10 Best Bridget Jones’s Diary Moments
2. Bridget Finally Demands Respect
When Daniel cheats on Bridget and she realizes that her career at the publishing house is going nowhere, she finds another job in television and finally quits. Daniel won’t let her go that easily and tries to get her to stay, explaining that there are still prospects for her at the company. But, in front of all her co-workers, Bridget fires back that if staying at her current job means working within ten yards of him, then she’d ‘rather have a job wiping Saddam Hussein’s arse.’ Immediately, Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” kicks in on the soundtrack as everyone laughs sheepishly and she exits triumphantly.
During the first half of the film, Bridget is severely lacking in confidence. She tries desperately to lose weight and find a man, and therefore lets Daniel walk all over her. So it’s immensely cathartic, inspiring, and rewarding when she finally decides to create a better situation for herself and demand respect. In the end, although she does find a man in the much kinder Mark, more importantly she finds herself and learns to stand up for herself to get the recognition she truly deserves.
1. Mark and Daniel’s Epic Fight Scene
Bridget Jones’s most memorable scene is undoubtedly Mark and Daniel’s fight.
After years of pent up resentment toward Daniel for having an affair with his wife and now swooping in to steal Bridget at her birthday dinner, Mark asks him to step outside. Both men throw some decent punches but overall it’s a hilarious scene since they’re exceedingly bad at fighting. Suddenly, they wrestle into a Greek restaurant across the street from Bridget’s flat and fall into plates of food. This moment brilliantly parodies this ridiculous display of male aggression as they each take the time to apologize to the diners. Then, with cuts and bruises on their faces, they must wait as a large cake appears and everyone, including Mark and Daniel, sing “Happy Birthday.” Finally, Daniel rushes at Mark, sending both of them crashing, in slow-motion, through the restaurant’s window and onto the pavement outside in a pile of shards.
The whole film leads toward this moment as the tension builds around Mark and Daniel’s competition for Bridget’s attention. However, both men maintain a cool, witty, unemotional exterior until they finally lose control of their tempers. This moment is especially funny for audiences familiar with Firth and Grant as actors since it pits these two iconic leading men, famous for their work in rom-coms, against each other to finally square off onscreen. With the Motown classic “It’s Raining Men” soundtracking their laughable duel, this moment is an incredible release of tension and a parody of staid genre conventions.
In the end, that’s the brilliance of this film. Released at the turn of the 21st century, years after the success of rom-com staples like Sleepless in Seattle and Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary is notable for its cheeky self-reflexivity and keen awareness of genre conventions. Even when it slips into cliché, it’s as though the film is winking at each of us. So, when Bridget finally gets her happy ending, it isn’t sappy or cheesy but rather endearing and wonderfully satisfying. For these reasons, as Bridget might say, it’s the greatest rom-com of our time. Or one of the top 30 rom-coms of our time, at least.
Recommended for you: 10 Best Love Actually Moments
By Emily Nighman
Do you agree with our list? Which moments from Bridget Jones do you like the most? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow @thefilmagazine on Facebook and Twitter for more insightful movie lists.
