History Trivia / BridgetJones

* OldShame: While most of the cast and writers seem to agree in retrospect that ''The Edge of Reason'' was an underwhelming sequel, Creator/HughGrant ''really'' didn't like how it turned out, to the point of naming it one of the lowest points of his entire career and refusing to entertain any notion of appearing in the third film.

* DawsonCasting: Rebecca in the 2nd film, one of the points about her is that she's a decade younger than Bridget at 22, but she is portrayed by Jacinda Barrett and is separated from Creator/ReneeZellweger by a 3 year age difference.

* NoExportForYou: There are [[http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/bridgets-diaries.html several deleted scenes from both films]] that aren't included in the American DVD releases, some scenes were uploaded on You Tube but were then taken down from the site. All that remains for American viewers are the stills from the films.

* PromotedFanboy: Jacinda Barrett (Rebecca Gillies, Mark's assistant and Bridget's secret admirer) said in a featurette for the second film that when she viewed the the 1st film, she wanted to have a beer with them along with looking up to Renee Zellweger.

* McLeaned: Creator/HughGrant was initially set to return for ''Bridget Jones' Baby'', but eventually he declined, due to not liking the script and not seeing how Daniel Cleaver could fill into the story without changing him dramatically, something he didn't want. So, the film opens with his funeral.

* McLeaned: Creator/HughGrant declined to return for the third film, so it opens with Daniel Cleaver's funeral.

** After Sharon Maguire turned down the offer to direct the second film, Renee Zellweger pushed for ''Calendar Girls'' director Nigel Cole to get the job, but the producers gave it to Beeban Kidron instead.

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/CeliaImrie first played the 60 year old Una Alconbury when she was pushing 50, she was in fact the youngest of most of the actors portraying Bridget/Marks' parents' peer group.

** Helen Fielding was a friend of Creator/SalmanRushdie and decided to call him up to ask "would you like to make a fool of yourself?", and so he was given a cameo in the film.
** Renee Zellweger asked to not have to gain weight for the role again like she did in the past, so Bridget was written in as reaching her goal weight.

** The third film was originally set to be produced in 2012 but it didn't get made until a few years later.

** There are several other characters based on people associated with Fielding, [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10378760/Im-an-unlikely-sex-symbol-says-inspiration-behind-Bridget-Jones-love-interest.html Scott Wallacker is based on her son's teacher]].

* SequelGap: 12 years between the second and third film.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/PatriciaArquette, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/SaffronBurrows, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MillaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Music/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMarceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/PatriciaArquette, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/SaffronBurrows, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MilaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Music/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMarceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/PatriciaArquette, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MilaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Music/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMarceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/PatriciaArquette, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MilaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMarceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

* CastingGag: Mark Darcy is of course meant to be Mr Darcy from ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', who was memorably played in the BBC adaptation by Creator/ColinFirth. There's also a bit in the book where Bridget has a crush on Colin Firth, and an extra for the first film had Bridget [[CelebrityParadox interviewing him for work]]. What's more is that the third film reveals that Mark's middle name is [[spoiler: Fitzwilliam]].
* ContractualPurity: Sally Phillips, a born-again Christian, got lots of criticism from her church for playing a character who loves to say "fuck" all the time. She had a rather brilliant response:

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MilaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMarceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

* PromotedFangirl: Jacinda Barrett (Rebecca Gillies, Mark's assistant and Bridget's secret admirer) said in a featurette for the second film that when she viewed the the 1st film, she wanted to have a beer with them along with looking up to Renee Zellweger.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/JulietteBinoche, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/KirstenDunst, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/KateHudson, Creator/ElizabethHurley, Creator/MilaJovovich, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/AlexKingston, Creator/LucyLawless, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/SophieMaceau, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/TildaSwinton, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/EmmaThompson, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/LivTyler, Creator/EmilyWatson, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/CatherineZetaJones.

* ActorAllusion:
** Bridget's boss, when she gets a news reporter job was played by Neil Pearson, whose portrayal is exactly the same as his role of Dave in ''Series/DropTheDeadDonkey''.
** Bridget's friend Jude is introduced crying in the bathroom. Her actress Creator/ShirleyHenderson played Moaning Myrtle in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films, a ghost who haunts a girls' bathroom.

** Helen Fielding was a friend of Salman Rushdie and decided to call him up to ask "would you like to make a fool of yourself?", and so he was given a cameo in the film.

** The actresses being considered to portray Bridget? Creator/CateBlanchett, Creator/RachelWeisz, [[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Joely]] [[Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy Richardson]], Creator/EmmaThompson, Sally Phillips (who ended up playing Shazza), [[Film/AmericanPie Jennifer Coolidge]], Creator/KateWinslet, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/ToniCollette, and Creator/CameronDiaz to name a few.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Fielding herself based Bridget and her diary entries, not only on PrideAndPrejudice, but also the habits and diaries of her friends and herself. For the 3rd book, she like Bridget has grade-school children whilst in her early fifties.

** Bridget's friend Jude is introduced crying in the bathroom. Her actress Shirley Henderson played Moaning Myrtle in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films, a ghost who haunts a girls' bathroom.

* CastingGag: Mark Darcy is of course meant to be Mr Darcy from ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', who was memorably played in the BBC adaptation by Colin Firth. There's also a bit in the book where Bridget has a crush on Colin Firth, and an extra for the first film had Bridget [[CelebrityParadox interviewing him for work]]. What's more is that the third film reveals that Mark's middle name is [[spoiler: Fitzwilliam]].

** Hugh Grant as a less-dashing, more lechery love interest, not to mention the Wrong Guy First. According to Fielding, this is much closer to his actual personality anyway.
* PlayingGertrude: Celia Imrie first played the 60 year old Una Alconbury when she was pushing 50, she was in fact the youngest of most of the actors portraying Bridget/Marks' parents' peer group.

** Mark's colleague Natasha is played by the South African born American Embeth Davidtz.

* PromotedFangirl: Jacinda Barrett (Rebecca Gillies, Mark's assistant and Bridget's secret admirer) said in a featurette for the second film that when she viewed the the 1st film, she wanted to have a beer with them along with looking up to ReneeZellweger.