30 Feminist Christmas Movies, Ranked
By Emily Scott
Bridget Jones’s Diary, Image via Miramax Films/Universal Pictures
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bridget Jones is a single woman in her early thirties, which is a bit of an issue in her family’s well-off community. After enduring an attempt to be set up with Mark Darcy, a childhood friend who acts rude to her, at a Christmas party, Bridget vows to change her life. She starts keeping a diary to track her attempts to lose weight, quit smoking, stop drinking so much, and to finally find the man for her. She goes on a journey involving a questionable suitor, more awkward encounters with Mark, and varying degrees of success with her ‘self-improvement’ project. But ultimately, she discovers that there is a person who likes her, “just the way [she] is.” Though it takes place in different parts of the year, it begins and ends with Christmastime, which makes it qualify at least, to my standards.
The Good
- Bridget’s commitment to self-awareness, self-discovery, and working towards what she wants (no matter how ill-conceived) is admirable.
- Bridget has the good sense to reject Daniel when he proves to be an unrelenting jerk. Granted, it takes a little while for her to realize that he’s not going to change – but isn’t that true of all of us?
The Bad
- Marriage plot. Bridget Jones’s Diary is an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, so this does make sense. But still – why couldn’t Bridget just be single?
The Ugly
- This story is about a woman, but it revolves entirely around men. Bridget seems to have a supportive friend circle and a generally very good life, but her preoccupation with ‘improving’ herself is based in the idea that she is not attractive to Mark and Daniel. She is completely unable to find confidence and pride in herself without the affirmation of a male romantic interest. Even though she comes to love herself the way she is, weight and all, she can’t do that without an outside, male source telling her she should.
Next: 30 Woman-Friendly Horror Movies for the Thrill-Seeking Feminist
With that, I’ve broken down how 30 Christmas movies treat their female characters, whether that’s good, bad, or really bad. Happy holidays!