Youth Day suits a new kind of 'sorry' Jun 20, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Youth Day suits a new kind of 'sorry. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Second poll likely to choose president Jun 20, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Jose Ramos-Horta, 57, is mobbed by the press as he arrives at a polling station to cast his vote. (Yahoo News -- East Timor)
Girls' pact produces pregnancy bump in school Jun 20, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. BOSTON: At least 17 high school students, many aged 16 and under, are pregnant after apparently making a pact. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Finally, a Reason Why Nice Guys Finish Last Jun 20, 2008
Girls love guys in bands," he added. Most everyone knows -- or at least knows of -- a stereotypical "bad boy" like Ricky. The guy with such high self-esteem he could aptly be called a narcissist. The guy who wins women over with deceit, callousness and impulsive behavior. Basically, the type of guy who resembles a real-life version of Hugh Grant's character in "Bridget Jones' Diary. " The success of Ricky and so many other "bad boys" with women seems to add weight to the popular saying "good... (ABC News)
Daniel Craig's charity kiss Jun 19, 2008
The James Bond actor, "Bridget Jones" Diary' star and "Harry Potter" actor all puckered up to kiss "Casino Royale" producer Barbara Broccoli, who paid the staggering sum for the smooch. Other items sold at the auction to raise money for The National Film and Television School included the dinner jacket worn by Daniel in the most recent Bond film "Casino Royale," which sold for 9,500 pounds, and a signed proof of the J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, " which fetched 18,000... (Xinhuanet, China)
Ancient Beauty: Ancient Rome Jun 13, 2008
Bridget Jones' Diary ... Working from a screenplay by Fielding, the BBC's adaptation guru Andrew Davies ( Bleak House) and Richard Curtis ( Notting Hill), director Sharon Maguire manages to strike a balance between the moments of semi-serious reflection and Bridget's uproarious misadventures - a skill that was sadly lacking in Beeban Kidron's 2004 sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, where the title character was comically crucified from virtually the first scene to the last ... Bridget... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
No holds barred Jun 13, 2008
"Not many British films get a sequel. I can only think of Bridget Jones, Mr Bean and 28 Days Later. But Kidulthood struck a chord with the audience because it was authentic." Like Blackburn, Clarke cites Kids as a major influence ... "We're not appealing to the chin-scratching, pensive documentary audience. It's more like the alternative Bridget Jones, or Notting Hill with a brain." At Sundance, Doug Liman and Judd Apatow professed themselves fans of Waitt's picture, while Donkey Punch drew... (Guardian Unlimited)
Good and bad 'Sex And The City' Jun 6, 2008
And unlike the insecure and somewhat scatty Bridget Jones, another 30-something fictional single female who emerged in popular culture about the same time, the four central characters in SATC assured a generation of women that being single beyond your 20s could be something to be celebrated. It was popular culture telling us that the stereotype of the desperate spinster was dead. (Daily Telegraph)
'Hope springs eternal' Jun 6, 2008
Shami Chakrabarti, chair of judges for the new writers award, called Inglorious "Dostoevsky meets Bridget Jones", but Kavenna's career will probably survive. Personally I could have done with more of the Dostoevsky and less of the Bridget Jones, but Kavenna is willing to defend her chic chick-lit when I invite her to distance herself from the Bridget Jones part of the label ... "It's a blanket term that renders a wide variety of literature frivolous. It's used either to dismiss the writing or to... (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Bridget Jones Jun 5, 2008
Faza Gune's first novel, the semi-autobiographical tale of a young woman in Paris's deprived suburbs, was an instant publishing sensation. But, she tells Angelique Chrisafis despite her success she is still a victim of modern France's insidious racism. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Inglorious triumph in first novel award Jun 5, 2008
Dostoyevsky meets Bridget Jones ... Speaking after presenting Kavenna with the 10,000 prize last night, the chair of the judges Shami Chakrabarti described Inglorious as "Dostoevsky meets Bridget Jones", adding that "Joanna Kavenna combines courage and elegance in creating an anti-heroine for the 21st century". (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
'I half-hoped that I might miscarry' Jun 2, 2008
After I'd gone through my 30s in a way that would have made Bridget Jones proud, I met Josh. He was 40 and I was 41. (Guardian Unlimited -- Society)
Trudging the long road to love can be extremely painful in six-inchheels May 31, 2008
Elizabeth Bennett was a searcher not a settler, so was Bridget Jones, so was Lady Chatterley, so was Scarlett O'Hara. The settlers are the anti-heroines - those not courageous enough to gamble on the ultimate prize - true love, those who find that settling has resulted in a desperate half-life, a la Madame Bovary. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Sex And The City: C May 29, 2008
The dialogue features typical Bradshavian voice-overs and makes Bridget Jones s Diary sound like Shakespeare. The action involves Fashion Week and several montages of haute couture quick-change. (Boston Herald)
Tracey Spicer bursts the 'Boned' bubble May 28, 2008
Spicer admits there are a few "home truths" revealed in Boned, but says the novel is shaping up little more than a media based rehash of Bridget Jones' Diary ... "That would explain the references to horoscopes, pilates and the lonely, sterile home of the childless woman - all staples of Bridget Jones et al.". (LIVENEWS.com.au)
Disney sets out to make 'The Passion for kids' May 27, 2008
Chardonnay, once Britain s most popular wine, has seen sales plummet in the last year because of the Bridget Jones effect, according to wine expert Oz Clarke. An Australian man who was paralysed by a rugby injury has made dramatic steps towards recovery after receiving highly controversial stem cell treatment in India. (Yahoo News -- 'The Passion of the Christ')
When the Bachchan wife met a Desperate Housewife! May 24, 2008
Rushdie, last seen on the silver screen playing himself in Bridget Jones Diary , has no plans to make a Bollywood debut. It looks like he may have learnt from ex-wife Padma Lakshmi s disastrous attempt to crack Bollywood. (Times Online)
Shape Shifters: Actors' Wild Weight Changes May 22, 2008
He's currently shedding weight for a role, while she packed on the pounds for the two "Bridget Jones" films. Colin Farrell appears to be the latest. (ABC News)
Chesney: Unhappy with Zellweger May 21, 2008
The singer married 'Bridget Jones' Diary' star Renee in 2005 but the couple split just four months later. Kenny now admits he wasn't ready to tie the knot, but says Renee is "the sweetest soul I've ever met". (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Media studies GCSE gets Hollywood revamp May 21, 2008
Bridget Jones, Madonna, Hollyoaks and Super Mario Brothers are also listed as possible examples for schools to use, though they are encouraged to develop their own ... Parool Patel, former media regulator and British Academy of Film and Television Awards member, and now head of GCSE projects at OCR, said: "For example students are asked to look at the representation of race in Madonna's Like a Prayer video, or how men and women are represented in Bridget Jones's Diary". (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Asking For Trouble: A Novel May 16, 2008
Sophy Metcalfe is a thirty-year-old London single (yes, there s a bit of Bridget Jones in her). She s sarcastic but competent, independent but longing for romance. (Suite101.com)
SWF seeks wild celibate time May 15, 2008
"I got the idea to write a Christian version of 'Bridget Jones,' " she says, citing the paragon of chick-lit. "I liked Bridget Jones because she's a hapless woman who is offered love that's unconditional." At the time, she lived in Brooklyn, working by day editing music-education materials for McGraw-Hill and energetically socializing by night with a cast of church friends and other characters. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
Is it just the shoes? May 13, 2008
" It made it seem sexy and normal, rather than mind-numbing, to spend hours painting your nails Toby Young It was smart casting to recruit established film actor Sarah Jessica Parker as the heroine/narrator Carrie Bradshaw, the alter-ego of party-girl Candace Bushnell who penned the original - and altogether darker and more cynical - columns for the New York Observer. For it's about the lives and loves of successful single 30-somethings, and Parker was 33 at the time. The same age as her more... (BBC News -- UK)
Ethical Fashion - Eco-Underwear May 13, 2008
Going organic no longer means granny knickers and Bridget Jones- type pants, but pretty and practical underwear and lingerie with sexy frills and ruffles. In the past organic clothing has had an image of being ugly, frumpy and expensive. (Suite101.com)
Much ado about nothing? May 7, 2008
Women do get that Bridget Jones' granny pants aren't exactly sexy. They're comfortable (I think as I daren't try them for myself), and luckily for us ladies, there are heaps of other choices out there, like those French knickers. (iAfrica.com)
Anna Broadway, SWF, seeks wild celibate time May 5, 2008
"I got the idea to write a Christian version of 'Bridget Jones,' " she says, citing the paragon of chick-lit. "I liked Bridget Jones because she's a hapless woman who is offered love that's unconditional." At the time, she lived in Brooklyn, working by day editing music education materials for McGraw-Hill and energetically socializing by night with a cast of church friends and other characters. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Lifetime Television Proudly Announces October Marquee Event Original Movie, 'Living Proof' Starring Emmy(R) and Grammy(R) Award Winner Harry Connick, Jr. May 3, 2008
Renee Zellweger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain" and received Academy Award nominations for her work in "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Chicago." She recently starred in and executive-produced the feature film, "Miss Potter." ... Zellweger's additional film credits include "Bee Movie," "Cinderella Man," "Down with Love," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and its sequel, "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," "Shark Tale," "Jerry Maguire," "Me, Myself &... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Lovable losers? Hollywood welcomes you Apr 17, 2008
Or, going back farther, Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones, Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping, or Julia Roberts in My Best Friends Wedding. Even when theyre disheveled and apparently prepared to ruin their own lives in an Apatowian-protagonist manner, women tend to look entirely ready for magazine cover shoots. (MSNBC -- News)
Can Renee ever escape ... the Bridget Jones curse? Apr 15, 2008
Can Renee ever escape the Bridget Jones curse ... Can Renee ever escape the Bridget Jones curse ... In fact, as every lonely year passes, Renee Zellweger must rue the day she agreed to play Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones - and become for ever compared with the character. (Daily Mail)
Single and happy: it's the freemales Apr 13, 2008
Women are increasingly rejecting a desperate, Bridget Jones-like search for a perfect partner, preferring instead to enjoy their single status and refusing to compromise by settling for 'Mr Mediocre ... Freemales' - manless women who are happy to remain so for the present at least - are now a force to be reckoned with and are overturning the dated Bridget Jones image of the lonely woman staring despondently at an empty Chardonnay bottle ... In the past such women have been stigmatised by... (Guardian Unlimited)
Motherhood never been Renee Zellweger's ambition Apr 8, 2008
" I just want to be independent and be able to take care of myself. Anything else is just gravy. Renee, who is most famous for her role as unlucky-in-love Bridget Jones, wed country star Kenny Chesney in 2005 after splitting up with the White Stripes frontman Jack White. The marriage was annulled after mere months and she says she currently doesn't have time for romance. "I'm not single, I'm busy," she says. (Source: China Daily/Agencies) Editor: Feng Tao Related Stories. (Xinhuanet, China)
The rise of snack drama Mar 28, 2008
" After the first season aired online, Shomos and his collaborators managed to negotiate a deal with Optus TV to fund a second series, distributed through their pay television and mobile phone networks. Another online series that has recently made the transition to TV is US-based quarterlife. With an online audience of 6 million downloads, quarterlife follows the lives of six young artistic types finding their way in the world after leaving college. Launched on YouTube in November 2007,... (The Age, Australia -- Technology)
Growth board to choose consultant Mar 28, 2008
Bridget Jones of Cumberland Region Tomorrow, an area planning organization, said having a sound comprehensive plan in place was a lifeline for the county s future. This county s long-term economic competitiveness is actually predicated on this, she said, unless we want to become Atlanta and start digging ourselves out of it. (Columbia Daily Herald, TN)
Kiss my Darcy Mar 27, 2008
The Bridget Jones films, including the one where he let Grant have it, had of course already satirised Firth's tall and handsome but rather uptight Mr Darcy. However, nothing would have prepared him for the St Trinian's onslaught, where he says he was "subjected to every indignity possible", including love scenes with his old friend Rupert Everett, who plays the headmistress of St Trinian's as well as her brother, Carnaby. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Colin Firth has ended his feud with Rupert Everett Mar 27, 2008
He's tossed into a fountain (a la Bridget Jones's Diary), emerges from a lake with a soaking wet shirt (Pride and Prejudice), he's humped on the leg by a dog called Darcy (Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones) and name-checked in relation to Vermeer's painting Girl with a Pearl Earring (he played the painter in the eponymous film). A particularly dim-witted girl mistakes the painting for a portrait of Scarlett Johansson. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Spears shady acting technique Mar 25, 2008
I wouldn't say I can choose absolutely any movie role I wanted so many variables play into it, the Bridget Jones star admitted in a quote on. But you can always choose what you don't want to do like if I see a script that says, 'Close up on booby first shot,' I'll probably say pass to that. (MSNBC -- News)
Push-up bra hailed "greatest fashion invention ever" Mar 25, 2008
The little black dress, worn by Audrey Hepburn, mini skirt worn by Twiggy, Sarah Jessica Parker in stilettos and Bridget Jones known for her pull-in pants. (Photo: chinadaily. (Xinhuanet, China)
Telly addicts, it's time to cast your vote Mar 17, 2008
Most repeated: Love Actually; CSI; Bridget Jones; About a Boy; Border Security. Worst network: Nine; SBS.. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Instant karma: cry on the bathroom floor, find God Mar 15, 2008
In the 1990s we had to endure the adventures of Bridget Jones, one of literature's most benignly offensive and cretinous creations ... This decade's zeitgeisty book is a postscript to the Bridget Jones era, where our heroine is sadder, less innocent and knows marriage doesn't equal happiness ... Just as Bridget Jones's Diary symbolised something of the times, Gilbert's memoir has struck a very big chord. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Lisa Kudrow: Who do you think you are?” Mar 15, 2008
Oscar winner Anthony Minghella ( The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley ) directed the two-hour pilot and co-wrote script with Richard Curtis ( Notting Hill, Bridget Jones s Diary ). The pair will are executive producers, while Sydney Pollack ( Tootsie, The Interpreter ) is among the producers. (Montana Standard, MT)
Firth to go on date with fan Mar 4, 2008
SEARCH MOVIE LISTINGS: lect. SEARCH RESTAURANTS: lect. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Police escort board member out amid cheers Mar 4, 2008
"Is your pride so important that you can't step down to save the future of 52,800 students?" asked Jonesboro High School junior Bridget Jones. "You may have the right to do a lot of things, but taking away our future is not one of them.". (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
One Night Only Mar 1, 2008
Also in the name of charity, you and a guest can get your "Sex and the City" fix by attending the movie premiere and meeting the reportedly single Kristin Davis or hang out with "Bridget Jones" star Colin Firth at the "Mamma Mia" premiere in London. "If you are the kind of person that always wanted to see middle-aged men in tight spandex trying to sing, then this is the film for you," Firth said. (Fox News)
A rush for royalty Feb 28, 2008
Over the decades, savvy single women have trod through the pages of Judith Krantz and Erica Jong, Sophie Kinsella, Candace Bushnell and, of course, Helen Fielding, who birthed the '90s "it girl" of the genre, Bridget Jones. The millennium is bringing a boomlet in historical bodice-rippers -- these figures were not just princesses of the Upper East Side, but real royalty, who often paid for their ambition with their lives, or at least, their loins. (Los Angeles Times)
Stars turn to scarlet for this year's Oscar fashions Feb 26, 2008
Renee Zellweger was one of the few stars to don sequins, with the Bridget Jones star sparkling in a dramatic strapless silver gown with a dramatic thigh-high split. Hollywood newcomer Ellen Page, who was nominated for best actress for quirky teenage pregnancy comedy Juno, opted for a simple black gown. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Great fun to lose oneself in Kinsella's 'Remember' Feb 26, 2008
Kinsella, who in her Shopaholic series has managed to make a London career gal with madcap Lucille Ball leanings into a Bridget Jones for impulse buyers, finds a way to make losing one's memory seem refreshingly funny and if not unforgettable, then utterly readable. Her latest heroine to take on the mantle of Britain's answer to Doris Day is Lexi, who in Remember Me. (USA Today -- Life)
Labour to spend 10million on shock advertising to curb Bridget ... Feb 26, 2008
Labour to spend 10million on shock advertising to curb Bridget Jones drinkers - Mirror ... Labour to spend 10million on shock advertising to curb Bridget Jones drinkers ... Labour is launching a 10million advertising drive to curb Bridget Jones drinkers. (Mirror.co.uk)
Love in the Time of Clinton Feb 19, 2008
"), a disgusted Will spits to his friends, "What happens if next time they give him a hard word -- like truth (Film Stew)
New Film Definitely, Maybe is Kinda Okay Feb 15, 2008
Definitely, Maybe camouflages its intelligent points. Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 By. (Time.com)
Little Miss Matchmaker Feb 14, 2008
On the plus side, "Definitely, Maybe'' has an appealing cast, some amusing scenes and at least tries to do something different. I do have some reservations about the script by writer-director Adam Brooks (who wrote the "Bridget Jones" sequel), which is overly gimmicky and over long. Ryan Reynolds plays Will, a 30-something New York advertising executive who is being served with divorce papers at work. That same day, he picks up his 10-year-old daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin of "Little Miss... (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Ryan Reynolds is leaving 'Wilder' days behind Feb 11, 2008
"She said, 'I know you're not going to see it, but he's incredibly versatile and he's a great guy,' " said Brooks, who also adapted "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and wrote the 1995 romantic comedy "French Kiss.". Very quickly, Brooks did see it, in an unlikely place: the 2005 remake of "The Amityville Horror," which had Reynolds playing George Lutz, a character brought to the screen in 1979 by James Brolin. (Boston Globe)
Desperate Indian writers Feb 10, 2008
And Salman Rushdie's brief appearance in Bridget Jones' Diary. Mita Kapur, CEO of Siyahi, a new Indian literary agency, says, "Today's world requires the writer to be savvy in many arenas besides writing. But a writer should give writing the priority, and move on to other spheres at the right moment.". (India Times, India)
My name is Ruth. I have a drink problem. I never touch it Feb 4, 2008
Scare stories about the health damage being suffered by the 'Bridget Jones' brigade of thirtysomething women appear almost weekly. The statistics on hepatitis and liver failure are alarming, but how many of these stories are motivated by a genuine concern for their health and how much by a chauvinist desire to stamp on women having a good time is anyone's guess. (Guardian Unlimited -- Society)
What else can you watch on TV besides the Super Bowl? Feb 3, 2008
""Puppy Bowl IV" kicks off at 3 p.m. and replays all day on Animal Planet, and also features the "Bissell Kitty Halftime Show" with more than a dozen cuddly kittens.Viewers can choose their MVP (Most Valuable Puppy), which will be announced Monday, and learn more about adopting shelter dogs and cats at .Reality TV Get a sneak peek at "Deion : Prime Time Love," Deion Sander's reality show airing April 15. The preview episode will be aired during the Super Bowl halftime show on Oxygen and will be... (Florida Today)
Pride and Prejudice in Film Jan 29, 2008
Bridget Jones Diary (2001). Bridget Jones Renee Zellweger ... Bridget Jones Diary author Helen Fielding admits to being inspired by Pride & Prejudice for her novel. (Suite101.com)
Titanic hug: Best Movie Hug Ever Jan 28, 2008
"Bridget Jones' Diary" was voted fourth place for Bridget and Mark Darcy's squeeze in the snow, with ex-convicts Andy and Red's hug in the final scene of "The Shawshank Redemption" rounding out the top five. (Source: China Daily/Agencies). (Xinhuanet, China)
Sex ... but properly, please Jan 21, 2008
His long list of Emmy- and Peabody-winning projects includes adaptations of modern fiction such as the splendid British miniseries "House of Cards" (and two sequels) as well as the Pierce Brosnan-starring thriller "The Tailor of Panama" and the two "Bridget Jones" films. But what has clinched his reputation are robust TV retellings of literary classics by Dickens ("Bleak House"), Thackeray ("Vanity Fair"), Defoe ("Moll Flanders"), George Eliot ("Middlemarch"). (CNN -- Showbiz)
'The king of adapters' Jan 19, 2008
" Davies is in a position to know. At 71, he reigns as the King of Adapters. His long list of Emmy- and Peabody-winning projects includes adaptations of modern fiction such as the splendid British miniseries "House of Cards" (and two sequels) as well as the Pierce Brosnan-starring thriller "The Tailor of Panama" and the two "Bridget Jones" films. But what has clinched his reputation are robust TV retellings of literary classics by Dickens ("Bleak House"), Thackeray ("Vanity Fair"), Defoe ("Moll... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Sundance Film Festival Jan 17, 2008
(Lakeshore) Incendiary Drama helmed by Sharon Maguire ( Bridget Jones s Diaries ) about the fallout of a terrorist attack on a British soccer stadium. Stars Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor. (Variety)
Stars shine on election hopefuls Jan 15, 2008
If the parts follow the money, Barbra Streisand will audition against Curb Your Enthusiasm star Mary Steenburgen and Bridget Jones star Ren;e Zelwegger to play Clinton, Paul Newman will battle Michael Douglas to play Bill, and Steven Spielberg will pitch against When Harry Met Sally director Rob Reiner. All have donated to Clinton in some form. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Weekend Punditry On the Race for White House Jan 13, 2008
We might even want her to borrow a page from "Bridget Jones' Diary," in which the heroine resolves not to "sulk about having no boyfriend, but develop inner poise and authority and sense of self as woman of substance, complete without boyfriend, as best way to obtain boyfriend.". As counterintuitive as it sounds, we want Clinton to assure us that she has plenty of other fish to fry if things don't go her way. (MediaWeek.com)
Hollywood baby flick's timely run Jan 11, 2008
Helen Fielding, the author of the Bridget Jones books, waited until she was 43 to have her first child, and had her second at 48. Madonna became a mother at 38 and had her second child at 42. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Saudi Girls Gone Wild Jan 10, 2008
For all the entertainment value provided by so-called chick lit in the Western world--from Britain's Bridget Jones' Diary to the United States' Sex and the City--fiction detailing the shopping and dating habits of young women can hardly be called revolutionary. It's been around at least since Jane Austen's 1813 classic Pride and Prejudice. (Forbes)
More of this story Jan 9, 2008
If Bridget Jones, 20 years from now, kept a diary about food, it would probably look something like mine. 11:30 a.m. - Had one bowl of pasta with pesto, heavy on the parmesan. (Patriot Ledger, MA)
Andrew Davies has adapted to Jane Austen's sensibility Jan 7, 2008
But the endeavor rests more heavily on screenwriter Andrew Davies: He wrote four of the adaptations to be aired, including the acclaimed 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" miniseries and a new version of "Sense and Sensibility." His other works include the "Masterpiece Theatre" series "Bleak House" and the feature film "Bridget Jones' Diary." We spoke to him this fall about Jane, Elizabeth, Bridget, Colin, and the public's fascination with British costume drama ... Q. After adapting so many classic... (Boston Globe)
