Bridget Jones, created by British journalist Helen Fielding in the mid-1990s, has long been criticized as a relic of post-feminism. However, her character arc reveals a more nuanced story. Initially, Bridget was portrayed as a symbol of womanhood, embodying the struggles and insecurities faced by single career women. Her diary entries were seen as articulating the traumas of a generation.
But when her stories were published in book form in 1996, it became clear that Bridget’s narrative didn’t follow the postmodern Gen X nightmare. Instead, she followed a more traditional path – finding love and happily ever after with Mr. Darcy. This trajectory has had its stumbles over the years, but Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of Bridget in films like 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary” brought new life to the character.
Fielding’s creation may have started as a representation of post-feminism, but her enduring popularity is a testament to the complexity and relatability of Bridget’s story.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/03/bridget-jones-mad-about-a-boy-movie/681443