I think both my favorite and least favorite aspect of Bridget Jones’ Diary is its connection to Pride and Prejudice.

I love Darcy (Colin Firth, again). A little stand-offish and judgmental but fundamentally good. Darcy here is likable, lovable and pleasantly played by Firth, who somehow seems perfect for the part.

I also love Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), who plays a sort of Wickam role. Grant plays a great rascal, always on bad terms with Darcy and struggling to keep ahold of Bridget Jones in spite of a wandering eye. Daniel is a highly enjoyable character in spite of himself.

But I still can’t get a grip on Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger), an extremely insecure version of Elizabeth Bennett. I think Elizabeth would have been insulted by the suggestion that Bridget was supposed to represent her. Bridget drinks, smokes and overeats, but her habits aren’t her primary problem, rather, it’s her insecurities. It’s her weakness and thoughtlessness that are continually making things difficult for her.

As she falls for both Daniel and Darcy, she begins to change and takes control of her habits but never seems to get out of herself fundamentally, which is apparently OK, because Darcy loves her “just the way she is”. Why Darcy likes her at all is beyond me.

It’s fun to catch the various parallels and allusions to Austen’s novel, but many aspects of the plot feel oversimplified. For example, the fact that Darcy never once revealed the truth between what went on between he and Daniel simply seems unrealistic.

Though flawed in parts, the script is well written and an otherwise uninteresting story is rendered enjoyable though characters who are made especially enjoyable by the actors. Though a far cry from Austen’s Prejudice, Bridget Jones’ Diary is a quick, witty adaptation that holds its own.