Cinema Tuesdays Review

Released at nearly the same time as the theatrical feature "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," the DVD release of "Bridget Jones's Diary: Collector's Edition" seems like an easy way to make a few extra bucks by riding the coattails of the new film, which re-teams Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant.

The original "Bridget Jones's Diary" is a charming movie, and no doubt many who loved it already have the DVD in their collection. So, is there anything in this new "Collector's Edition" that warrants an upgrade from your previous copy? The press materials for the DVD boast of seven new features, in addition to the director's commentary, deleted scenes, original Bridget Jones columns, and behind-the-scenes material from the disc's first pressing. Few of the new features offer any great insights into the film or its characters.

The two and a half minute "Guide to Bridget Britishisms" is a series of clips from the movie that explains a few of the British slang words used in the film, in case we couldn't tell from the context in which they were said. "The Bridget Jones Phenomenon" (6:30) is included to plug the sequel, as is the trailer (2:30) for "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." Trailers and TV spots for the original feature are also included. So is a collection of reviews of "Bridget Jones's Diary" from sources such as Roger Ebert, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Portrait of the Makeup Artist" (five minutes long) profiles Graham Johnston, who talks a little bit about the look of the film and offers his take on makeup trends. The final new feature is "The Young and the Mateless" a seven and a half minute segment featuring interviews with author Karen Salmansohn (Even God is Single), Allure editor-in-chief Linda Wells, and "Sex and the City" writer and producer Jenny Bicks. Although it's not very substantive, this is probably the most entertaining new feature on the disc, as each of the women offers their thoughts on what it means to be single in the new century. In all, the "new bonus material" amounts to only 27 minutes.

Of course, the movie itself is the main feature, and with that, there's nothing to complain about. The film-to-disc transfer is the exact same as on the previous DVD edition. The box cover art states the film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, but in fact the movie is shown in the original theatrical "scope" 2.35:1 format.

Some scoffed at the idea of a Texan playing British Bridget, but Zellweger is perfect, and the sequel is eagerly awaited by many. "Bridget Jones's Diary: Collector's Edition" offers little else of substance to those who have already discovered this film in its previous DVD incarnation, but for those who have not yet met Bridget, the Collector's Edition DVD could be a nice first date.

11/05/04

Back to the main Cinema Tuesdays Reviews page

More about the Cinema Tuesdays series