Top 5 Reasons To See “Bridget Jones’s Baby!” With My Renee Zellweger Interview! @Bridget_Jones

Oscar® winners Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth are joined by Patrick Dempsey for the next chapter of the world’s favorite singleton in Bridget Jones’s Baby. Directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary), the new film in the beloved comedy series based on creator Helen Fielding’s heroine finds Bridget unexpectedly expecting.

1. “Bridget Jones’s Baby” is hilarious. The entire theater was laughing throughout, especially me.

2. No prior Bridget Jones knowledge is necessary to catch up with this third installment. I saw the first one 15 years ago and my friend not seen either of the first two installments. The movie stands on its own. When I told Renee about my friend never having seen either of the two earlier movies:

“It made me smile when you said earlier that–that your friend had a great time despite having not seen the first two films because, in the development process, we wanted to be so careful that we made a film that didn’t rely on everybody’s nostalgia for the characters or their affection for the characters but that we were making a film–well, a worthwhile film, a film that could stand on its own despite being part of this franchise.”

3. There is a gay scene. It will surprise you. I loved it. It may not be gay though!

4. Renee Zellweger. She is still the perfect Bridget Jones, 15 years later. She is funny, she is smart, she has her timing down perfectly.

5. I give it an A+ for entertainment value. This movie works perfectly as a girls night out, and it is also works perfectly for a couples night out.

The day after I viewed the movie at the American Premiere, I had the opportunity to sit down with Renee Zellweger and the Director of the movie, Sharon Maguire.

Some background information on Sharon is helpful, she directed the first film, Bridget Jones’s Diary, which was based on the book by her close friend, Helen Fielding. In fact, it is thought that one of the main characters, Shazzer, may be based on Sharon. Sharon Maguire had also been on stage at the Premiere and introduced Renee and the other actors in the movie. Sharon was hysterical and set the tone for the evening, she herself could have been doing a stand up routine, that is how entertaining she was. This is why we were all excited to interview both of these wonderful ladies!

The first and obvious question was for Renee and about how it felt to come back to the character of Bridget Jones. After all, the second movie was completed over 10 years ago. “It felt like a fantastically happy reunion.” Patrick Dempsey played a new character, but several of the returning actors were there from the start.

Sharon told us how she sent Renee to an actual newsroom to prepare for her role in this movie. Renee worked on “Good Morning Britain” for several weeks to get the feel for her role as a TV producer. This was how it had been done in previous films. Can you imagine being a staff person working along side Renee at your regular job while she is training for a role!

I was intrigued by the answer to our question about how strictly they followed the script. It works best as a collaborative piece the two ladies agreed and Renee said:

“It’s always collaborative, and that’s what makes this experience so much fun because we all know this character in a different way. And I feel like she kind of comes to life somewhere between the two of us (Sharon and Renee).” “We’re interpretive artists, and we take what’s on the page and shape it around and give it dimension. And that’s where the accidents and the things you don’t expect and those moments that become, I guess, movie magic happens.” These two work so well together, it is clear from watching this movie!

The subject of physical comedy came up:

Renee spoke of that as comedy that comes from truth, from the physically awkward part of the human experience. Sharon put it best describing Renee: ” She’s really good at falling down. She’s very good at falling down.” There was more from Sharon: “where she falls down at the festival. You know? And I was thinking, “We’ve only got five minutes to do this. She just went–every time down, down, down. We did about four or five takes. It was just great every single time. And you have (to Renee)–you do have an uncanny ability to fall down really well flat on your face.”

One of my favorite questions was asked of Renee and Sharon, what would the older Bridget Jones say to the younger? The answer was simple: “I don’t know that the lessons that we learn are as potent if we don’t live the experiences that teach us.” Everything we go through leads us to today, if we change the past, we change our present. Sharon said: “For me, coming to the script, 15 years later, the whole experience, I think it’s imbued with a sense of the fantasies you have for your life and how they don’t work out. And I would say to her, you know, that your fantasies for your life probably won’t work out. But, life will throw other fantasies at you, and go with those. You know, life deals you a different deck of cards, and you have to find the fantasies in there.”

These were not really interviews, but rather conversations. These two women were fabulous to chat with. Go see the movie because we all need this kind of good, fun entertainment, and we always need to laugh out loud!

Plan your Girls or Couples Night Out at the movies: see Bridget Jones’s Baby, from Universal Pictures, in theaters this Friday, September 16th!  Get tickets now: http://unvrs.al/BJBTix

Follow Bridget Jones on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Lastly, try the Bridget Jones Moment Meme Generator: Create your own #BridgetJonesMoment. Visit http://unvrs.al/BJBMoment to get started, and possibly win $500!

Now for the photo booth picture of Sharon Maguire, daddy Mitch, and Renee Zellweger!