To wish Helen Fielding would leave Bridget Jones alone

[Coatonarack]

I love Bridget. The books are hilarious and the first film was a gem. But the second film was a pastiche and the IMDB accounts of the third film sounded dire. I started off reading her Daily Tel column again, but stopped when she described Bridget cheating on Mark with Daniel in a sordid encounter behind the recycling bins. And now Helen is writing the third book.

Bridget Jones should be left alone. The last film came out nearly 10 years ago. It's over. Don't ruin it. There's nowhere you can take this.

I know, I know, she's not real. But still.....

Oh, I don't know. If she's been updated and is married with kids it could be interesting. Helen Fielding went to LA and had a baby didn't she?

Ah, 2

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Fielding

I feel exactly the same. I loved the first book but got fed up about halfway through the second book. I think it was all the whining about how fat she was. Fuck off Bridget you self obsessed, obnoxious, media wank. You're 8 and a half stone with a gorgeous boyfriend. Just fuck off.

I agree - i think a further book will be a disaster.

I can't imagine Helen Fielding needs the money.

She was planning to make a funny film about IVF, starting 12 months after the last film was set.

How is IVF funny? Think I will avoid this one.

Please someone remind me what happened in the third one? I must have watced it but tbh I didnt even know there were three!

YABU - If anyone is allowed to not leave Bridget Jones alone then it is Helen Fielding.

I did often think it would be funny to see how Bridget would deal with conception, pregnancy and motherhood because there can be a lot of humor in those situations anyway. So I would have to read it before passing judgement as to whether it was any good.

Sounds dire. The second film was awful and only loosely based on the book. There isn't even a third book yet to base the film on so assume it will be cobbled together from the Independent columns. Agree it's had it's day. Bridget is middle-aged by now and to have the same angst and insecurities that made her funny in the first book will be bordering on pathetic. And bloody Hugh Grant I hate him and hate his character with the same loathing. I will obviously have to watch it though, even if it's only to rant

I mostly agree, although it would be fascinating to see Bridget function in the world of texts/Facebook/Twitter/camera phones. I reread the first one recently and its just amazing how old-fashioned the technology references seem now (no texting!).

I did often think it would be funny to see how Bridget would deal with conception, pregnancy and motherhood because there can be a lot of humor in those situations anyway.

There was a really improbable scene in the first book where she had to POAS having never done it before and not having any clue how it worked- which seemed a bit improbable for a thirtysomething woman who drank like a fish and obviously got around

Wow, I didn't even realize there was a second movie, let alone a third. Really hard to picture Bridget older and yes somewherewest especially in a world of social media. I would kind of love to read a third book b/c I loved the first two, even as the second one got more and more implausible, but yeah I think she will ruin Bridget.

Have you read her first novel Cause Celeb? It's much more serious. Flawed but I thought pretty good. Based on it, I think her ambitions used to be more literary.

I loved the first Bridget Jones book back in the 90s when it first came out. I was a singleton at the time and nobody else was doing what she was doing at the time. i used to laugh out loud at some fabulous one liners in the book.

The film was OK but nothing like the book. The second book and film were a load of nonsense.

Right now, nearly twenty years after reading the first book, and being older and wiser and a mother of two, I've got no patience with ditsy Bridget and wouldn't bother going to see a third film. I got so tired of the pratfalls and the slapstick in the second film. It's old now and so is Bridget.

Loved the books.

Thought the films were really poor.

Yes the first book was very funny and of its time. The film of it was obviously done for USA audiences. I mean publishing assistants do not live in stunning large one bedroom flats above a pretty cobbled street. Hugh Grant played Hugh Grant and although she was good, I never understood why they thought the obvious choice for Bridget was a skinny Texan.

The second film was panto for teenage girls. I felt very patronised by it.

I thought Ben Elton made IVF pretty funny Ullena. I think dark stuff is often the funniest.

But I agree Bridget was a 90s girl and there she should stay.

God, I was irritated by Bridget Jones the first time round. I shan't be reading the third ...

Ha ha ha Chocs you are so right -- I'm American and didn't even consider whether she should have been able to afford that apartment! I just thought, "oh, London. Nice apartments they have in London."

I didn't like the book the first time round. I've a vague recollection of seeing the first film, but since I can't stand Renee Zellwegger don't really remember it.
I agree that Ben Elton made IVF amusing. I think he's allowed to though. Didn't he and his wife have it?

BJ did not live in a stunningly large apartment, she lived in an "attic flat in borough", which in the 90's was hardly exclusive - and if we were to ask Ms Fielding, I'd expect Brigitte to have paid for it with inheritance.

BJ should in fact be the patron saint of mn, let us examine the evidence:

1. none more likely to whine about "wine o'clock"
2. sends kids to public school, husband is a barrister, raised in Home Counties and best friwnd had wedding reception at Claridges yet believes she's in touch with the common people
3. mother gets her colours done
4. deeply suspicious of decent man assuming that he must be shagging attractive 22 year old intern
5. has unprotected sex repeatedly, then goes on to claim potential pregnancy would've been accidental

See!?

Yes, Ben Elton's book Inconceivable was based on his and his wife's own experience of baby-making. The film was called Maybe Baby, with Hugh Laurie.

I can't imagine a 3rd book working, I'm also in the camp of thinking the second one was already pushing it.

It wasn't HF who mauled Bridget though was it? It was the fillum people.

The books are, and IMO, will remain, iconic. The fillums were typical schmaltzy made-for-Hollywood shite. (Just needed Jennifer Aniston doing the "acting" bit and they would have been complete...)

All films ever have people living in unrealistically large flats - otherwise there wouldn't be room for the camera crew.

NotTreadring- now for that we should be grateful. BJ was at least a romcom that did not contain Jennifer Aniston. They are like unicorn shit these days. Very rare.