Oh... classic romance...

Two things about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice before you read this post:

1. I love the plot. It's this fantastic, classic romance set in a fantastic, classic period with a relatable leading lady, dysfunctional family and a mysterious, sexy man who has a tendency to be an ass.
2. I hate the book. I cannot stand how Jane Austen writes. I'm sorry, but I don't need to spend three pages reading about random details of the courtship process. Every single time I have attempted to read this book, I've gotten bored and easily distracted.
   

So I resorted to watching the movie version, starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

It is a brilliant plot that has the ability to transcend centuries and can be adapted to any modern telling. I have seen a grand total of three P&P remake movies, each brilliant in their own regard. Two of these have been set in modern time.

Bridget Jones is the most successful of the modern remakes.

It forwards the text of the original into a way that serves the modern public well. It takes the ideas and concepts of the original ("Singleton" and "spinster" and whatnot) and changes the contexts - from a time where women literally could not survive without men to a time where everyone thinks it's silly for a woman to try to survive without a man. Both Bridget and Elizabeth maintain the attitude that they don't need men, but... still want one at the same time, as long as he is the "right" one.

The movie Bridget Jones's Diary forwards the book's concepts, as well. I think the director did a fantastic job. Certain things had to be adjusted, like Bridget's mother's running off to Portugal or the constant appearance of the Smug Married couples to fit within time constraints.

Overall, the ideas clearly made it through. A girl's weight, drinking and smoking were still major topics, men was a major topic and "singleton" life was a major topic.

What I thought was interesting was how in the book, Bridget is fighting with being 120-125 pounds, while in the movie, she struggles well above 130. This is intriguing - the director must have wanted Bridget to come off as a plumper girl at 135, where she would have appeared perfectly normal at 125. The struggle with weight would be a lot more evident if she looked heavier like she did in the movie.