Like everybody else, Bridget Jones was just trying to figure it out as she went along.
She jotted down her thoughts, she made lists, she abbreviated. Little did she know, she was also kicking open a door through which countless characters would follow.
Because in 2001, when the film adaptation of Helen Fielding's 1996 bestseller Bridget Jones's Diary made it to the big screen, starring Renée Zellweger as the plucky career lass desperately seeking love and the ideal weight, there wasn't exactly a surplus of cinematic heroines marching into the arena with their flaw flags flying.
"I just laughed like an idiot and thought, This is very brave, to put this down in a book," director Sharon Maguire said in a 2001 interview, recalling her reaction when she first read it. "Because it was a bit of a taboo subject, you know, a lot of thirtysomething women secretly terrified as to why they hadn't found the right man, but nobody daring to say, 'Look, I think I'm a scary, tragic spinster, what shall I do about it?'"
Let's just say, a lot of progress has been made in 20 years (or 25 from when the book came out) since putting a "Take me as I am!" heroine at the center of the action was groundbreaking.
But it didn't take two decades to realize that Bridget was actually leading a pretty charmed life even before Mark Darcy got his druthers about him toward the end of the Pride and Prejudice-inspired plot. She had a job that she tackled with gusto, a cute flat, a fun group of supportive friends and lovely parents (who had their own issues, but truly loved her), and men (including her boss, the "office scoundrel," which would be frowned upon now) obviously found her quite charming and attractive even though she constantly agonized over her appearance.
Looking back, there wasn't anything hopelessly wrong except for the issues she had (with society's help) inflated in her mind, including that whole single-after-30 thing, which is also neatly resolved at the end in necessary rom-com (and Jane Austen-approved) fashion, at least before the sequels shuffle the cards.
But the audacity of Bridget remains, because the point is that she was openly concerned about all of the above, which is both v. v. relatable and, yes, still somewhat taboo. Because while stories like this one helped pave the way for more female-centric films featuring adorkable gals whose imperfections are the appeal, it has simultaneously become increasingly unfashionable to admit that you care about things like how your body looks to other people or that, sure, you may have a great career, but um... having a S.O. would be nice...
Yet in her quest to acquire the life she thinks she wants, Bridget does learn to appreciate herself much more, and that is ultimately the point.
Meanwhile, the success of the book—in Fielding's U.K. and around the world—meant that the filmmakers were very aware of the expectations upon them to get it right, from casting choices to the tricky business of translating a story fueled by diary entries into more cinematic action, all while maintaining the spirit of what makes Bridget someone you care about.
In honor of the film's 20th anniversary, here are 20 secrets about how they pulled it off:
The Academy thought her Bridget was pretty great as well, bestowing Zellweger with her first of four Oscar nominations. She'd win two years later, Best Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain, and after one of the most storied hiatuses from Hollywood in recent memory, she won Best Actress for Judy last year.
But cheers to Bridget Jones for sweating the small stuff, writing it down and pulling off the happy ending, all while staying true to her perfectly imperfect self.