There is a debate on the Internet to cancel The Diary of Bridget Jones, a 2001 film: we tell you what the reasons are.

April 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the premiere of Bridget Jones’s Diary, one of the most successful and influential romantic comedies of its time that earned Renée Zellweger an Oscar nomination.

The film portrays the chronicles of a woman in her 30s who does not live comfortably with her body, habits, and singleness, so she is in constant search of a sentimental partner.

At the time, the film was acclaimed and considered a revolutionary film for showing a real image of women that, until that moment, had not been used in Hollywood.

However, 20 years after its premiere, the film has been questioned on social networks for sexism and normalising inappropriate behaviour.

Why do you want to cancel The Bridget Jones Diary?

Why Do You Want To Cancel The Bridget Jones Diary 300x193

In June 2020, Instagram influencer Alexa Light, an advocate for the culture of body acceptance, posted an image questioning Bridget Jones’ overweight in the film.

“I was 13 when I first saw this movie and I weighed more than she. I remember feeling a flush of panic and disgust when I realised this, and I silently vowed to stick to my diet better,” Alex wrote.

According to the influencer, the standards set by the film are “ridiculous and dangerous”, as the character of Bridget Jones was not actually overweight.

The 2001 Bridget Jones portrait was called fat-phobic for failing to foster acceptance of all bodies and self-esteem.

On the occasion of the film’s anniversary, some network users also mentioned that the protagonist’s attitudes do not match current feminist ideals.

They argue that, in addition to not accepting her body, Bridget Jones’s search for love reinforces the idea of ​​romantic love rather than questioning it.

The character attaches so much importance to relationships that Internet users labelled her as “romantically long-suffering”, an idea that does not fit with the current thoughts of society, since the protagonist cannot be happy without a man by her side.

Another criticism of the film is towards the characters of Daniel Cleaver, Uncle Jeffrey and Mr Fitzherbert, who present harassing behavior.

Is the cancellation fair?

Is The Cancellation Fair 300x195

Importantly, the film is an adaptation of Helen Fielding’s book of the same name published in 1996, which, in turn, is inspired by the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

Fielding published the book in the United Kingdom as a critique of women’s image that fashion magazines, such as Cosmopolitan reflected.

The novel was a commercial success, received awards, was adapted into film and musical theater, and had a sequel in 1999.

Probably, the adaptation of The Diary of Bridget Jones does not fit with current social values, but it did not mean to offend in the past, because the way of thinking was different, and they take place in another context.

The author of the book and an actress responded to the cancellation
In mid-2020, author Helen Fielding spoke about it and was shocked at the level of sexism in the film.

You couldn’t write anything like that now. Bridget was dealing with the level of sexism, the hand on her butt in several of the scenes, the shots of her breasts.

“In the end, she turns the situation around and takes them on her face, but it was only an isolated part of her life. It was very shocking for me to see how things have changed,” said the author.

Following the revival of the issue, Sally Philips, a cast member of The Bridget Jones Diary, also addressed the cancellation in an interview:

“I think these concerns are much bigger and more frightening today. And canceling Bridget is not the way to make things better, “said Sally Philips.

Do you agree with the cancellation of The Bridget Jones Diary?

Image Source: IMDb