DAISY ARABELLA ONLY

BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY

Film Data Year: 2001

Director: Sharon McGuire

Length: 98 Minutes

Rated: R

Characters/Actors Bridget Jones: Rene Zellweger Mark Darcy: Colin Firth Daniel Cleaver: Hugh Grant Bridget’s Mum: Gemma Jones Bridget’s Dad: Jim Broadbent

Pedagogical Perspective

This is a fun film that resonates with young women. Bridget’s obsession with her weight, appearance, and clothing will ring true for many college-age females who are bombarded with interpersonal and media messages about thinness, beauty, and apparel. The movie also raises interesting questions about what Bridget wants in a relationship: Does she want a “good man” (Mark) or a “bad boy” (Daniel)? It appears she wants both - and the final lines of the movie suggest that Mark might be able to fill both roles. The movie is rated R for language (liberal use of the “f-word”) and sexuality (including brief nudity).

Synopsis

Bridget Jones (Zelleweger) is a single British woman in her early 30s who worries that she will die “fat and alone.” By her own admission she drinks too much, smokes too much, and is overweight – all factors contributing to her fragile self-esteem. Her self-concept and communication competence (or lack thereof) are central features in her relationships with Mark Darcy (Firth) and Daniel Cleaver (Grant), both of whom vacillate between courting and dumping Bridget in a variety of romantic (and humorous) encounters. By the end of the film, Bridget decides which man truly loves her – and that she likes herself “just as she is.”

Assignment

In this assignment, you will write a 4-5 page paper, which should include answering the discussion questions (listed below). Conceptualize and answer these questions under the light of intercultural communication. That means that the answers should tie in with the significance of intercultural communication, and how it has influenced the characters in this movie. This paper should be written in an APA-Style format. Your paper will be evaluated on the following:  Content  Grammar  Structure and mechanics  Relevance to the topic(s) ***Each essay will be submitted to Turnitin.com, via the Dropbox link in Blackboard.***

Discussion Questions

1. Describe Bridget’s communication competence/incompetence in interpersonal situations.

2. Critics have argued that the end of Bridget Jones’s Diary feels rushed, and that the “heroic” behavior of Mark Darcy is not fully motivated in the novel. Do you agree? Were you convinced that Mark Darcy would have behaved as he did? Explain your answer.

3. What needs is Bridget trying to meet?

4. Does she or does she not get any of these needs met?

5. What mistakes does she make?

6. How does Bridget interpret Darcy's, Daniel's or Mum's behavior?