Bridget Jones is back. Mad About the Boy, the fourth film in the Bridget Jones series, is currently out in cinemas and it is, to quote Bridget herself, v. v. good. But brace yourselves: you'll find yourself belly-laughing in one scene and sobbing in the next.
The film is based on Helen Fielding’s third Bridget Jones novel of the same name, which sees the return of our favourite singleton as she navigates the ups and downs of parenthood following the death of her husband Mark Darcy. The book contains poignant observations about grief, while also showing a 50-something Bridget looking to find joy again – namely, through her 29-year-old “toy-boy”, Roxster – and trying to avoid judgement from her friends, family, and her son’s strict new teacher, Mr. Wallaker.
The film keeps a lot of the magic of the book alive and strikes the tone just right. But, as with most book-to-screen adaptations, there were some parts of the original story that were changed or cut. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting differences between the book and film below. Warning: spoilers ahead.
7 key differences between the new Bridget Jones film and book
1. Bridget Jones on social media
Helen Fielding’s 2013 novel is set across 2012 and 2013, when Twitter was in its heyday. Bridget is peer-pressured into setting up an account, which inevitably leads to her “twunking” (drunk tweeting) her opinions about birds and obsessing over her loss of followers.
Some of the funniest moments in the book occur when she asks everyone – from her GP, who has delivered bad news about her health, to Mr. Wallaker, with whom she’s in an argument – to follow her on Twitter. Needless to say, they refuse.
The new film is set in the present day and doesn’t see Bridget on social media. Instead of meeting Roxster on Twitter, they start talking on Tinder.
2. Bridget’s screenplay
In both the film and the book, Bridget tries to build her confidence by re-entering the world of work. In the film, this means returning to the world of television, where she is welcomed back as a producer. In the book, however, she's a screenwriter.
Bridget has an idea to adapt the classic Henrik Ibsen play Hedda Gabler into a modern story about a woman who chooses a boring husband over a more exciting love affair. She soon gets an agent, and a production company takes interest in her pitch. But then the impossible demands start rolling in. Could she, for instance, set this Norwegian tragedy on a yacht in Hawaii? And somehow make it a romantic comedy? These are the parts of the book that will make you chuckle, as the requests get more outlandish, and Bridget finds herself out increasingly of her depth.
3. More Roxster
Leo Woodall, of One Day and The White Lotus fame, is brilliant as the charismatic and carefree Roxster in the film. But in the book, you feel like you get to know his character a little bit more – in particular, his obsession with food, his sense of humour that perfectly matches Bridget’s, and his witty one-liners.
Bridget’s relationship with Roxster feels like it dominates the book, with her constant panicking about his responses (or lack thereof) to her texts, their numerous rendez-vous, and their ill-fated mini-break. In the film, Roxster is assimilated into the family straight away, but the relationship is condensed into a summer romance montage (although that swoon-worthy swimming pool scene still made the audience gasp).
4. A different cast of characters
Like Sex and the City, the Bridget Jones series has the concept of “urban family” at its core. These are Bridget’s chosen people, who will answer her calls in the early hours, or pop round for a night-cap if her boyfriend sends a cryptic message. The Mad About the Boy film captures their dynamic perfectly – although there are a few differences.
In the book, Bridget’s support system mostly comprises the wise Tom, confident Talitha and jaded Jude, although she also makes friends with her neighbour and kindred spirit Rebecca. In the film, there’s a wider carousel of characters: Tom, Jude and Talitha, plus outspoken feminist Shazzer, sex-positive Matilda, and the assertive gynaecologist Dr. Rawlings (played with deadpan humour by Emma Thompson).
5. Mr Wallaker’s act of heroism
Mr. Wallaker can be quite brutal about Bridget’s parenting style in the Mad About the Boy book, making snide comments about her being late for school and claiming her children need more discipline at home.
In the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mr. Wallaker as a character who likes military-grade discipline (see: his whistle for herding the children) but he’s a much bigger softie at heart. His act of heroism is helping Billy come to terms with his father’s death. In the book, however, the stakes are even higher: he saves Billy’s life when a parent loses control of their car at a school event. His bravery in the face of danger, and his backstory as a former SAS agent, make him even more attractive.
6. Daniel Cleaver’s alcohol problem
In both the book and film, Daniel Cleaver (played on-screen by Hugh Grant) gives us a healthy dose of comic relief – whether he’s chasing 20-something women, being a bad influence on the children, or flirting outrageously with Bridget.
But he also has a health scare in both versions of Mad About the Boy. In the film, it’s a heart murmur, which pushes him to re-evaluate the choices he’s made in his life, and re-connect with his estranged son. In the book, Daniel has an alcohol problem and ends up in hospital when he mistakes a bottle of Fairy Liquid for crème de menthe. He doesn’t have the same moment of epiphany as in the film, but his friends do realise they need to check in on him more.
7. School email chains
Any modern parent will be all-too familiar with the tyranny of the school WhatsApp group. In every class, there's always one parent who bosses everyone else around, using persuasion (read: guilt trips) to make you sign up for something you don’t want to do. We see these school gate politics play out in the new Bridget Jones film, but in the book, we’re treated to email chains.
In one memorable part of the book, Bridget is included in an email thread about a child’s missing shoe, and she responds: “Billy came home from football last night wearing only one ear. Does anyone have Billy’s other ear? It was VERY clearly labelled and I would appreciate its prompt return.” A harmless joke, she thinks – but it soon spirals out of control with the Queen Bee of the playground, with hilarious results.