (Renée Zellweger) bears very little similarity to Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice (1813), there is one significant continuity at the heart of each work: each protagonist experiences challenges making a good romantic match in a society which systematically devalues them- albeit for disparate reasons. While Elizabeth experiences pressure to marry due to her lack of dowry and is critiqued as a result of her family’s dysfunction, Bridget’s primary issue- as presented in the film- is her weight which is demeaned and seen as a deciding factor in her attractiveness by her mother, herself, arguably her friends, and her rival for the attentions of the movie’s Wickham equivalent. Given this, even while the movie ends with a cute resolution as Bridget and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) kiss in the snow, and does offer some critique of superficiality in love, it is somewhat problematic. The underlying gender politics and fat phobia are coated with a sweet love story, tied up with string, and neatly packaged for conventional Christmas consumption. As with the presents under the tree, it could do with some unpacking.
