Factual error: No British woman measures her weight in pounds only - always stones and pounds, or kilograms (a concession to the Americans but it sounds really odd to us Brits). Yes, in the American printing of the book it's always only pounds as well, but that's for the same reason, and still wrong.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Plot summary
Directed by: Sharon Maguire
Starring: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant
Can a single woman over 30, who smokes too much, drinks too much, and has a tendency to say whatever comes into her mind, find her place in the world... and a man? Bridget Jones is an assistant at a London book publisher, feeling time pass her by. When Daniel Cleaver, her boss, starts flirting with her in a vulgar way, she plunges straight in. An affair ensues and she's head over heels. She also keeps running into Mark Darcy, a reserved even stiff barrister who has known her since she was a child young enough to frolic naked in his wading pool, seems to look down his nose at her, and hates Cleaver (truth is, Daniel may be a bit of a bounder). What are Bridget's choices?
More mistakes in Bridget Jones's Diary
Mark Darcy: I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences... But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are.
Trivia: When Mark Darcy returns from America in order to kiss Bridget, she asks him: "So you're not going to America then?" and he says "So it would seem." Incidentally that is also the last line of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, which also starred Colin Firth. Helen Fielding, the author, openly admits that she got her inspiration for the story from Pride and Prejudice. It was written for TV by the same bloke, Andrew Davies, who helped write the screenplay for Bridget Jones's Diary.
Question: Does anyone know why Mark Darcy's mother's name was changed from Elaine (in the book) to Geraldine (in the film)?
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Lots of times in book-to-movie situations and even in some remakes, the producers/writers/directors change names or events. It can be because of personal issues, legal ones or it can even be spur of the moment. it can also be unintentional,when they change it without the specific INTENTION to change it. I think in this case it was more likely that the character/or their name didn't have too much of an impact on the story line, so they didn't feel a pressing need to keep it the same.