friday night rom-com: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
the best Bridget yet!
Friday Night Rom-Com is a semi-regular series where I share about my thoughts on classic romantic comedies because as much as they are (sometimes) terrible, we just can’t seem to quit them.
I know this might be controversial, but Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is possibly my favourite Bridget Jones movie.
I know, I know—the original is iconic. It’s one of my favourite holiday rewatches, and nothing will ever top the moment Mark Darcy tells Bridget, “I like you just as you are.” But this one? This one hit me *hard*. I watched it the weekend it came out. Twice. And both times, I was sobbing—like, snot-filled, body-shaking, heart-aching sobs.
Why? Because there was something so powerful about seeing Bridget in her 50s, still messy, still lovable, but now… more grounded. More herself. She’s gone through loss, she’s raising kids, she’s navigating love again—and honestly? Watching her made me feel seen in ways I didn’t expect.
Bridget in Her 50s, Still Figuring It Out
There’s this weird myth that at a certain age—40, 50, whatever—you just arrive. Like you’ve been on some airplane with some rocky turbulence for the majority of your life, but suddenly you check in to the right flight, and everything’s okay. Smooth sailing from here on out. Everything clicks into place, and you’ve figured out who you are, what you want, and how to get it.
Spoiler alert: That doesn’t happen.
Bridget, in this movie, is proof of that. She’s older, yes. She’s wiser, sure. But she’s still learning, still evolving, still getting ghosted by men who should know better (we’ll get to that in a minute). This time around around, she’s not worried about her weight or how many ciggies she’s smoked. But she still has questions about who she is, and what’s next for her. She’s a widow, she’s grieving, and she’s certainly not where she thought she would be. But she’s figuring it out. She might not be doing it in the smoothest of ways — this is Bridget Jones, after all — but she’s trying. She hasn’t given up on herself, and I love that.
The Younger Guy (and Why I’m Here for It)
One of my favourite parts of this movie was Bridget dating a younger guy, Roxster (Leo Woodall). Not just because it was fun and sexy (it totally was), but because it felt important.
We’ve been conditioned to celebrate older men dating younger women while shaming older women for doing the exact same thing. Men get to be “distinguished” silver foxes, while women get labeled “cougars,” which—let’s be honest—makes us sound like predators in the wild. As someone in my 40s who’s suddenly finding myself drawn to younger guys (and actually seeing one right now), I was all in on this storyline. I loved seeing Bridget in that space—flirty, desired, and fully owning it. And I want more of that in movies. More women over 40 getting the romance, the adventure, the hot sex, the fun.
Of course, reality kicked in when he ghosted her. And I won’t lie—I’ve been there. (Who hasn’t?) That moment of thinking, “Wait… is he just busy, or is he disappearing?” And then realizing, “Oh. Yep. He’s gone.” It was comforting, in a twisted way, to see Bridget go through it too. After all, that’s what modern dating is all about (unfortunately).
But what I really loved? When he eventually came crawling back, she didn’t just welcome him with open arms. She knew what she wanted and needed, and she wasn’t about to settle. This is something we can all take a page from Bridget’s diary!
Mark Darcy’s Death & What It Means to Lose “The One”
Losing Mark Darcy was devastating—for Bridget, for us, for the entire rom-com-community. But as much as it hurt, I couldn’t help but feel that, in some ways, it made sense. Because here’s the thing: sometimes, the person we think is “our person” isn’t meant to be with us forever.
I know this because I’ve been there. I had my own off-and-on relationship that spanned a decade. Ten years of breaking up, reconnecting, thinking maybe this time… only to have it fall apart again. When you go through something like that, it’s easy to believe that the history alone means something—that it has to work out eventually because why else would the universe keep bringing you back together? But what I’ve learned (the hard way) is that some people aren’t meant to be your forever person. They’re meant to teach you something. And for me, that lesson was this: Their love isn’t meant to complete you. It’s meant to make you stronger. It’s meant to show you who you are.
That’s what I saw in Bridget. Mark Darcy wasn’t just the love of her life — he was the relationship that helped shape her into the person she became. His love gave her a foundation, but losing him forced her to stand on her own two feet. That’s why I didn’t just cry during this movie—I fucking felt it. Because it wasn’t just about losing someone. It was about finding yourself in the aftermath.
Oh, and Daniel Cleaver Is Alive??
I had the biggest smile on my face when they revealed that Daniel Cleaver wasn’t actually dead. Only Hugh Grant could get away with faking a plane crash and returning unscathed — just somehow sexier and crankier. But what surprised me the most was how much I loved seeing him and Bridget as friends. It felt like a full-circle moment—proof that even the most chaotic relationships can evolve into something meaningful.
The Romance That Actually Made Sense
And I loved her relationship with the kids’ teacher, Mr. Walliker (Chiwetel Ejofor). He’s quiet, serious, a little gruff—but he sees her for who she is (very much giving Mark Darcy 2.0 vibes). And what I appreciated most was how mature their dynamic felt. That New Year’s Eve scene? Where they’re at the party, surrounded by family and friends, and they’re not attached at the hip, but they know they’re solid? That hit me. That’s the kind of love that feels real. Not the frantic, will-they-won’t-they drama of her past, but something steady. Something secure. And something very mature and worthy of our Bridget.
Final Thoughts: Watch It, Cry, Repeat
This movie gave me everything I wanted and didn’t know I needed. It made me laugh, it made me cry (a lot), and it made me reflect on my own life in ways that only a good rom-com can. It reminded me that love doesn’t have an expiration date. That life is always going to be messy, no matter how old you are. That loss doesn’t mean the end — it just means a new chapter. And that sometimes, the best thing you can do is stand in the middle of it all, own who you are, and say, “Yes. This is my life. And I’m going to live it. Even if it’s messy, I’m going to try my best to believe that good things can happen again.” Because they can!
So grab some wine, a box of tissues, and watch it. Twice. Bridget would want that for you.
Bridget Jones forever!!!!