To describe this character, think of all the qualities that made the world fall in love with Grace Kelly; the beauty, the elegance, the whole shebang. And then imagine a woman with none of that. That is the brutal truth of Bridget Jones and yet it was the most inspiring truth of my young adult life.

Bridget represents the entirety of women who are constantly trying to better themselves all the while clumsily stumbling through the dating world. At sixteen I saw this and realized that I had found a woman in the media who actually portrayed how I felt. Not only was she klutzy and quirky, she was witty and loveable and that is what makes her such a remarkable character.

As we follow the story of Bridget Jones, we witness her succumb to a shitty boyfriend who eventually cheats on her. Brokenhearted, Bridget must regain her confidence through a process in which she eventually learns how to love herself as well as realize the love she deserves. Through mostly embarrassing circumstances, Bridget figures out how to navigate her life and become the woman who she has always wanted to be. Turns out, though, she had already been that woman all along.

Watching this as a teenager, I learned there was hope for me because there were other women out there who were just as weird as me. Bridget Jones gave me confidence and, during my sophomore year of high school, I started to play that movie every day while I got ready for school. Watching her make mistake after mistake but still manage to end up happy was truly what gave me the courage to start the day. If she could do it, then so could I. Even though Bridget Jones is a fictional character, I feel as though I know her like a sister and she taught me to embrace the woman that I am.

This character is one who teaches women that it’s okay not to be full of poise and confidence all of the time. Real women make mistakes, drink a lot of vodka and question themselves on everything. These ingredients make up a woman’s life and Bridget Jones exemplifies that, whether it be by accidentally showing her bare ass to all of Britain or finally finding a man who loves her for who she is.

Both the novel and the movie promote the idea of not dating someone who isn’t worth your time. Bridget has to learn this the hard way and even though she makes a few hiccups, she finally realizes how much she is worth. Watching Bridget end up with a man who loves her despite her flaws is one of the most empowering aspects of this story. The beginning of the tale has Bridget finding faults within her and constantly trying to change. But, by the time we reach the end of the journey we are taught, along with Bridget, that a worthwhile love won’t want to change anything about you.

Current Music: Waka Waka- Shakira